KUALA LUMPUR, 5 NOVEMBER 2025 – The Climate Finance Innovation Lab (CFIL) today marked a major milestone with the first session of its Capital Solutioning Lab – connecting climate project owners with investors to shape workable financing solutions.
Established to help Malaysia close its climate investment gap, CFIL serves as the national platform for the development and acceleration of innovative climate finance mechanisms. It is a flagship initiative of the Joint Committee on Climate Change (JC3) co-chaired by Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) and the Securities Commission Malaysia (SC) and administered by Bank Pembangunan Malaysia Berhad (BPMB).
The inaugural session featured the Coastal Oasis Initiative Project by Planters International Berhad, a RM2.527 billion large-scale coastal rehabilitation and renewable energy hybrid development integrating riverine and coastal restoration with circular waste-to-value solutions along the Klang River corridor.
Designed as a nature-based climate adaptation and mitigation project, it combines carbon sequestration, livelihood enhancement, and green energy production. It is gaining significant attention for its pioneering approach, combining nature-based solutions (NbS) with renewable energy infrastructure – a hybrid model rarely seen in Malaysia’s project finance landscape. The project also aligns with Malaysia’s National Energy Transition Roadmap and the 13th Malaysia Plan.
The session brought together key stakeholders from across the public and private sectors, including the World Bank, International Finance Corporation (IFC), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability (NRES), among many others – reflecting strong national and international interest in unlocking innovative financing models for complex sustainability projects.
“This milestone reflects Malaysia’s growing ability to turn bold climate ambitions into tangible investments that deliver real impact for national development. Through CFIL, we are charting new pathways for financing sustainability at scale, where environmental restoration, community resilience, and economic progress advance together,” said Datuk Wira Dr. Mohammad Hardee Ibrahim, BPMB’s Group Chief Corporate Development Officer.
CFIL’s pipeline continues to grow, with 23 projects now spanning renewable energy, sustainable mobility, climate-smart agriculture, waste-to-value solutions, and nature-based initiatives. Among its early achievements is a project by Monash University Malaysia, which secured funding from the United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO)’s Climate Action for a Resilient Asia (CARA) Initiative, demonstrating CFIL’s ability to connect high-potential climate projects with committed capital partners.
Complementing this pipeline is the CFIL Accelerator Programme, which is currently supporting 15 projects through a capacity-building curriculum delivered with UNDP and the Centre for Entrepreneur Development and Research (CEDAR) of Small Medium Enterprise Development Bank Malaysia (SME Bank). The programme strengthens business models, impact frameworks, and investor-readiness, paving the way for selected participants to progress into future Capital Solutioning sessions as they reach investment maturity.
The continued expansion of the Capital Solutioning series will create more opportunities for qualified climate projects to engage with Malaysia’s growing ecosystem of financiers and technical partners. Scheduled through early 2026, the sessions will shine a spotlight on breakthrough solutions across renewable energy, climate-smart agriculture, waste-to-value, sustainable mobility, and nature-based initiatives.
For more information on the Climate Finance Innovation Lab (CFIL) and participating projects, please visit www.mycfil.com.
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About Bank Pembangunan Malaysia Berhad (BPMB)
Incorporated on 28 November 1973, BPMB is a development financial institution wholly owned by the Minister of Finance (Incorporated). Operating under the regulatory oversight of Bank Negara Malaysia as stipulated by the Development Financial Institutions Act 2002, BPMB holds the highest long-term credit rating of ‘AAA’ from both RAM Rating Services Berhad and Malaysia Rating Corporation Berhad.
Effective 1 May 2025, EXIM Bank and SME Bank became subsidiaries of BPMB. BPMB Group is well-positioned to provide catalytic funding and capacity-building support to Malaysian businesses and facilitate their international expansion in line with the national development agenda.
For more information, visit: www.bpmb.com.my | www.smebank.com.my | www.exim.com.my