11 July 2025

A new report from the World Green Building Council (WorldGBC) Asia Pacific Network, in partnership with Southeast Asia’s second largest bank by assets – OCBC – outlines how aligning green building rating tools with the ASEAN Taxonomy for Sustainable Finance can unlock investment in sustainable buildings across Asia Pacific. 

Launched on 11 July 2025, the ‘Unlocking Capital: Aligning Asia Pacific Green Building Rating Tools to the ASEAN Taxonomy for Sustainable Finance’ joint report by WorldGBC and OCBC maps how green building standards align with sustainable finance frameworks across Asia Pacific. 

The report, developed by the WorldGBC Asia Pacific Regional Network (APN) in partnership with OCBC, systematically analyses 14 major green building rating tools across 11 countries. The report benchmarks these tools against the ASEAN Taxonomy’s Technical Screening Criteria and Do No Significant Harm principles, demonstrating how widely used systems including Green Star, Green Mark, LEED v5, BEAM Plus, and BERDE already support projects that deliver on climate mitigation, resource efficiency, and circular economy objectives. 

Key findings reveal: 

• Strong alignment between leading rating tools and climate mitigation and resource resilience objectives, providing immediate opportunities for taxonomy-aligned financing. 

• Emerging frontiers in lifecycle carbon accounting, climate adaptation, and post-certification performance tracking where further alignment will strengthen the bridge between sustainable finance and building performance. 

• The critical role of collaboration between policymakers, financial institutions, and the built environment sector to align standards and accelerate capital flows into impactful projects. 

“The transition to a low-carbon, climate-resilient built environment is not inevitable – it requires intentional action, strategic collaboration, and unwavering commitment. This report serves as both a foundation for that work and an invitation to join a movement that will reshape the future of our built environment.” – Benjamin Towell, Executive Director – Global Wholesale Banking Sustainability Office, OCBC 

The report will be supported by a forthcoming technical annex, ‘Detailed Mapping of APAC Rating Tools to the ASEAN Taxonomy’, to be published in September 2025, providing deeper insights to support practical implementation across the region. 

Download the full report here.

About OCBC: 

OCBC is the second largest financial services group in Southeast Asia by assets, and the longest established Singapore bank, formed in 1932. It is one of the world’s most highly-rated banks, with Aa1 by Moody’s and AA- by both Fitch and S&P. Recognised for its financial strength and stability, OCBC is consistently ranked among the World’s Top 50 Safest Banks by Global Finance and has been named Best Managed Bank in Singapore by The Asian Banker.