The 2026-27 Australian Federal Budget has tackled some important and politically difficult economic reforms, but climate and nature were clearly deprioritised, overtaken by fiscal discipline, tax reform, productivity and fuel security.

The Australian Sustainable Finance Institute (ASFI) has appointed Zak May and David Atkin to its Board, alongside the reappointment of Jeff Brunton and Katharine Tapley.

The Australian Sustainable Finance Institute (ASFI) has today released ‘Priority Actions for Financing Adaptation & Resilience’, a report drawing on insights from a cross-sector convening held during Climate Action Week Sydney.

ASFI marked the release of new debt guidance at an event convening professionals from major banks, central financing agencies, Treasury bodies, superannuation and investment organisations, and other institutions involved in the development, assessment and issuance of labelled debt.

Southeast Asia is a major growth region, yet Australian investment remains low. ASFI’s Investor Showcase highlights how debt markets, blended finance and the Net Zero Transition Bond are supporting new pathways for capital into the region.

ASFI has released first of its kind guidance for issuance of taxonomy-aligned use-of-proceeds debt, developed in collaboration with representatives from Australian Treasury, Australia’s sovereign and semi-sovereign debt managers, and New Zealand Treasury.

ASFI has appointed William McDonnell, Chief Financial Officer at IAG, as Chair of the ASFI Board. Mr McDonnell succeeds Kristian Fok, Chief Executive Officer of Cbus Super, who has served as Chair since the organisation was established in 2021.

On 17 February 2026, ASFI was pleased to convene the first South East Asia Investor Showcase of 2026 with the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, bringing institutional investors together to explore opportunities under Singapore’s Financing Asia’s Transition Partnership (FAST-P).

ASFI explores the structural, regulatory and organisational conditions required for Australian institutions to scale blended finance participation in Southeast Asia.

ASFI has taken time to reflect carefully on where the organisation can add the most value in the First Nations and Finance space in 2026.

This year-in-review reflects the twelve key system signals observed through ASFI’s engagement, analysis and collaborative work across 2025, highlighting where momentum is building, where challenges remain, and what these signals mean for 2026.

ASFI and a consortium of Australian and Chinese partners have convened the third workshop in the Australia-China sustainable finance dialogue series in Hong Kong SAR.

Australia and New Zealand have signalled a renewed commitment to regional cooperation on sustainable finance, following a joint statement from Ministers Chris Bowen and Simon Watts.

A new Actuaries Institute report strengthens the case for expanding the Australian taxonomy to include adaptation and resilience, aligning with ASFI’s market insights that credible criteria are needed to guide investment into Australia’s long-term climate resilience.

The Australian Sustainable Finance Institute (ASFI) says Australia must now shift its focus to practical delivery after Türkiye was confirmed as the host of COP31, warning the real work lies outside the formal negotiating agenda.

Transition finance dominated COP30, and ASFI returns with new insights to strengthen credible, science-based pathways for Australia’s transition.

ASFI’s annual Member Delegation to Parliament House brought senior representatives from Australia’s largest financial institutions together with key policymakers to advance dialogue on unlocking private capital for Australia’s transition.

The event reinforced ASFI’s role as a trusted, non-partisan convener between finance and policy.

The Australian Sustainable Finance Institute (ASFI) has appointed Professor Deen Sanders OAM as a Board Advisor and Cultural Governance and First Nations Leadership Advisor.

ASFI, UK Finance and UKSIF convened members from both countries for a roundtable on credible transition finance. The conversation highlighted how Australia and the UK are taking different paths toward the same goal; aligning finance with science-based transition strategies that can deliver real-world impact.

Financial institutions join a growing push to expand the sustainable finance taxonomy beyond green bond use, to unlock global investment in Australian sustainable projects.