• Abu Dhabi leverages policy, capital markets, and cross border partnerships to scale climate finance across emerging and developed economies
• ADSFF convenes global investors, regulators, and innovators to accelerate investment in energy transition, biodiversity, and green infrastructure
• UAE expands sustainable finance governance through new climate transition planning principles and growing institutional commitments

Abu Dhabi moved to consolidate its role in global sustainable finance on the final day of Abu Dhabi Finance Week, as the Abu Dhabi Global Market convened the eighth Abu Dhabi Sustainable Finance Forum. Hosted by ADGM in partnership with the Global Climate Finance Centre, Hanwha, and the EU-GCC Cooperation on Green Transition project, the forum gathered senior policymakers, institutional investors, and climate finance leaders at a moment when capital deployment is increasingly shaping the pace of the net-zero transition.

Held against a backdrop of intensifying climate risk and tightening regulatory expectations, the forum positioned Abu Dhabi not just as a convening platform, but as a capital allocator with growing influence across renewable infrastructure, green technology, and sustainable innovation markets.

Abu Dhabi’s Strategy for Climate Finance Leadership

Opening the forum, Salem Mohammed Al Darei, Chief Executive Officer of ADGM Authority, framed Abu Dhabi’s ambition in explicit capital and policy terms. He pointed to the emirate’s rapid evolution into a centre of gravity for sustainable finance, underpinned by regulatory frameworks designed to channel long-term capital into climate-resilient assets.

“Our commitment is clear – Abu Dhabi will continue to serve as the destination where capital finds purpose and purpose finds progress. As the Capital of Green Capital, we are building bridges between regions and mobilising capital for renewable infrastructure, green technologies and sustainable innovation across emerging and developed markets,” Al Darei said. “This forum reflects Abu Dhabi’s growing stature as a global platform for sustainable finance, where ambition meets execution, and partnerships drive systemic transformation.”

His remarks set the tone for a full day focused on the mechanics of financing the transition, from market infrastructure and regulatory alignment to innovation pipelines and investor risk frameworks.

RELATED ARTICLE: New Global Hub in Abu Dhabi to Accelerate Climate Finance Innovation

From Policy Ambition to Capital Deployment

A central theme across the programme was how financial markets can move from climate ambition to investable outcomes at scale. In a session titled “From Ambition to Action: Financing the Transition to a Green Economy,” Her Highness Sheikha Shamma bint Sultan bin Khalifa Al Nahyan, President and Chief Executive Officer of Frontier25, examined what the region has already put in place, and where gaps remain in mobilising capital for the green economy.

Discussions throughout the day spanned renewable energy investment, biodiversity and nature finance, AI-enabled ESG risk analysis, Islamic sustainable finance structures, green infrastructure, and frontier climate technologies, including engineered ecosystems and climate-resilient digital infrastructure.

Participants repeatedly returned to the challenge facing global capital markets: how to unlock long-duration capital while maintaining credibility, transparency, and regulatory alignment across jurisdictions.

Finance, Technology and Inclusion

Several headline sessions explored how urban planning, forward-looking policy frameworks, and climate-aligned megaprojects are reinforcing Abu Dhabi’s appeal to global investors. Speakers assessed how climate resilience strategies, cross-border collaboration, and long-term capital pools are reshaping sustainable finance flows, particularly toward emerging markets.

Alongside the main forum, Sustainability Day featured a series of parallel events that broadened the conversation. The Women in Finance Forum convened senior female leaders from global finance, investment, sustainability, and regulatory bodies, with sessions such as “Leaders in Motion: Women Driving Financial Innovation” highlighting the role of inclusion in shaping future financial systems.

Additional forums included the second EU-GCC Finance and Investment for Green Transition Forum, the Google Finance and Technology Summit, the Islamic Finance Summit, the Abu Dhabi High-Level Roundtable on Climate Investment, and Money Moves: Building Arab Youth Wealth and Confidence. Together, they reinforced the link between financial innovation, climate resilience, and long-term economic participation.

Governance Signals and Market Commitments

Beyond dialogue, ADSFF also showcased concrete governance developments. The UAE Sustainable Finance Working Group announced progress under Workstream Four, endorsing new “Principles for Climate Transition Planning.” The framework is intended to guide financial institutions toward credible and transparent transition plans aligned with the UAE’s net-zero objectives.

The forum also welcomed new signatories to the Abu Dhabi Sustainable Finance Declaration, bringing total institutional commitments to 180 organisations. The growing list reflects a widening base of financial institutions formally aligning with the UAE’s long-term climate and sustainability goals.

As global investors navigate rising transition risk and regulatory complexity, ADSFF positioned Abu Dhabi as a jurisdiction seeking to bridge policy clarity with capital execution. For C-suite leaders and institutional investors, the message was clear: climate finance leadership increasingly rests with markets able to align governance, innovation, and long-term capital at scale.

Follow ESG News on LinkedIn