KOBE, JAPAN (7 October 2025) — Asian Development Bank (ADB) President Masato Kanda urged joint motion to deliver collectively science, coverage, and finance to ship clear vitality in Asia and the Pacific. Speaking on the twenty second Annual Meeting of the Science and Technology in Society (STS) Forum in Kyoto on 5 October, Mr. Kanda stated ADB is reviewing its Energy Policy to higher meet the wants of its creating member nations, together with pragmatic pathways to wash energy.
For the primary time in ADB’s 60-year historical past, Mr. Kanda stated the financial institution is ready to help nuclear energy in its operations. “We see nuclear power as an important option for countries that want to shift away from coal and gas baseload and cut emissions. ADB’s role will be to make nuclear safe, trusted, and investable.”
He additionally reiterated ADB’s plan to supply as much as $10 billion over 10 years to help the ASEAN Power Grid to maneuver clear energy throughout borders when and the place it’s wanted, and highlighted ADB’s new Critical Minerals to Manufacturing strategy, together with the financial institution’s $410 million financing bundle for the Reko Diq Mining Project to assist anchor dependable copper provide for the clear vitality transition.
Following the STS Forum, Mr. Kanda travelled to Kobe for the International Association of Ports and Harbors (IAPH) World Ports Conference, the place he delivered the keynote tackle calling on governments, trade, and growth companions to reinvent ports as resilient, digital, and low-carbon gateways that may maintain prosperity amid international uncertainty.
“We envision ports in Asia and the Pacific transforming into highly efficient, digitally enabled, energy-integrated hubs,” said Mr. Kanda. “These ports will safeguard supply chains, generate local employment, foster regional cooperation, and position our economies for sustainable growth.”
His speech outlined a path to port transformation that closes funding gaps with focused public financing, mobilizes non-public capital and innovation to drive the maritime vitality transition, and deepens regional cooperation so ports function as built-in networks reasonably than remoted nodes.
Mr. Kanda additionally praised Kobe’s renewal following the 1995 Great Hanshin Earthquake, noting that town’s spirit of reinvention ought to information the worldwide maritime neighborhood towards a extra sustainable and interconnected future.
The convention additionally included the signing of an MOU between ADB and IAPH, which Mr. Kanda witnessed. The settlement will promote joint data era, technical exchanges, and capability growth to help ADB’s creating member nations in port digitalization, resilience, and inexperienced transformation.
ADB is a number one multilateral growth financial institution supporting inclusive, resilient, and sustainable development throughout Asia and the Pacific. Working with its members and companions to unravel complicated challenges collectively, ADB harnesses modern monetary instruments and strategic partnerships to remodel lives, construct high quality infrastructure, and safeguard our planet. Founded in 1966, ADB is owned by 69 members—50 from the area.