Asia, home to over half the world’s population, stands on the frontlines of a rapidly changing planet. From intensifying floods and heatwaves to worsening food and water insecurity, climate-driven shocks are disrupting lives, livelihoods, and futures across the region. To navigate these complexities, the region requires an additional USD 1.1 trillion annually to strengthen infrastructure and safeguard vital public health, food, water, and energy systems.
Yet beneath these figures lies a deeper truth, which is that all human prosperity, every measure of wealth, stability, and progress, rests on the foundation of nature. As Sylvia Earle, renowned oceanographer and founder of Mission Blue, put it, “The economy is a wholly owned subsidiary of the environment.” Every individual and institution must understand its role and act together with the urgency and commitment this crisis requires.
Faith-aligned givers have an important role to play in responding to this crisis. Representing nearly 10% of global financial assets, faith-aligned organisations steward vast pools of capital and tangible resources, from land and forests to schools and health clinics, which can be mobilised to address the climate crisis. These actors bring a distinct approach to capital deployment, one grounded in stewardship, compassion, and human dignity, values that call for giving and investing in ways that restore rather than deplete, and heal rather than harm.
For many faith-aligned funders and investors, however, taking action on climate can feel daunting and opaque. Interventions that centre communities and safeguard human and ecological well-being can be hard to identify. Too often, intent stalls before it becomes tangible action. This toolkit is designed to help faith-aligned funders, investors, and their partners translate intent into action, offering best practices, reflective questions, and resources to help readers identify their next step.
To learn more about how faith-aligned giving is shaping social investment across Asia, visit the AVPN Faith & Giving Initiative webpage.
