[ThanksLetter] What We Learned at the World's Leading Climate Forum

Welcome to our ThanksLetter!

As global carbon markets continue to pivot toward quality-focused frameworks, ThanksCarbon participated in two significant climate forums in London and Singapore. The Carbon Forward Expo 2025 in London and the Grow Asia Investment Forum in Singapore provided valuable opportunities to gauge market trends and expand our collaboration networks.

The focus was notably on Paris Agreement implementation mechanisms and NbS (Nature-based Solutions). There was considerable interest in concrete examples of bilateral cooperation through Article 6.2, carbon reduction projects in agriculture, and the critical need for transparent and verifiable MRV systems. The Grow Asia Forum delved into innovative financing models and the transformative potential of digital technologies for sustainable agri-food ecosystems.

(image source: Grow Asia)

(image source: ThanksCarbon)

In this edition of ThanksLetter, we'll share insights from the Grow Asia Investment Forum where ThanksCarbon participated as a panel speaker, alongside updates on our key projects currently underway across Asia.

Join us as we explore how global climate discourse translates into tangible change on the ground!

Quick Summary

Grow Asia Investment Forum: Innovative Finance for Sustainable Agri-Food Systems

The Grow Asia Investment Forum 2025 focused on "Unlocking Capital for Asia's Agri-Food Future", bringing together over 200 speakers and partners through a partnership between ASEAN and the WEF (World Economic Forum).

Marking its 10th anniversary, the forum delivered a clear message: systemic transformation requires new forms of flexible capital, and this can only flow through trust-based partnerships. As climate change accelerates and food insecurity rises, ASEAN faces an urgent need to transition toward resilient, sustainable, and nature-positive food systems.

(image source: Grow Asia)

ASEAN's Vision for Integrated Food Systems

The opening session, launched with a keynote by ASEAN Secretary-General H.E. Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, emphasized that supporting smallholder farmers requires more than capital: it demands integrated financial instruments combining capital expenditure, insurance, and risk distribution. Discussions covered farmer education, climate-smart practices, and harmonized regulatory frameworks. 

Five pillars emerged as essential: finance, technology, regulation, collaboration, and biodiversity conservation, all requiring simultaneous advancement to achieve resilient food system transformation.

Investment Strategies for Regenerative Agroforestry

The second session identified conflicting subsidy and loan requirements as the biggest scaling barrier, proposing intermediary organizations and landscape-based approaches. Technological innovations like AI-enabled mangrove restoration and fund models with 20 year horizons and 30-50% community reinvestment drew attention.

Without combining financial innovation, patient capital, and multilateral cooperation, scaling regenerative agroforestry remains impossible.

Centering Women and Youth in Investment Strategies

The third session emphasized recognizing women and youth as agents of change. Discussions highlighted cooperative organizing for collective bargaining, youth programs with 90% entrepreneurship rates, and Indonesia's women cocoa farmer project achieving 56% income increases.

The narrative that young people aren't interested in agriculture is wrong. Inclusive design of finance, technology, and policy for women and youth is no longer optional but essential.

ThanksCarbon CEO Haewon Kim at the Grow Asia Investment Forum (image source: Grow Asia)

Southeast Asia AgriTech Investment Landscape

The fourth session featured ThanksCarbon CEO Dr. Haewon Kim presenting practical solutions. Discussions covered catalytic debt needs, bundled solutions integrating market information and climate data, and the persistent gap between investor expectations and field realities. The field-first principle was emphasized: "If it doesn't deliver tangible value to farmers, no technology will be adopted."

ThanksCarbon shared its approach:

The discussion converged on a central insight: scaling becomes possible only when practical field solutions, financial innovation, women and youth inclusion, and policy foundations integrate.

Reimagining Capital for Transformation at Scale

The final session addressed aligning public, private, and philanthropic capital. The Rockefeller Foundation's Regenerative School Meals Initiative, which targets 100 million children, exemplified using philanthropic capital as seed funding while including women, smallholders, and indigenous peoples as core protagonists. 

The session concluded with a Farm to Policy approach: institutionalizing field-proven models, mitigating risk through blended finance, and expanding financial access for women, indigenous peoples, and MSMEs. This is the roadmap for driving transformation at scale.

Haimdall: Where satellite intelligence meets field reality (image source: ThanksCarbon)

We welcome partners who recognize that climate action and agriculture are not competing priorities but complementary pathways to a sustainable future. Whether you're an investor seeking quality carbon credits, a government designing Article 6.2 projects, or a company building sustainable supply chains, consider partnering with ThanksCarbon, which offers technological capabilities that deliver measurable results, local partnerships, and proven field experience.

➡️ Discuss your project ideas with us

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Greenhouse Gas International Reduction Investment Forum Presentation

On September 18, ThanksCarbon presented at the Greenhouse Gas International Reduction Investment Forum, jointly hosted by the International Greenhouse Gas Reduction Industry Association, the Korean Standards Association, and the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The presentation centered on the Cambodia Battambang Province AWD Rice Cultivation Project, demonstrating how digital MRV technology and farmer-centered implementation approaches can provide verifiable, large-scale emission reductions.

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KOICA IBS Selection in Bangladesh: Rice Value Chain Transformation Through Climate Innovation

ThanksCarbon's commitment to pioneering Korea's first agricultural ITMO remains steadfast. Our latest milestone is selection for KOICA's IBS (Inclusive Business Support) Program to implement a comprehensive climate-smart rice value chain transformation project in Bangladesh's Mymensingh region.

Through partnerships with the BADC (Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation), BRRI (Bangladesh Rice Research Institute), and other partners, we will leverage existing infrastructure and research capabilities. This two-year initiative will bring tangible benefits to farming households and communities in the region.

ThanksCarbon team working toward Korea's first agricultural ITMO (image source: ThanksCarbon)

ThanksCarbon team working toward Korea's first agricultural ITMO (image source: ThanksCarbon)

Shinhan Square Bridge Selection: Accelerating Vietnam Expansion

ThanksCarbon has been selected for Shinhan Square Bridge, a program supporting Korean companies' entry into Southeast Asian markets. This selection accelerates our Vietnam business expansion, providing strategic support for partnership building, regulatory framework navigation, and scaling climate-smart agriculture projects in one of the region's major rice producing nations.

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Field Implementation: Building Capacity Across Project Sites

During September, ThanksCarbon's field team conducted several key activities.

On September 17, they visited the project site in Krosai area of Pursat Province, meeting with the FWUC (Farmer Water User Community) to assess irrigation systems, confirm project boundaries, and clarify farmer leaders' roles in AWD implementation.

Two days later, on September 19, they conducted farmer leader training in the Ankor Borei area of Takeo Province, covering AWD methodology, project expectations, and the crucial role farmer leaders play in peer-to-peer knowledge transfer.

On September 29, they participated in a stakeholder consultation for the BCRRI (Battambang Agricultural Modernization and Climate-Resilient Rice Initiative), the first Article 6.2 agricultural project between Korea and Cambodia. This large-scale initiative, targeting 61,000 hectares, brought together farmers, provincial departments of agriculture, and implementing partners to align on common implementation approaches.

These field activities represent essential groundwork for agricultural carbon projects; building trust, establishing communication systems, and ensuring implementation protocols work within existing community structures. As the project progresses toward validation and authorization, these relationships form the foundation for long-term success.

Carbon Forward Expo 2025: Where Global Carbon Markets Are Heading

ThanksCarbon attended Carbon Forward Expo 2025 in London to track the latest developments in global carbon markets. The conference covered the EU's 2040 climate targets and ETS expansion, innovations in carbon removal and agriculture, and Article 6 credit markets ahead of COP30.

Korean company ATR presenting at Carbon Forward Expo panel session (image source: ThanksCarbon)

Discussion focused heavily on the Paris Agreement's Article 6.2 bilateral cooperation mechanism and CORSIA, the aviation sector's carbon offsetting scheme. With Article 6.2 bilateral projects still rare globally, ThanksCarbon's initiatives across Asian partner countries attracted considerable attention.

During the conference, ThanksCarbon's rice methane reduction projects and digital MRV technology attracted interest from participating companies with conversations continuing around potential collaboration.

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Stay Connected

Interested in advancing climate-smart agriculture with ThanksCarbon? Explore collaboration opportunities →

Stay updated on project developments and partnership opportunities through our website or LinkedIn. See you in our next edition!