US-AEP is promoting the concept of environmental due diligence among banks, investment companies, and insurance organizations in Asia and increasing the analytical capacity of financial lending institutions. Working with partners and local or regional champions, US-AEP is linking the environmental and financial communities throughout Asia so that the concept of environmental due diligence develops its own constituency.

In 1997, US-AEP worked with the Bank of America, and central banks and national banking associations in the Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand, India, and Sri Lanka. US-AEP�s Environmental Exchange Program arranged individual environmental due diligence seminars in these countries and brought Asian banking professionals to the United States to observe U.S. lending practices. As a result, several changes have taken place in the banking systems where US-AEP was involved, thereby influencing environmental compliance by loan recipients.

In the Philippines. Land Bank incorporated environmental factors into its lending operations by setting up a specific Environmental Unit tasked with environmental analysis of all project financing. In turn, Land Bank became the first bank in Asia with limited redelegated authority from the government to issue their own environmental impact assessments. Land Bank has since expanded its Environmental Unit and has now accredited 13 environmental consulting firms that can be tapped for technical evaluations, and conducted environmental training program for over 2,000 people from its own project staff and client banks. The bank also plans to develop environmental credit risk assessment training modules for bank staff and clients.

Land Bank joined the Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP), also a US-AEP seminar and exchange participant, in signing the United Nations Environment Programme�s Statement on Banks and Environmental and Sustainable Development, a document that endorses the principles of sustainable development. DBP is also conduct training for their member banks to help them meet the UNEP charter requirements.

Using training materials provided by the Bank of America during the US-AEP-supported seminar, DBP is exploring various incentive schemes to encourage borrowers to include environmental considerations in their investment decisions. DBP has also changed credit evaluation procedures to incorporate environmental issues, and evaluation manuals are being written by consultants for specific sectors.

In Indonesia. Following the banking seminar, co-sponsored by the Bank of Indonesia and US-AEP with venue costs financed by USAID�s Indonesia Cleaner Industrial Production program (ICIP), Indonesia�s Central Bank is issuing a central directive on the environmental responsibilities of the industrial banking sector.

In Sri Lanka. The National Development Bank, the largest development bank in Sri Lanka, has initiated training programs for their correspondent borrowing banks around the country after attending US-AEP�s seminar on financial due diligence in Colombo. Meanwhile, the Bank of Ceylon has changed its credit review procedures.

In India. The Indian Bankers Association has indicated that it is proactively encouraging its members to sign the UNEP charter.

In Thailand. A survey undertaken by US-AEP after the seminar held in Bangkok revealed that the Industrial Finance Corporation of Thailand, an institution directly involved in industrial financing, plans to expand its environmental unit and provide training for staff. Other banks expressing interest in integrating environmental concerns in their financial criteria include: Bangkok Bank, the largest commercial bank in Bangkok; The Bank of Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives; Krung Thung Bank; and the Government Savings Bank.

Reflecting US-AEP's 1997 success in promoting financial due diligence, the Philippines' Land Bank received recognition of its much-improved Environmental Unit. The accolades, which came from the World Bank in a local news article, demonstrated the effectiveness of US-AEP's work with Land Bank over the past two years. US-AEP activities have focused on helping the bank effectively incorporate environmental factors into its lending operations. A US-AEP Environmental Business Exchange enabled two senior officers of Land Bank to visit with U.S. banks that are successfully implementing due diligence. Land Bank staff also participated in an environmental risk management training course organized by US-AEP�s Environmental Exchange Program and the Bankers Association of the Philippines.