Head of Asia Pacific, United Nations - Better than Cash Alliance
Prerna Saxena is the Head of Asia Pacific Region at the Better than Cash Alliance, a United Nations-based partnership of governments, companies, and international organizations that accelerates the transition from cash to responsible digital payments to help achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.
Prerna is responsible for managing Alliance’s initiatives across Asia and leading Alliance’s work on Digital Public Infrastructure. She brings with her over two decades of extensive experience in promoting digital financial inclusion, particularly for underserved women and micro enterprises.
Prerna has led Better Than Cash Alliance’s engagement with India’s G20 Presidency and contributes to G20 Global Partnership for Financial Inclusion (GPFI). She is a member of the B20 Digital Transformation Taskforce and G20 Empower Taskforce on Financial Inclusion and Business Acceleration. She has also served as Advisor to the Ministry of Finance, Government of India for G20 GPFI Fintech and digital economy related matters.
Prerna has led several initiatives on learnings exchange amongst Alliance members, industry stakeholders and colleagues to promote robust and inclusive digital payment ecosystems.
Prior to her tenure at the Better Than Cash Alliance, Prerna was with International Finance Corporation (World Bank Group) where she managed technical advisory projects with financial institutions across Asia and contributed to investment portfolio development. She engaged with regulators, banks, microfinance institutions, housing finance companies, insurance companies, banking agents, industry associations, etc to design and implement inclusive finance solutions with sharp focus on small and micro merchants, informal businesses and underserved women.
Prerna gained her banking expertise at Export-Import Bank of India and ICICI Bank while based in India, UAE and Hongkong. She has managed senior level relationships with Governments, Regulators, International Banks, Development Financial Institutions, Global Export Credit Agencies, Institutional Clients, Donors, multilateral agencies, and private sector firms.
Prerna has participated in Executive Education Programme in Inclusive Finance from Harvard Business School and Fintech Programme from Oxford University. She is a management graduate with specialization in agriculture sciences and rural finance.
Launchpad Room, Sands Expo & Convention Centre, Level 4
Invite-Only
This session is a continued conversation from 2023 roundtable on "Bolstering the financial sector’s resilience to environmental risks".
As the climate crisis accelerates, the lives and livelihoods of billions of people are becoming increasingly at risk. 3.3 billion people live in regions classified by the IPCC as ‘highly vulnerable’ to climate change. Making progress on poverty and global development goals is now deeply intertwined with action on climate change. However, many of those most vulnerable to climate change, especially those living in poverty, rarely have the opportunity to benefit directly from global climate finance. This can exacerbate inequalities and leave low-income communities disempowered from taking action for themselves.
As climate finance struggles to scale and reach those most in need, expanding access to climate-responsive financial services is more critical than ever. CGAP’s research underscores the role of financial services as an enabler for grassroots climate action, helping to unlock and scale investments in climate adaptation, resilience, and a green transition. Financial services can support efforts to narrow the global climate finance gap, supporting efforts to channel funding to those who need it most. And for the public sector, financial services offer valuable tools for bolstering efforts to combat climate change.
Building on CGAP’s pioneering work at the intersection of financial inclusion and climate change, this session will explore opportunities for inclusive financial services to scale grassroots climate action.
Key Discussion Points:
1. The Case for Inclusive Financial Services: What do underserved communities really need to bolster their climate resilience, adaptation, and participation in a green transition? How can inclusive financial services meet these needs?
2. People, Profit, and Planet: Is there a business case for the private sector to invest in climate-responsive financial services?
3. Scaling Up Markets: How can investors support innovation and help scale climate-responsive financial services? What role can the public sector play in catalyzing investment and creating enabling policy and regulatory environments?
4. Managing Climate Risk: What risks do financial services providers face from a changing climate and how might we better address them?
5. Complementing Public Sector Efforts: How can governments and donors better leverage financial services to support climate action?
Launchpad Room, Sands Expo & Convention Centre, Level 4
Invite-Only
This session is a continued conversation from 2023 roundtable on "Bolstering the financial sector’s resilience to environmental risks".
As the climate crisis accelerates, the lives and livelihoods of billions of people are becoming increasingly at risk. 3.3 billion people live in regions classified by the IPCC as ‘highly vulnerable’ to climate change. Making progress on poverty and global development goals is now deeply intertwined with action on climate change. However, many of those most vulnerable to climate change, especially those living in poverty, rarely have the opportunity to benefit directly from global climate finance. This can exacerbate inequalities and leave low-income communities disempowered from taking action for themselves.
As climate finance struggles to scale and reach those most in need, expanding access to climate-responsive financial services is more critical than ever. CGAP’s research underscores the role of financial services as an enabler for grassroots climate action, helping to unlock and scale investments in climate adaptation, resilience, and a green transition. Financial services can support efforts to narrow the global climate finance gap, supporting efforts to channel funding to those who need it most. And for the public sector, financial services offer valuable tools for bolstering efforts to combat climate change.
Building on CGAP’s pioneering work at the intersection of financial inclusion and climate change, this session will explore opportunities for inclusive financial services to scale grassroots climate action.
Key Discussion Points:
1. The Case for Inclusive Financial Services: What do underserved communities really need to bolster their climate resilience, adaptation, and participation in a green transition? How can inclusive financial services meet these needs?
2. People, Profit, and Planet: Is there a business case for the private sector to invest in climate-responsive financial services?
3. Scaling Up Markets: How can investors support innovation and help scale climate-responsive financial services? What role can the public sector play in catalyzing investment and creating enabling policy and regulatory environments?
4. Managing Climate Risk: What risks do financial services providers face from a changing climate and how might we better address them?
5. Complementing Public Sector Efforts: How can governments and donors better leverage financial services to support climate action?
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