Distinguished guests, partners, friends, good evening.

Thank you for coming from near and far. It is a pleasure to see so many familiar faces, and just as important, new ones. Both matter. One reminds us of progress; the other, of possibility.

Welcome to Temasek Shophouse. We just moved in not too long ago. These buildings have lived many lives, and witnessed the development of Singapore over more than a century. They too speak of progress and possibility.

In the 1800s, this was the center of a busy trading district. Indian laundry-men here along the banks of the Sungei Bras Basah gave this precinct its name — Dhoby Ghaut. By the 1920s, with the advent of the automobile industry, this very building became a car showroom. In 1929, it even displayed Malaya’s first privately owned aeroplane.

Today, it is a social impact hub, where ideas meet capital, and collaboration shapes what comes next. A fitting setting for what lies ahead at the Philanthropy Asia Summit.  

We gather at a moment that is hard to ignore. Climate risks are accelerating. Asia, in many parts, is ageing. Development aid is retreating. Geopolitics is often unsettling. Trust, across institutions and borders, is thinning.

But the quieter risk is fragmentation.

Good intentions, working in parallel, but not necessarily in concert.
Capital deployed, but not always aligned.
Effort expended, but often not compounded for effect.

We need to move in the opposite direction — towards collective leadership for impact.

This year’s theme, Asian Innovation. Global Good., reflects a simple conviction. Asia does not just face the world’s challenges. Increasingly, it is also where solutions are being built. At speed. At scale. Often with a willingness to experiment that others hesitate to embrace.

It is also where significant generational wealth will be transferred in the coming decade. The harder question is whether it will be directed well.

At COP28, the Philanthropy Asia Alliance worked with ClimateWorks Foundation and the World Economic Forum on a climate philanthropy report focused on Asia.

What it found was instructive. The region’s funding gap is not for lack of awareness. What is missing is technical understanding, practical solutions, structured data, and measurable indicators. These are the real barriers, where public,private, and philanthropic partnerships must focus on building the capacity, systems, knowledge, and leadership needed to turn intent into impact.

This is the role the Philanthropy Asia Summit seeks to play. Now in its 6th edition, what began as a small convening has grown into a regional, and increasingly global, network of funders, innovators, and institutions. Conversations have become more grounded. Partnerships more tangible. Outcomes more measurable. 

In our fragmented world, that kind of convergence does not happen by chance.
It is built, year by year, by the people in this room.  

At Temasek Trust, we are grateful to have you join us in that effort — to build a better future for every generation.

We have organised this around four 4Ps. Planet, because without a liveable world, there is no future. People, because lives and livelihoods are at stake. Peace, because without safety and stability, nothing endures. And Progress, because growth must be inclusive to be sustained.

Underpinning all of this is a fifth P: Partnership. Because none of the above priorities can move meaningfully without it. 

Partnership is a discipline.

It means aligning agendas, not just attending the same meetings.
Mobilising capital with intent, not just deploying it.
Testing ideas, proving them, and scaling what works.
And building institutions that outlast us.

There is momentum, but much more can and must be done.  

Because the greatest risk we face is not failure. It is inertia.

Doing less than we should.
Moving more slowly than we must.

There is a saying many of us know: we do not inherit the earth from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children.

If we take that seriously, our roles change. We are not donors. We are stewards.

And stewardship is demanding. It stretches beyond quarterly cycles and institutional boundaries. It obliges us to think across generations, and act with urgency.

So, the question is: are we operating at the scale the moment requires, or only at the scale we are comfortable with?

Too often, we underestimate our leverage. We focus only on what we think we can do alone, rather than together.

Because impact compounds — with the intentionality, additionality, and materiality of all of our efforts. 

With a partnership formed, or a pilot proven, or a co-investment unlocked — each on its own may be incremental. Together, they can be decisive.

We hope that you will use this Summit to build something concrete and collaborative. A co-funding effort. A shared pilot project. A joint agenda. Something that will still matter long after this week ends.

As we gather under the Tembusu Canopy tonight, it is worth noting that the Tembusu tree grows tall because it is deeply rooted and resilient.

Strong partnerships are no different. They take root in trust, grow through shared purpose, and over time, create a canopy that provides shelter and sustains future generations. 

We want to go far. We are glad you are here to go further, and faster, with us.

Thank you, and I wish you a meaningful and productive Summit.