French banking group Crédit Agricole CIB has launched Smart Platform Assisted SustainablE (SPASE), an AI-powered ESG-linked trade finance solution described as the first of its kind in Asia Pacific, enabling companies to assess and act on ESG performance data across their entire trade finance portfolios.

As reported by ESG Today, the platform addresses a structural bottleneck in supply chain sustainability assessment, where ESG evaluations are currently conducted manually on a supplier-by-supplier basis. SPASE automates the transformation of raw transaction data into aggregated ESG dashboards for every transaction within a trade finance portfolio, converting sustainability performance data into actionable intelligence for business decision-making at scale.

Antoine Rose, Head of Sustainable Investment Banking for Asia Pacific and Middle East at Crédit Agricole CIB, said: "As a sustainable finance leader, we have leveraged our green financing expertise and technological innovation capabilities to innovate with SPASE — the region's first AI-backed trade finance solution for trade corporates. We are confident it will be instrumental in accelerating the regional sustainable development and reinforcing our position as a market pioneer in sustainable finance."

The bank said SPASE will enable trade finance corporates to rebalance their portfolios and reduce operational costs by expanding relationships with high-performing suppliers, while simultaneously motivating suppliers to invest in operational improvements to achieve higher ESG scores and unlock greater commercial opportunities within the platform's ecosystem.

Crédit Agricole CIB has piloted the platform in Hong Kong and plans to introduce it progressively across the Asia Pacific region. The launch responds to growing corporate demand for transparent, data-driven sustainability insight across supply chains, as ESG disclosure requirements and procurement standards tighten across the region's major trading economies.

Supply chain emissions, which fall under Scope 3 reporting frameworks, represent the largest and most difficult category of corporate greenhouse gas exposure to measure and manage. Platforms capable of automating supplier-level ESG assessment at portfolio scale are increasingly seen as critical infrastructure for companies seeking to meet evolving regulatory and investor expectations on supply chain transparency.