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Global Infrastructure Basel (GIB) on Climate Resistant Infrastructure
CAN WE MAKE INFRASTRUCTURE MORE RESILIENT? News from GIB on suggestions to the UNFCCC Standing Committee on Finance on closing the gaps in climate-resilient infrastructure, capacity building in India, and the launch of the nature-based solutions platform – ThinkNature.
GIB spoke at the UNFCC Standing Committee on Finance (SCF) 2017 in Morocco – 6-7 September 2017
The SCF seeks to identify measures to close the gaps in climate-resilient infrastructure financing and to provide high-level policy inputs. In this respect, GIB’s CEO Katharina Schneider-Roos participated on the panel discussing “Best practices and opportunities to improve risk information, assessment and screening on public infrastructure finance” and during a key outcomes reflection session at the end of the meeting, suggested the following key actions to the SCF:
Focus on standards of resilience and sustainability in infrastructure to serve as guidance and benchmarks for infrastructure project upgrade;
Focus on better coordination of Agencies/Project Preparation facilities;
Harmonization of the project proposal templates for UNFCCC financing mechanisms (GCF, GEF, maybe Adaptation Fund) – “Common App for Climate Finance”;
Vertical integration of Climate Finance (Urban/regional/national);
Focus on blended/phased finance, especially guarantees to attract private finance in infrastructure projects;
Mechanisms for asset pooling and project aggregation for small projects;
Concentration on Nature Based Solutions and hybrid infrastructure (green and grey) and the creation of business cases to attract private finance; and
Outreach to credit rating agencies and the insurance sector to facilitate investment mobilisation.
Capacity Building in India
GIB started a new capacity building programme in India, kicking off activities in three cities: Gwalior, Ujjain and Jaipur. GIB and their local partner ICLEI South Asia, visited mayors, city commissioners, planning departments, project developers and financiers to initiate a dialogue towards sustainable infrastructure development. Through this programme, GIB will support Indian cities to plan, develop and finance sustainable, resilient and climate sensitive infrastructure. Through a series of city-specific, project level capacity building engagements, learnings will be taken and disseminated more broadly within India and the surrounding region to effect long-lasting change. By establishing a dialogue between local financial players, public sector actors and project developers, GIB aims to:
1. Increase local understanding of sustainability, resilience and climate issues related to infrastructure;
2. Assist project developers to improve the design of their projectsaccordingly;
3. Facilitate increased financing of these improved infrastructure projects, including assisting to build capacity in developing financial models for current and proposed projects;
4. Catalyse similar change in other cities within India and the broader region; and
5. Support the implementation and monitoring of SMART Cities and AMRUT initiatives.
Is your region ready to improve infrastructure in a sustainable and resilient way? Contact our Director for Capacity Building and discuss possible actions.
Global Infrastructure Basel (GIB) Foundation is a Swiss foundation based in Basel working to promote sustainable and resilient infrastructure through sustainable infrastructure design and financing on a global scale. Active since 2008, GIB works with multiple stakeholders ranging from city representatives to project developers and infrastructure financiers, with a focus on emerging and developing countries. GIB envisions a world where sustainable and resilient infrastructure is the norm rather than the exception.
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