Sustainable Financing of Cities

How do we close the urban infrastructure gap through Sustainable Finance?

Countries have agreed to fund climate-related loss and damage to assist vulnerable communities. However, there continues to be a large gap in the financing of sustainable urban infrastructure. How can cities move from the rhetoric of ESG strategies to action and implementation?

Plenary I:
Financing Trends and Innovations in Reaching Net Zero

Over the next decade, infrastructure financing is expected to undergo transformative shifts with the development of new financing tools. The intersection of digitalisation and technology will be crucial in sustainable finance and infrastructure development. How can we enable sustainable investments and what are some of the challenges of infrastructure digitalisation? This plenary will explore financing trends and innovations, including the role of digitalization in achieving net zero; and highlight the pivotal role that financial institutions play in shaping a low-carbon economy, such as through the provision of green frameworks and transition financing.

Plenary II:
Innovative Approaches to Optimise Cities’ Potential for Sustainable Finance

Closing the financing gap sustainably requires cities to explore and urgently adopt innovative approaches, such as blended finance and land value capture.

How can we optimise cities’ potential for sustainable finance? This plenary seeks to discuss innovative approaches that optimise cities’ potential for sustainable finance while incorporating ESG into risk management and infrastructure planning, to improve the cities’ credit worthiness and drive sustainable financing of infrastructure.