Collaboration and ESG language to unlock funding for sustainable infrastructure projects

September 5, 2023

Developing countries face many challenges in mobilising private sector investment for sustainable infrastructure projects. Solutions include international cooperation and common environmental, social and governance (ESG) taxonomies. To close the climate finance gap, we need additional private investment especially in low- and middle-income countries.

To serve this purpose, Multilateral development banks (MDBs) are encouraged to expand their support for sustainable infrastructure projects and increase their risk appetite. Furthermore, collaboration among G20 public development banks (PDBs) is encouraged to leverage their strengths and promote transformative impact.

A common ESG language will also help standardise assessments of sustainable investments, reduce greenwashing and attract specialised capital. The G20 is called upon to strengthen institutional networks among developing countries, to strengthen the PDBs, and to create a universal ESG taxonomy for sustainable finance.

Ultimately, the recommendations in this paper aim to contribute to a more sustainable global economy by fostering cooperation, reducing investment risks, and accelerating the flow of funds to sustainable infrastructure projects.

Speakers
Sabrine Emran
Economist
Sabrine Emran is a Finance graduate specializing in financial markets and commodities. She holds a Grande Ecole master’s degree in Management from IESEG School of Management and ISCAE Group, as well as a Specialized master’s degree in Financial Markets from Paris Dauphine University and ENSAE ParisTech. Sabrine Emran started her career in investment writing and product development in the asset management branches of insurance companies and investment banks in Paris, working mainly on alternative investment asset classes. She was also recently a commodities analyst, focusing on risk management strategies for energy and agricultural commodities as well as foreign exchange risks. Sabrine Emran joined the Policy Center for the New south in September 2022 as an economist where she ...

RELATED CONTENT

  • Authors
    Nizar Messari
    December 18, 2024
    The G20 Summit held in November 2024 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, under the Brazilian G20 presidency, showed what decentering from the Western agenda and Western domination of world politics could mean. The summit’s main achievement was the constitution of an Alliance against Hunger and Poverty, with a membership of, and funds mobilized from, not only all G20 members, but also from more than 60 other countries. In fact, what the West showed was discomfort at not having its agenda, its ...
  • Authors
    Foreword by Karim El Aynaoui (PCNS), Paolo Magri (ISPI), Samir Saran (ORF)
    December 14, 2024
    2024 marked the largest election year in history, with millions of people across the world going to the polls to elect their representatives and leaders. However, in the Global North, Donald Trump’s decisive election victory in the United States threatens to undermine multilateral governance structures that are already under strain. In the Global South, emerging economies from the expanded BRICS group and beyond strive to speak with a single voice, and their actions continue to be s ...
  • Authors
    Zakaria Elouaourti
    December 8, 2024
    This paper was originally published on accscience.com The Coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) pandemic has significantly affected the global workforce, with certain occupational groups facing greater challenges than others. Atypical part-time, temporary, and gig job workers are among the most vulnerable. This paper first examines the impact of the COVID-19 health crisis on atypical/ contingent workers by firm size, industry, and region. Second, we explore the factors determining the ...
  • Authors
    Boglarka Bozsogi
    December 6, 2024
    Communities around the Lake Chad Basin (LCB) rely on three major economic activities: farming, fishing, and livestock herding. The floods that began in August 2024 damaged and destroyed hundreds of thousands of hectares of farmland, killed thousands of livestock, and rendered fishing unsafe for fishermen. This climate shock caused families dependent on these activities to lose their primary sources of income. Worse still, these economic activities also serve as the main source of da ...
  • December 2, 2024
    This blog was originaly published on orfonline.org.   The maritime industry is the lifeblood of global trade, with ships carrying over 90 percent of all merchandise trade, and the global logistics market accounting for 8-12 percent of global gross domestic product (GDP). The smooth functioning of maritime trade and supply chain logistics is integral to economic development and critical to food security and the distribution of essential supplies. In fact, the COVID-19 pandemic has ...
  • Authors
    Soukaina Raoui
    December 2, 2024
    This paper was originaly published on muse.jhu.edu   This study analyzes the influence of local labor market characteristics on student dropout pathways in Morocco. Beyond individual determinants, early school leaving may depend on dropouts’ local environment. This study mobilized original empirical material that combines individual and spatial data from Morocco’s 75 provinces. First, we conducted a cartographic analysis of 10- to 14-year-old children who left the education system ...
  • Authors
    December 2, 2024
    At the recent Annual Meeting of the Global Future Councils in Dubai (15-17 October), a thought-provoking session titled “Skills in the Age of AI” brought together international experts to examine how artificial intelligence will impact the future of work and education. The discussions highlighted an impending transformation, with AI poised to reshape and redefine the skills landscape over the next decade. Here, we explore some key ideas from the session and the essential skills need ...