SDG #11: “Make cities inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable.”
How?
A key to answering this question is green finance. In the Nordics we have some of the world’s most climate ambitious cities in terms of targets for adaptation and mitigation. City leaders stress that one of the most challenging aspects of achieving these is to obtain the required financing. Green finance initiatives represent a key to solving this dilemma, and we need to create an enabling environment.
In order to do this, we need to share experiences and knowledge. Reaching a mutual understanding between city officials and the investment community on what it takes to create bankable projects and to secure green financing is crucial. As Gothenburg is a pioneering city within the realm of green bonds, it is the perfect backdrop for this two day workshop.
Ties between the public and the private sector are strong in many Nordic cities, yet there is still a pressing need for increased cooperation and knowledge sharing between cities, financial practitioners and technical experts.
The purpose of this workshop is to increase access to and further explore the potential for green public-private partnerships and their role in achieving municipal climate goals. We want to aid public decision makers in finding new ways of involving the private sector in the funding of green projects and in this way unlock climate finance through competence building.
In collaboration with
Target group
City and municipality officials, treasury/finance officers and technical/environmental officers. Investment officers from pension funds, public and private financial institutions, multilateral banks, etc.
Policymakers will gain a further understanding of how to:
- Attract green investors to climate mitigation projects
- Develop stronger leadership in and greater awareness of green bond initiatives and generating green finance
- Better engage new actors and investors to work with green finance on a city scale, e.g. the finance sector, insurance companies, utilities and private investors.
Investors will gain a further understanding of:
- Green bonds and the investment opportunities they present.
- Climate reporting and how to accurately quantify the environmental impact of their investments.
Private partners will be learn how to:
- Measure and quantify the climate benefits of proposed projects in monetary terms
- Establish a methodology for climate impact measurement as well as how to provide support for reporting climate impact assessments to investors and other stakeholders
Programme
Day 1: 21 March
11:30 – 12.00 Registration, coffee and networking
12.00 – 12.45 Lunch
13.00 – 13.20 Welcome to the green finance workshop. Anna Ledin, Gothenburg Municipality/ Susanne Pedersen, Climate-KIC
13.20 – 13.35 “Vision – involving the finance sector in achieving low carbon and sustainable cities”. Ulf Kamne, Environment Councillor, City of Gothenburg.
13.35- 13.55 Green bonds represent a win-win for municipalities and investors. Magnus Borelius/Sara Pettersson, City of Gothenburg
13.55 – 14.15 How to accelerate local government climate action-through green loans green bonds Björn Bergstrand, Kommuninvest
14.15 – 14.35 Panel discussion with keynotes
14.35 – 14.50 Swedish “fika” (coffee & pastry)
14.50 – 15.05 Bonds and green investment in cities, Anna Denell, Sustainability Director at Vasakronan
15.05 – 15.20 Banking on green – responsibilities, restrictions and drivers for financial intermediaries, Mats Olausson,Climate & Sustainable Financial Solutions, SEB
15.20-15.35 City case – Experience from Helsinki in accelerating urban finance, Antti Kontio, Manager Funding and Head of Corporate Responsibility Municipality Finance Plc (Munifi)
15.35 – 15.50 Panel discussion with keynotes
15.50 – 16.00 Summary of the day, briefing for day two
16.00 – 18.00 Study visits to the Visitor Centre of GoBiGas (fully booked), the Gothenburg Biomass Gasification Project and District Heating for Ships
18.30 – 22.00 Networking dinner
Day 2: 22 March
08.30 – 09.00 Registration for day two, coffee and networking
09.00 – 09.15 How national governments, regional and local government can collaborate within the international community to unlock climate finance in cities, James Alexander, Head of Finance & Economic Development Initiative, C40
09.15 – 09.20 Work group presentation
09.30 – 10.50 Break out sessions (including a 10 min break)
We will split up into three working groups:
- Cities and Finance sector: How to work together, from policies to practice, political perspective, the investor’s perspective, project development. Experience from a first mover. Led by Gothenburg/Climate-KIC.
-
Neigbourhood Economics: Twins, Matchmaking and Benchmarking – new methods of innovation and collaborations in cities and between cities. Led by James Alexander, C40.
- Execution of Green finance: Project development, impact reporting, certification, ranking and communication. Led by Kommuninvest/South Pole Group/Climate-KIC.
10.50 – 11.05 Fika break
11.05 – 11.35 Five minute pitch from each working group followed by five minute discussion
11.35 – 11.55 City involvement in responsible and environmental investment, Mats A Andersson fm CEO AP4 and recently appointed as special investigator on Green Bonds by the Swedish Government.
11.55 – 12.00 Final summary and next steps
12.00 – 13.30 Networking lunch and end of workshop.
Venue
Radisson Blu Scandinavia Hotel
Södra Hamngatan 59, Gothenburg. Sweden.