The Global Innovation Lab for Climate Finance hosted a virtual Demo Day on 19 October to present its 2022 groundbreaking climate finance ideas to the world. Each year, Lab ideas represent the latest in sustainable investment. This year is no exception, with over USD 1 billion in philanthropic, concessional, and commercial investment opportunities in high-impact areas ranging from sustainable steel to methane capture to green, affordable housing.
The full list of ideas is:
Climate Insurance Linked Resilient Infrastructure Financing (CILRIF) is a novel offering of long-term (>10 years) municipal climate insurance, with known premiums dependent on municipal resiliency measures and a unique linked financial product to access capital for climate resilience. The United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) leads the idea.
Climate Smart Shrimp Fund provides loan packages, supported by a technical assistance facility, that enable shrimp farmers to transition to more sustainable and efficient production systems while simultaneously restoring mangrove ecosystems. Proponent Conservation International intends to pilot the idea in Indonesia, Ecuador, and the Philippines.
Financing Steel Decarbonization combines technical assistance, low-cost patient capital, and implementation stage support to prepare, invest in, and de-risk decarbonization technology projects for low-carbon steel production while supporting the development of the broader industrial ecosystem. Proponents Smartex and the U.S. National Renewable Energy Lab (NREL) plan a pilot in India.
Green Affordable Housing Finance deploys construction and mortgage loan guarantees alongside targeted enabling interventions to foster a locally driven and self-sustaining affordable housing finance ecosystem. Proponent Reall will pilot the instrument in Kenya.
Green Guarantee Company is the first specialist guarantor for emerging market climate adaptation and mitigation projects, unlocking access to global investors by de-risking green bonds and loans. The Development Guarantee Group will launch the instrument in South Africa.
Methane Capture Service is the first of its kind methane-as-a-service structure with blended funding to unlock investments into emerging methane capture technology in hydropower reservoirs to produce cleaner energy. Proponents Bluemethane and Open Hydro target the Brazilian market.
The Fund for Nature is Africa’s first debt fund for high-integrity, nature-based carbon projects. Proponent CrossBoundary aims to increase the supply of high-quality nature-based carbon projects to meet the growing demand from corporate off-takers while increasing the economic benefit to project implementers and local communities.
