FAST-Infra Label at COP28

The COP28 UN Climate Change Conference in Dubai,UAE was the biggest of its kind. Some 85,000 participants, including more than 150 Heads of State and Government, were among the representatives of national delegations, civil society, business, Indigenous Peoples, youth, philanthropy, and international organizations in attendance at the Conference from 30 November to 13 December 2023.

The members of the FAST-Infra Label Secretariat at the Global Infrastructure Basel (GIB) Foundation and Steering Committee took the stage to discuss how the label instills market confidence and drives investment in sustainable infrastructure. In collaboration with visionary project developers and investors, they spotlighted transformative infrastructure projects making significant contributions to Climate Change Mitigation, Circular Economy, and Resource Efficiency.

The Local Governments and Municipal Authorities (LGMA) Multilevel Action Pavilion hosted a captivating discussion on "Pioneering Transition to Sustainable Infrastructure" on December 3, 2023. Organized by ICLEI, the event provided a platform to explore the future of sustainable infrastructure with a distinguished panel of experts. The esteemed panel included: Aditi Maheshwari, Managing Director C40Cities, who shared insights representing the Public entity/Project. Veronica Scotti, Chairperson SwissRe, offering perspectives from the Finance sector. Francois Bergere, General Manager of Fast-Infra Group, providing insights from the Secretariat and Vikram Widge, Senior Advisor ClimatePolicy Initiative, contributing expertise to the discussion. The session was moderated by Robert Spencer, ESG lead at Aecom and a member of the Steering Committee FAST-Infra Label. The discussion delved into the pioneering efforts and strategies required for a successful transition to sustainable infrastructure. Each panelist brought a unique perspective from their respective sectors, contributing to a comprehensive exploration of the challenges and opportunities associated with sustainable infrastructure.

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Members dived into the deep realms of "Financing sustainable infrastructures adapted to climate changes: governance solutions and labeling" at the French Pavilion on the 6th of December at, engaging in a dynamic discussion with a distinguished panel of experts and executives moderated by Thierry Déau, Chair of FAST-Infra Group. Panelists felved into the outcomes of labeling sustainable infrastructure projects, and it was announced that 5 projects had received the Self-assessed FAST-Infra Label after working closely with the secretariat at the Global Infrastructure Basel (GIB) Foundation. Special thanks were extended to Lida Fitts, Director of Sustainable Infrastructure U.S. Department of the Treasury, for joining the panel and shedding light on the convergences and differences of the Blue Dot Network with the FAST-Infra Label. It was a pleasure hearing Nandita Parshad, Managing Director European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) emphasize EBRD's commitment to accelerating the labeling of its infrastructure projects. A shoutout was given to Amit Prothi, Director General Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure, for his insightful definition of resilient infrastructure, a crucial aspect of our Label dimension. Gratitude was expressed to the French Pavilion and all the esteemed panelists - Louis Downing, CEO Global Infrastructure Basel (GIB) Foundation, Christian Deseglise, Managing Director and Group Head of Sustainable Infrastructure and Innovation HSBC.

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The International Code Council (ICC) Pavilion hosted a crucial panel discussion on "Financing Sustainable and Resilient Infrastructure with the FAST-Infra Label" on December 4th, 2023. Organized by HSBC, this session brought together industry leaders to share insights and perspectives on shaping the future of sustainable and resilient infrastructure financing. The distinguished panel included: Christian Deseglise, Group Head of Sustainable Infrastructure at HSBC, providing insights from the Finance sector. Marat Zapparov, CEO Pentagreen, representing Investors. Astrid Manroth, Head of Global Infrastructure Facility, representing the Public agency. Oliver Tan, CEO of Citicore, discussing their self-assessed project. Kristina Kloberdanz, CSO, Macquarie Asset Management, contributing expertise from the Finance sector. The session was expertly moderated by Nathalie Gaullier, Global Programme Manager of the label.  The discussion revolved around the financial aspects of sustainable and resilient infrastructure, and focused on a couple of FAST-Infra self-assessed labelled solar power projects in Bolbok, Philippines, with each panelist offering unique perspectives based on their expertise and roles in the industry. Attendees had the opportunity to gain valuable insights into the challenges and opportunities associated with financing projects that adhere to the FAST-Infra Label.

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At the Swiss Re Session: Resilient Infrastructure for a Sustainable Future, at the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) Pavilion, global stakeholders gathered to discuss enhancing resilient infrastructure through topics like public-private partnerships, private sector investment attraction, the role of private banks in sustainable development financing, and the contribution of insurers to infrastructure resilience. The panelists included Zhang Xing, Senior Climate Policy Specialist at AIIB, Veronica Scotti, Chair of Public Sector Solutions at Swiss Re, Katharine Tapley, Head of Sustainable Finance at ANZ Bank, Australia, and Louis Downing, CEO of Global Infrastructure Basel (GIB). Richard Fechner, EGM Advisory at GHD, served as the moderator for the session.

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