Events

Achievement, Additionality and Ambition: 10 years of Australia’s Green Bank and Green Finance in Practice 

9 November 2022                                                                                                                                                                             Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt

Our collective transition to net zero requires investment in new projects and technologies on an unprecedented scale. Public capital is being used around the world in innovative ways to facilitate increasing amounts of private investment, converting ambition into reality.

Australia’s Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC) is the world’s largest government-owned “green bank”. This two-part event will highlight achievements, lessons, challenges and opportunities from the CEFC’s first 10 years of operation. The event will also feature a panel discussion featuring innovative climate finance leaders in conversation on the rapidly changing landscape and what delivering on our collective ambition requires, now and into the future.

Green Banking at Scale: Green banks delivering climate action at the city, state, and national level

20 September 2022                                                                                                                                                                                    New York City, United States

This hybrid in-person/virtual side event was held at Climate Week NYC 2022

Event Summary

Event Recording

Speakers explored the impact of the green bank model globally at the city, state, and national levels, and how green banks help advance both climate and equity goals. The event highlighted the potential role and impact of a U.S. national green bank under the Inflation Reduction Act’s Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund. It will showcased how existing green banks at the city and state levels successfully achieve climate and sustainable development targets by financing low-carbon, climate-resilient projects and spurring private financing markets that create new jobs.

Banking on Green: The role of green banks and development finance institutions in mobilizing private investments into climate solutions.

3 November 2021                                                                                                                                                                            Glasgow Scotland

This hybrid in-person/virtual side event was held at the 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26).

To achieve deep decarbonization and a pathway to 1.5˚ C, investment in new projects and technologies is essential. Public finance is critical yet insufficient, and to meet the challenge relatively small amounts of public investment must do a better job at mobilizing much larger sums of private investment. At the same time, we need innovative financial instruments and partnerships that promote country ownership for scaling up private investments.

Green Bank Design Summit 2021

21-24 June 2021
Virtual event

Taking place from June 21-24, 2021, the Green Bank Design Summit was the second global convening of stakeholders vital to the establishment of national green banks and other dedicated green finance institutions and facilities. It created a forum for country representatives and experts to discuss green bank establishment issues, both shared and country-specific, through a series of workshops, clinics, and panels.

The Summit brought together over 350 participants from 54 countries to learn about, discuss, and share key insights about green banks and the role they play in a green recovery.

Convergence Blended Finance Training

26 February 2020
Nairobi, Kenya

Sub-Saharan Africa is the region most frequently targeted by blended finance transactions, according to our data 35% of blended finance deals have historically targeted the region. For the impact of blended finance in the region to reach its full potential, there needs to be a robust ecosystem of sophisticated homegrown blended finance practitioners. To support this objective, Convergence is offering a blended finance training in Nairobi to help regional practitioners develop a strong understanding of both the theory and practice behind this collaborative approach.

Sidonie Gwet, Project Lead – Rwanda for the Coalition for Green Capital, will speak on the Green Bank model as a tool for mobilizing investment into green projects in Africa.

Green Banks for Country-Driven Climate Finance: Showcasing Country Ambition

11 December 2019
Madrid, Spain

During COP25 in Madrid, Spain, the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and the Green Bank Design Platform (GBDP) will host an event on Green Banks. The event will showcase countries’ progress toward accelerating NDC implementation by crowding in low carbon, climate resilient investment through Green Banks and other dedicated green finance facilities. This event will highlight the progress of several countries in planning, establishing, and capitalizing national and subnational Green Banks for country-driven climate finance.

The event will also discuss how the Green Bank Design Platform can be an invaluable resource for countries at all stages of green bank development. The Platform will connect countries exploring green finance institutions with technical assistance providers suited to their particular needs, provide information on best practices, host regional and global workshops, and increase interest in and resources for Green Bank development.

The event is being organized by the Coalition for Green Capital, Natural Resources Defense Council, and Rocky Mountain Institute.

Yale Environmental Sustainability Summit

1-2 November 2019
New Haven, CT

YESS 2019: Dispatches from the Future will ask how we might compel the collective, sweeping environmental action that we need in the midst of a time of rapid change and uncertainty by looking into the future. The Summit will build on the 2015 and 2017 events by combining a fresh look at familiar topics with the impacts of global trends and emerging technologies on environment and sustainability. In the spirit of alumni collaboration, attendees will also have opportunities for meaningful networking and volunteer engagement with each other and the University.

Jeff Schub, Executive Director of the Coalition for Green Capital, will speak on the National Climate Bank initiative, and how dedicated institutions can scale up investment in green technologies.

OECD Forum on Green Finance and Investment

29-30 October 2019
Paris, France

The OECD Forum on Green Finance and Investment event brings together leading actors from the green and sustainable finance and investment community to promote effective engagement, collaboration and action on green finance and investment. This includes institutional investors, asset managers, ministries of finance, central banks and other financial regulators and supervisors, environment policy makers, commercial and investment banks, multilateral development banks, green investment banks, corporations, civil society, philanthropies and more.

The event will include a session on “Public Financial Institutions and Climate-compatible Infrastructure: Building markets and mobilising commercial capital.” This session will explore the role of developing country public financial institutions in building markets and mobilising commercial capital for climate-compatible infrastructure and will include speakers from developing countries that have created or are developing local green banks or catalytic green finance institutions.

GCF Private Investment for Climate Conference

8 October 2019
Incheon Metropolitan City, South Korea

On October 8th, 2019, Green Climate Fund (GCF) and Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) will co-host a panel on green banks at GCF’s Private Investment for Climate Conference (“GPIC”). The goal of the panel is to introduce the audience to green banks and the ways in which they can leverage investment in low-carbon development. It will explore multiple green bank functions and institutional forms. Panelists will include executives from existing green banks and countries pursuing green bank establishment.

About the GCF Private Investment for Climate Conference (“GPIC”): GPIC is a global marketplace and ecosystem where leading private sector actors including project sponsors, institutional investors, financial institutions, climate leaders, and the public sector come together to accelerate climate action in developing countries.

Express your interest to join the conference here.

2019 Rhode Island Infrastructure Summit

26 September 2019
Providence, RI

The R.I. Infrastructure Bank is proud to host the 3rd annual Rhode Island Infrastructure Summit.

The Summit convenes hundreds of public and private sector professionals to collaborate on solutions for the State’s infrastructure challenges, great and small.

Following opening remarks, participants will turn to breakout sessions where they will have an opportunity to discuss various approaches to problems surrounding infrastructure projects. The topics for each session are as follows: Green Infrastructure and Resiliency, Economic Development, Clean Energy, School Infrastructure, Resilient and Sustainable Economic Development.

Sustainable Energy Fund: EnergyPath 2019

25 July 2019
Center Valley, PA

Energypath 2019 will focus on “Financing the Energy Future”. With innovations in renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies emerging at an exponential rate, our energy portfolio is becoming increasingly sustainable. This shift towards a more sustainable future is made easier by recent advancements in energy financing. This conference will feature both energy and financial experts who will present financing options that support this growing shift towards renewable energy and energy efficiency.

Abe Wapner, Associate at the Coalition for Green Capital, will lead a session titled “Green Bank for Pennsylvania: Non-Profit Banking”

Clean Cities Renewable Power Procurement

23-25 July 2019
Denver, CO

Across the nation, citizens are demanding clean energy, and cities have responded by making commitments to 100% renewable or clean power. Delivering on these commitments, however, is a complex undertaking, and many cities find themselves challenged to find the right strategies and solutions to meet their ambitious public targets. The process can also be very different depending on whether a city is located in a de-regulated or traditional electric power market.

The Clean Cities Renewable Power Procurement Summit, hosted by the City of Denver, has been organized to help cities navigate the many complex considerations involved in procuring renewable power. Bringing together executives from cities across the country who are actively involved in the process, procurement consultants and renewable energy suppliers, the meeting will provide guidance and discussion of how cities should weigh their available options, formulate priorities and strategies, evaluate the economics and risks, and gain political and legal support.

Jeff Schub, Executive Director of the Coalition for Green Capital, will speak about city and state-level Green Bank solutions on a panel titled “Paths to Achieve Community-Wide Renewable Commitments.”

Inaugural US Green Bank Summit

9-11 July 2019
Washington, D.C.

The Inaugural Green Bank Summit will bring together the leaders of the Green Bank movement in the United States from July 9-11 in Washington, D.C. The Summit will include leaders from the 13 members of the American Green Bank Consortium and will focus on the big issues facing Green Banks in the US from federal legislative activity to trends in internal Green Bank management techniques.

The U.S. Green Bank Summit is the premier gathering for U.S. Green Bank leaders. The Summit is a gathering of Green Banks, developers, capital providers, philanthropy policymakers and others eager to expand innovative clean energy investment with and through Green Banks.

Keynote speakers include US Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) and US Senator Ed Markey (D-MA).

Closing the Investment Gap in Sustainable Infrastructure

23-25 April 2019
New York

This event is the second in a series being convened by the University of Maryland (UMD) Initiative on
Closing the Investment Gap in Sustainable Infrastructure (the CIG Initiative). This series of workshops, supported by UNDP and Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark, brings government officials from a small number of developing countries together with development finance specialists, private investors, asset managers and institutional investors, using a sharply focused, results-oriented approach. The initiative works to identify opportunities, challenges and practical steps that each actor can take to help unlock financing solutions and create investment grade portfolios of projects in sustainable infrastructure.

The Coalition for Green Capital will participate in the workshop, discussing Green Bank strategies, and opportunities for publicly-backed green investment vehicles in emerging markets, drawing on experience working on new Green Bank initiatives in the US, Colombia, Rwanda and South Africa.

Green Bank Design Summit

18-19 March 2019 
Paris, France

The Green Bank Design Summit will be a first-of-its-kind convening of stakeholders who are vital to the establishment of national green investment banks (GIBs) and other dedicated green finance institutions. It will launch country-driven, ongoing collaboration to accelerate GIBs in emerging markets.

The Summit will be a highly participatory, invitation-only meeting built around small, multi-stakeholder workshops for emerging markets to develop GIB action plans.

Closing the Financing Gap: How to Pay for the Global Clean Energy Transition

14 March 2019 
Webinar

Globally, over the next 25 years the world is falling more than $20 trillion short of the total clean energy investment needed to avert climate disaster. This also means that economic, cost-saving clean energy projects are left unbuilt. There are gaps between abundant capital and individual projects.

Solutions such as Green Banks are meant to connect capital to projects and mitigate risk. Emerging to fill these gaps are several types of specialized legal entities entering into different types of public-private partnerships to facilitate project development on an economically sustainable basis. This program will explicate their structural differences and clarify the types of legal issues which arise in their structuring, the types of transaction which they undertake, and special considerations in dealing with different types of clean energy projects.

Moderators:

• Alex Kragie, Vice Chair, SEER Energy Infrastructure, Siting, and Reliability Committee
• Roger Feldman, Co-Chair, SEER Renewable, Alternative, and Distributed Energy Resources Committee

Speakers:

• Keynote – Reed Hundt, CEO of the Coalition for Green Capital; Former Chairman, Federal Communications Commission, Washington, DC
• Mary Templeton, President and CEO, Michigan Saves, Lansing, MI
• Michael Gergen, Partner, Latham & Watkins, Washington, DC
• Brian Farnen, General Counsel, Connecticut Green Bank, Stamford, CT
• Andrea Colnes, International Director, Coalition for Green Capital

Distributed Financing: Solar Lending by Community and Regional Financing Institutions

12 December 2018 
New York City, USA

Join SEIA and NREL for a workshop that will examine the growing trend of solar lending by local financing institutions. This workshop will describe the key lessons and opportunities in developing and operating a solar loan program. Speakers including NYSERDA, CT Green Bank and others will describe their product offerings, underwriting practices, partnering strategies, borrower characteristics and solar loan performance. We will work through the topics in an audience-interactive manner and attendees will come away with insights and strategies for entering this emerging asset class.

Sixth Annual Green Bank Congress

29 November 2018 
Shanghai, China

The Green Bank Network hosted the Sixth Annual Green Bank Congress in Shanghai, China alongside the Bloomberg NEF Future of Energy APAC Summit. The event was hosted in partnership with the Center for Finance and Development, Tsinghua National Institute of Financial Research, Green Finance Committee (GFC) of the China Society for Finance and Banking, with support from Lujiazui Green Finance Development Committee and Shenzhen Green Finance Committee. The event included representation from leading Green Banks around the world, including speakers from Australia, Japan, Malaysia, China, US and more.

OECD Forum on Green Finance and Investment

13-14 November 2018 
Paris, France

Achieving climate objectives and a broader set of environmental objectives linked to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) will require:

• Domestic ambition to rapidly and efficiently decarbonise and enhance resilience in all sectors;
• Well-aligned policies across the whole of government;
• Strong and consistent signalling and well-targeted policy interventions to engage and mobilise industry and private finance, combined with a conducive investment environment;
• Increased global co-operation between state and non-state actors, including financial and technical support for developing countries; and
• Monitoring of progress in green investment and financing and of environmental outcomes.

Policies need to be cost-effective and supported by robust, evidence-based analysis, and reflect an understanding of the perspectives and constraints of investors, who will be the engine of the transition to a green and sustainable economy.

This event brings together leading actors from the green finance and investment community to promote effective engagement, collaboration and action on green finance and investment. This includes institutional investors, asset managers, ministries of finance and central banks, financial regulators, commercial and investment banks, international climate funds, multilateral development banks, green investment banks, corporations, civil society, the philanthropic sector and more.

The event will include discussion on Green Banks and local Climate Finance Facilities to animate private investment in low carbon climate resilient infrastructure, featuring guest speaker Andrea Colnes, International Director, Coalition for Green Capital.

WFDFI CEO Forum 2018: DFIs and the Green Economy

23-25 October 2018 
Kyrenia, North Cyprus

The World Federation of DFIs (WFDFI) is organizing the International CEO Forum 2018 for its member-DFIs’ leaders to: (a) share and learn from each other their best practices, challenges and innovative ideas on financing the green economy and (b) provide their
thoughts and perspectives on future trends in building a green economy.

National and regional development finance institutions (DFIs) have contributed in their own way to this funding effort, providing access to finance and technical assistance to projects in the field of, among others, renewable energy, green buildings, clean transportation, and water and waste management systems. This event will explore effective options for DFIs to drive green investment and act as catalysts to animate private investment in green sectors.

The event will include panel discussions of Green Banks, and Green Bank programs within DFIs. Green Bank specialist panelists include:

• Andi Colnes, International Director, Coalition for Green Capital
• Darius Nassiry, Principal, Global Climate Finance, Rocky Mountain Institute

Beyond Financing: Green Bank Design Ideas for the Southeast

17 October 2018 10:00-11:00am ET 
Webinar

Green banks use funds to reduce the risk for private investment to support energy efficiency and clean energy. As local governments and corporations across the Southeast make progress on ambitious clean energy goals—including some with 100 percent renewable energy targets by as early as 2025—demand is growing for financing to make those goals attainable. This webinar will outline the design elements of a green bank and explores how a green bank might leverage public funds in the Southeast to create a robust market for clean energy investment. It wil cover example green banks that have been catalytic in the Northeast and West and could be a model for what is needed to jump-start investment in the Southeast.
Featuring:

• Jennifer Weiss, Senior Policy Associate, Climate and Energy Program, Duke Nicholas Institute
• Jill Bunting, Program Director, Coalition for Green Capital
• Duanne Andrade, CFO, Florida’s Solar and Energy Loan Fund (TBC)
• Mary Templeton, CEO, Michigan Saves (TBC)

Clean Energy Finance: Green Banking Strategies for Local Governments

1 October 2018 1:00-2:30pm ET 
Webinar

Local governments are pursuing innovative financing to support energy efficiency, renewable energy and other clean energy investments in their operations and communities. Join us to learn about exciting advancements in green banks in the United States and how these strategies can help local governments pursue their environmental, energy, and economic priorities. Speakers will provide an overview of green banks, the services and benefits they offer, other types of green bank opportunities, and important considerations for local governments interested in engaging with the green bank model. As part of this webinar, you will hear about experiences from the Connecticut Green Bank, which has worked extensively with local governments and is leading innovations in the field of clean energy finance, and the Montgomery County Green Bank in Maryland, the first U.S. green bank administered by a local government.

Featuring:

• Jeff Schub, Executive Director, Coalition for Green Capital
• Bryan Garcia, President and CEO, Connecticut Green Bank
• Tom Deyo, CEO, Montgomery County Green Bank

Global Climate Action Summit: Practitioner Workshop

12 September 2018 
San Francisco, CA

The upfront capital costs of renewable and other clean energy are frequently an impediment to deploying these carbon-free or low-carbon technologies. Although the overall capital costs of renewable energy projects have dropped dramatically since the early 2000s, lenders may be hesitant to finance some of these projects because of the upfront, significant capital infrastructure investments required, some of these technologies due to their high capital costs and regulatory uncertainty, unless they can prove a dedicated revenue stream for debt service. Further, the uncertainty around financial incentives, such as the production tax credit and investment tax credit, under the current administration and Congress has resulted in a chilling effect on the industry. This panel will explore the role policy can play in building financeable projects, and also the ever-growing need for public-private partnerships in climate finance to leverage existing public dollars for clean energy projects.

In the face of regulatory uncertainty and rapidly changing technology, how do we continue to finance nascent and existing clean energy technologies? How do we commercialize these technologies?

Featuring:

• Richard Kauffman, Chairman of Energy and Finance, Office of the Governor of New York
• Dan Adler, Vice-President for Policy, Energy Foundation
• Moderated by Sanjiv Malhotra, Director, Energy Investment Center, U.S. Department of Energy

Emerging Trends in Green Banks at Better Buildings Summit 2018

23 August 2018
Cleveland, Ohio

The Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Better Buildings Summit has teamed up with Energy Exchange for a one-of-a-kind event in Cleveland, Ohio. The combined event will feature tailored content to help all attendees—including building owners, administrators, executives, manufacturers, state and local government leaders, and financing companies—get up to speed on the latest trends in energy efficiency finance and put those insights into practice.

The event will feature a panel on “Emerging Trends in Green Banks.” The panel will focus on Green Banks helping unlock clean energy investment across the U.S. and the world. This session will review current developments in Green Banks, including the recent trend toward county-level banks, city-level banks, and international collaboration around Green Banks.

The panel will include:

• Kerry O’Neill, Connecticut Green Bank
• Tom Deyo, Montgomery County Green Bank
• Alex Kragie, Coalition for Green Capital

Australia’s Transition to Electric Vehicles

22 August 2018
Webinar

The electric vehicle revolution is on its way. The only question is how soon. Australia is on track for a surge in electric vehicle sales from as early as 2021 – based on the right combination of incentives, models and infrastructure. That’s according to new analysis from Energeia, commissioned by the CEFC and ARENA.

Join the CEFC for this exciting webinar to discuss the state of the electric vehicle (EV) market in Australia.

You’ll hear from:

• Paul Dowling, Associate Director, CEFC Investment Research, on the market conditions influencing EV uptake
• Dr Alina Dini, Industry Fellow, Institute for Future Environments, QUT, on breaking down consumer barriers to EV purchases
• Richard Lovell, Executive Director, CEFC, on investor opportunities in the EV market, and the available financing options.

NY Energy Market Summit

6-8 August 2018
New York City, NY

Governor Cuomo’s “50 by 2030” mandate set the stage for New York to evolve into a 21st Century Grid. NY REV demos have launched with success; however, achieving the bold goals within the Clean Energy Standard is still contingent on proper execution, removing uncertainty, and scaling up.

Infocast’s New York Energy Market Summit will deliver key decision makers from the 6 major utilities, NYSERDA, NYPA, and NYISO, the entities who are investing in renewable energy, grid modernization, and T&D expansion. Policymakers and market experts will share their latest solutions on how to accelerate beyond pilot projects and into large-scale projects to achieve the Clean Energy Standard. Christopher Scott, Director of Clean Energy Finance at the Coalition for Green Capital, will be a featured speaker discussing green bank solutions to clean energy financing.

The Future of Energy Investment after the Paris Agreement: Accelerated Decarbonization Trend

29 May 2018
Tokyo, Japan

Mr. Takejiro Sueyoshi, CEO of Green Finance Organisation (Japan) and Vice-Chair of Executive Board, Renewable Energy Institute, will speak at a Symposium to launch discussion on phase out of coal-fired power stations in Japan. At COP 23 in November 2017, the “Powering Past Coal Alliance” was formed initiated by the UK and Canadian Government, which have pledged to phase out coal-fired power stations. The formulation of this alliance was based on the scientific research by Climate Analytics, a think tank based in Berlin, which has now carried out an analysis of implications of the Paris Agreement for coal use in Japan. The symposium to launch the report publication will be hosted by the Renewable Energy Institute (Japan).

2018 Energy Efficiency Finance Forum

21-22 May 2018
Tarrytown, NY

How do you finance energy efficiency? The 2018 Finance Forum will explore innovative models and find out what works, and why. This event will feature Green Bank leaders from NY, CT, RI, MI, MD and around the country to discuss energy efficiency financing, PACE, Green Banks and more. This dynamic event will help attendees get started on financing projects that save energy, reduce costs, and create jobs. Speakers include Alfred Griffin, NY Green Bank; Kerry O’Neill, CT Green Bank and Jeff Schub, Coalition for Green Capital.

Renewable Energy Forum

22 March 2018
Berlin, Germany

The Infrastructure Investor Global Summit will showcase the expertise of 100+ senior speakers, offering new and diverse perspectives on infrastructure. The agenda is made up of keynote presentations, panel debates and hands-on workshops addressing key strategic and operational challenges. The Renewable Energy Forum will offer an opportunity to learn from and network with a truly international delegation focused on global renewable infrastructure markets

Karl Smith, Fund Managing Director, Green Investment Group will speak on new opportunities in the renewable space. Karl leads the principal equity investments for the Green Investment Group’s offshore wind (OSW) asset management team. He is the managing director and member of the OSW fund investment committee.

FT Climate Finance Summit

06 February 2018
New York City, USA

This one day conference brings together leading figures in the Climate Finance industry. Speakers will address key themes affecting the US market such as the growing impact of state policies. In addition, pension funds, foundations and family offices, all of which have a key strategy towards impact and green investments will share their experiences and challenges, and where they see future opportunity for generating returns whilst addressing one of the greatest challenges of humanity.

Alfred Griffin, president of NY Green Bank, will speak on a morning panel covering current trends and opportunities for climate finance in the US market. In that context, it will also touch upon the growing impact of state policies and questions such as:

• What are the flows of climate finance into renewable energy projects and other climate change mitigation measures?
• What are the investment flows into climate change adaptation projects, i.e. climate proof cities and infrastructure?
• How can the knowledge gap for infrastructure investments by addressed?

Financing Clean Energy In Your City: An Introduction to Urban Green Banks

17 January 2018
online webinar

A growing number of U.S. cities are seeking to accelerate their transition to clean energy. They see this transition as a big opportunity — not only to help reverse climate disruption, but also to make their local economies more vibrant and their communities more equitable and resilient. But financing of energy efficiency and renewable energy projects remains a big barrier. A growing number of countries, states and communities across the U.S. and around the world are creating or contemplating green banks to help overcome this barrier.

The Connecticut Green Bank is regarded as one of the most successful examples to date. Since its inception in 2011, it has used $200 million in public funds to leverage over $1 billion in total investment in Connecticut’s clean energy and energy efficiency marketplace. While a handful of international cities—including London, Sydney, and Amsterdam—have established green banks, no urban-scale green banks exist yet in the U.S., but the potential is great.

Could your city be next? Could green banks, or something like them, help more U.S. cities meet their local climate and energy goals? Join us for this webinar to explore these and other related questions.

Asia LEDS Forum

5-6 December 2017
Hanoi, Vietnam

The Coalition for Green Capital will be speaking about Green Banks and dedicated local green finance capacity to meet NDCs in ASEAN.

The Asia Low Emission Development Strategies (LEDS) Forum serves as the premier annual gathering of policymakers, donors, practitioners, and other experts involved in enabling low-emission, climate-resilient development in Asia. The annual event aims to facilitate regional coordination; share tools, models, approaches, and best practices; and increase capacity and readiness of practitioners to lead and implement LEDS and green growth initiatives.

Participants at the Asia LEDS Forums also work together to identify new regional priorities for action and collaboration, based on common needs and challenges expressed by countries represented. Top priorities form the focus areas for activities of the Asia LEDS Partnership in the coming year in order to ensure the Partnership’s activities provide value to governments and other stakeholders in the region.

COP23: Creating Dedicated Local Climate Investment Capacity Through Green Banks

10 November 2017
17:30 – 19:00 Business Hub, Bonn Zone IETA Room
Bonn, Germany

Implementing the goals defined in the Paris agreement will require dedicated local capacity and nation- specific implementation to drive investment and financial innovation. Building off the preceding discussion, this panel will address the formation and role of national Green Banks (either purpose-built entities or adaptations of existing institutions) and explore how they can directly support and interface with pipeline development through responsive product development to address critical market gaps and drive public and private climate investment to bring these new markets to scale.

• Robert Youngman, Team Lead, Green Finance and Investment, OECD
• Andrea Colnes, International Director, Coalition for Green Capital
• Paul Bodnar, Managing Director, Rocky Mountain Institute
• Jonathan First, Head of Syndication Finance, Development Bank of Southern Africa

4th OECD Green Investment Financing Forum

24-25 October 2017
Paris, France

The Green Investment Financing Forum (GIFF) is held under the aegis of the OECD Centre on Green Finance and Investment.

Achieving the objectives of the Paris Agreement and broader set of environmental objectives linked to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) will require:

• Domestic ambition to rapidly and efficiently decarbonise and enhance resilience in all sectors
• Well-aligned policies across the whole of government
• Strong and consistent signalling and well-targeted policy interventions to engage and mobilise industry and private finance, combined with a conducive investment environment
• Increased global co-operation between state and non-state actors, including financial and technical support for developing countries
• Monitoring of progress in green investment and financing and of environmental outcomes

Policies need to be cost-effective and supported by robust, evidence-based analysis, and reflect an understanding of the perspectives and constraints of investors, who will be the engine of the transition to a green and sustainable economy.

The GIFF will feature speakers from Green Banks and will cover key opportunities and challenges for unlocking financing for green innovation and explore the role of institutions and interventions to de-risk and mobilise investment in green projects.

5th Annual Green Bank Congress: Taking Stock of Green Bank Success and Expanding Green Finance Around the World

18 September 2017
New York City, USA

Implementing the commitments set out in the Paris agreement and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals will require dedicated local capacity to drive investment and financial innovation in low carbon, climate-resilient infrastructure. This year’s Green Bank Congress, part of Climate Week NYC 2017, gave attendees from the private and public sector the opportunity to discuss how Green Banks are working to crowd in private capital, and how the Green Bank model can be adapted to emerging markets. Speakers and attendees included Green Bank practitioners, government officials charged with NDC implementation, development banks and private sector partners from around the world.

National Development Banks and Green Banks: Key Institutions for Mobilizing Finance

26-27 June 2017   Mexico City

The event featured speakers on clean energy finance, Green Banks, and national development banks including UK Green Investment Bank, Australia’s Clean Energy Finance Corporation, Connecticut Green Bank, Green Tech Malaysia, Banobras, NAFIN, BNDES, OECD, ALIDE, Inter-American Development Bank and many others.

The objective of this event was to offer a space for discussion of the role of banks in the financing of the NDCs and the development of innovative instruments for the leverage of green investments in the region. The agenda and presentations from the event are accessible here.

Webinar- NRDC and BNEF: Opportunities for Public and Private Finance to Accelerate Growth of the Electric Vehicle Market

15 June 2017

Plug-in electric vehicles (EVs) have emerged as a promising technology to quickly decarbonize transportation sectors globally. But large volumes of capital are needed to finance adoption of EVs themselves as well as to build out EV charging networks. In order to design products and programs to effectively support EV market growth, green banks, private capital providers, and other green finance stakeholders will be given an update on recent developments in building out EV infrastructure in the U.S. and the opportunities for lowering costs of EV leasing or ownership to accelerate adoption. The webinar will provide insight how public and private financial institutions can work together to accelerate growth of the EV market.

Join the Green Bank Network and experts from the Natural Resources Defense Council and Bloomberg New Energy Finance to address questions including:

• What business models are currently being used to build out EV charging infrastructure, and how do these models ensure that that the infrastructure is maintained?
• Where are financing gaps where public and private capital providers could work together to scale these models?
• What experience/data exist on revenue streams to lower the price of EV leasing or ownership? Specifically, what does the latest research tell us about residual value of EVs after leasing and potential secondary markets for EV batteries through stationary storage and battery recycling?

Featuring:

Luke Tonachel, Director of the Clean Vehicles and Fuels Project at the Natural Resources Defense Council

Nick Albanese, Analyst of Advanced Transport at Bloomberg New Energy Finance

Yayoi Sekine, Analyst of Energy Smart Technologies at Bloomberg New Energy Finance

Financing Clean Energy in Affordable Housing Through Green Banks: CT Green Bank Approaches

6 June 2017

Please join the Green Bank Network for a webinar on the approaches CT Green Bank is taking to increase financing for clean energy in affordable housing properties and how Crum’s appointment to the Board will push the bank even further in its efforts. Our presenters are:

Betsy Crum, Executive Director of the Women’s Institute for Housing and Economic Development and Member, CT Green Bank Board of Directors

Kerry E. O’Neill, Vice President of Residential Programs at CT Green Bank

Kim Stevenson, Associate Director, Multifamily Housing at CT Green Bank

Over the past several years, CT Green Bank has partnered with the affordable housing sector and private capital providers to provide critical education, financing, technical assistance and resources that address barriers to deployment of clean energy projects in affordable housing properties. In March, CT Green Bank strengthened its commitment to Connecticut’s low-to-moderate income residents by welcoming Betsy Crum, a veteran professional in affordable housing development and finance, to its board of directors.

5th Annual Green Investing Conference

Register here 
27 April 2017   New York City

Featuring speakers on clean energy finance and Green Banks, including Brian Feit of NY Green Bank, Jigar Shah of Generate Capital and Jeff Schub of the Coalition for Green Capital.

The panel participants will discuss PPAs, Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE), loan programs, green investing, opportunities for innovations such as energy storage, and how to grow the investor base broadly.

Financing the 21st Century

Register here 
4-5 April 2017   Toronto, Canada

Featuring speakers on clean energy finance and Green Banks, including the Coalition for Green Capital.

To ensure prosperity through the coming decades, leading economies will need to invest heavily in advanced and resilient infrastructure. For the private sector, the upside is huge: Necessary global investment is projected at US $90 trillion by 2030.

In response, GLOBE Capital will explore how to open the floodgates of investment necessary to fully realize this opportunity. Our goals are to attract both innovation and new pools of capital to fund advanced, low-carbon infrastructure while mitigating investment risk and enhancing returns.

Senior decision-makers from across North America, in both the public and private sectors, who are critical to this conversation will come together in Canada’s finance capital. Together, they will explore ideas with a 360° lens focused on mobilizing the investment necessary for positive economic transformation.

International Symposium: REvision2017 Future that Renewables Make Possible

Register here 
8 March 2017   Tokyo, Japan

Featuring speakers on clean energy finance, including Takejiro Sueyoshi, CEO of the Green Finance Organisation Japan (GFO), founding member of the Green Bank Network.

The expansion of renewable energy is accelerating even more after the Paris Agreement entered into force. Most significantly, many of the world’s leading companies are showing commitment to run entirely on renewable electricity, thereby enforcing vast deployment of renewable energy lead by the industry. “REvision2017” will focus on these global efforts; it will introduce the business-lead moves towards 100% renewables, and discuss how to apply that in Japan.

Webinar: Green & Resilience Banks: How Can the Green Investment Bank Model Play a Role in Scaling Up Climate Finance in Emerging Markets?

Asia/Pacific time zones: Register here 
Wednesday, 11 January 2017
11:30am-12:30pm Beijing / 9:00am-10:00am Delhi

Americas/Europe time zones: Register here
Thursday, 15 December 2016
12:00pm EST – 1:00pm EST

The webinar featured discussion of a new policy working paper titled, “Green & Resilience Banks: How the Green Investment Bank Model Can Play a Role in Scaling Up Climate Finance in Emerging Markets“. The paper is jointly authored by Climate Finance Advisors, the Coalition for Green Capital, and the Natural Resources Defense Council. It was officially released at COP22 in Marrakech, Morocco.

Presenters shared highlights from the report, including information about the creation and capitalization of Green Investment Banks (GIBs) across the world that have had success in attracting private capital to low carbon, climate-resilient (LCR) infrastructure investments.

In addition to outlining the early successes of existing GIBs, presenters provided an overview of the newly released paper’s insight into how the GIB model can a useful approach for countries with developing and emerging economies to consider. Because of their focus on acting at a local and transactional level, the GIB model could help countries achieve climate goals, be a locus of financial innovation, and serve as a partner for international climate and development finance providers.

The presentations were followed by Q&A.

Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Forum

17 November 2016, Hartford, Connecticut

The Connecticut Green Bank and the Northeast Electrochemical Energy Storage Cluster hosted the Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Forum, bringing together key stakeholders in the hydrogen and fuel cell industry. The Forum focused on:

• Invest! – Green Bank Financing;
• Design! – Supply Chain – Hydrogen Refueling and Fuel Cells;
• Make! – Project Financing: Stationary and Motive Power; and
• Use! – ZEV Vehicles and Hydrogen Refueling.

Innovative Financial Instrument to Support Energy Efficiency: Experiences from Financial Institutions in Latin America and Asia-Pacific Regions

Hosted by IDB and ALIDE

15-16 November 2016, Lima, Peru

The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and the Latin American Association of Financial Institutions for Development (ALIDE) are partnering to host an event titled, “Innovative Financial Instruments to Support Energy Efficiency: Experiences from Financial Institutions in Latin America and Asia-Pacific Regions.”

The event featured speakers discussing the Green Bank model including Bryan Garcia from CT Green Bank, and Jeff Schub from Coalition for Green Capital.

This event aimed to promote a dialogue and exchange of experiences among Financial Institutions from Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) and Asia – Pacific (APAC) regions about the challenges and opportunities for private investments in energy efficiency to mobilize and deploy adequate and effective financial resources to achieve a low-carbon, climate-resilient development.

UNFCCC COP22 side event
Investing in the planet: Green banks and other financial tools to scale up mitigation technologies

Organized by the Grantham Institute, The Institution of Chemical Engineers, and the Natural Resources Defense Council.

14 November 2016, Marrakesh, Morocco

The right financial mechanisms need to be in place to encourage investment in low carbon technologies and storage to stimulate deployment of the more mature technologies. This event examined financing challenges on-the-ground and solutions for policymakers and investors.

Speakers discussed the enabling environment that policy can provide and the need for sufficient financing. Our diverse set of speakers covered the full cycle for financing these technologies – from the initial types of technologies to the testing, commercialization, and financing phases.

At the event, Climate Finance Advisors, the Coalition for Green Capital, and the Natural Resources Defense Council released a new report titled “Green & Resilience Banks: How the Green Investment Bank Model Can Play a Role in Scaling Up Climate Finance in Emerging Markets”. 

OECD 3^rd Annual Green Investment Finance Forum

13-14 October 2016, Tokyo, Japan

Featuring speakers from the UK Green Investment Bank (UK-GIB), Japan Green Finance Organisation (GFO), Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC), Green Tech Malaysia, NY Green Bank, Connecticut Green Bank, NRDC and CGC.

The OECD Green Investment Financing Forum (GIFF) is an annual event aimed to promote dialogue and to enhance understanding between a wide range of countries and institutions interested in mobilising private investment financing for low carbon and climate-resilient infrastructure.

Speakers include high-level representatives from governments from OECD countries and emerging economies, developing countries, Green Banks, institutional investors and the private sector, international organisations and NGOs.

Fourth Annual Green Bank Congress and Green Bank Network Working Session

11-12 October 2016, Tokyo, Japan 

The Green Finance Organisation of Japan and the Ministry of the Environment (MOE) of the Government of Japan jointly organized the Green Bank Congress 2016 on 11th October in Tokyo, Japan. This was the first Green Bank Congress after the Paris Agreement.

On the following day on 12th October, the Green Bank Network with hold a working session followed by an Environmental Finance Symposium hosted by the Ministry of Environment, covering topics related to Green Banks for a wider audience.

Sustainable Investment Forum at Climate Week

20 September 2016, New York City, USA

Featuring speakers from the NY Green Bank and the Connecticut Green Bank.

This one-day event aims to progress the dialogue on the development of effective public- private funding mechanisms for scaling low-carbon innovation. Uniting 300 investors, asset managers, fund managers, public and private banks, insurers and the private sector with key policy makers, city leaders and regulatory bodies, Sustainable Investment Forum will build the key relationships required to finance last year’s Paris Agreement.

Australia Clean Energy Summit

27-28 July 2016, Sydney, Australia

Featuring speakers from the Clean Energy Finance Corporation

The Australia Clean Energy Summit is the peak gathering of leaders driving Australia’s energy transformation. The agenda included two days of sessions where heads of industry, government and finance share the models, trends and technology innovations that they’re leveraging to drive renewable energy adoption, and overcome barriers in its deployment.

7th Annual Clean Energy Ministerial

31 May 2016,  San Francisco, USA

Featuring speakers from Connecticut Green Bank, Masdar, Japan Green Finance Organisation, Climate Bonds Initiative, Green Climate Fund, Hawaii Green Infrastructure Authority, Citi, OECD, California IBank’s CLEEN Center and the California Alternative Energy and Advanced Transportation Financing Authority (CAEATFA).

An official side event of the Clean Energy Ministerial was hosted by the US Department of Energy, titled “Green Banks, Green Bonds: Recent Clean Energy Trends for Public and Private Financial Institutions.” The event brought together government and finance leaders to discuss how national, subnational and private financial institutions–including green banks–can drive investment in domestic clean energy projects. The discussion considered how such financial institutions can serve as a critical pathway for countries developing strategies for achieving national clean energy and emission reduction targets. The event also included case studies of recent transactions, including green bond issuances. At the event, the OECD announced the publication of its report Green Investment Banks: Scaling up Private Investment in Low-carbon, Climate-resilient Infrastructure.

ACEEE Finance Forum

22-24 May 2016, Providence, USA

Featuring speakers from the NY Green Bank, Connecticut Green Bank, Coalition for Green Capital, Rhode Island Infrastructure Bank, and Michigan Saves

Each year, the ACEEE Finance Forum features over 75 experts presenting on a variety of topics. The 2016 forum featured success stories and presentations on topics including PACE, on-bill financing, serving low-to-moderate income households and multifamily residences, Green Banks, and international energy efficiency finance. This event brings together experts in the field of financing energy efficiency projects.

COP 21 Side Event hosted by OECD and Bloomberg Philanthropies

7 December 2015, Paris, France

Featuring speakers from Japan Green Finance Organisation, UK-Green Investment Bank, GreenTech Malaysia, Green Climate Fund and Bank of America

An official side event of the COP21 in Paris was hosted by the OECD and Bloomberg Philanthropies titled Green Investment Banks: Leveraging innovative public finance to scale up low-carbon investment. The event featured discussion on approaches to increase private investment in clean energy, from leading practitioners. The Green Bank Network was formally launched at the event.

ACEEE Finance Forum

31 May – 2 June 2015, San Francisco, USA

Featuring speakers from the Connecticut Green Bank, Coalition for Green Capital, California Alternative Energy and Advanced Transportation Financing Authority (CAEATFA), Vermont Energy Investment Corporation and the Hawaii Green Infrastructure Authority.

The ACEEE Energy Efficiency Finance Forum is the premier conference dedicated to catalyzing investment in, and scaling the market for, energy efficiency. Since 2007, attendees have enjoyed significant value in meeting and mingling with thought leaders and game-changing innovators from the industry at this important networking opportunity. Each year, the conference features more than 20 sessions covering cutting-edge developments in this dynamic and fast-growing space, and provides a foundation for tracking progress as energy efficiency and related socially responsible investments progress toward the mainstream.

OECD 2^nd Annual Green Investment Finance Forum

19 May 2015, Paris, France

Featuring speakers from the Japan Green Finance Organisation, the UK Green Investment Bank, GreenTech Malaysia, GEF, IFC, EIB, OECD, UNEO, IEA, Coalition for Green Capital, Bank of America and Pension Denmark.

In this defining year for climate change policy and low-carbon investment, OECD Secretary-General Angel Gurría welcomed senior government officials and key actors in financing green infrastructure investment for a targeted discussion on Clean Energy Finance. The Forum addressed new developments relating to green investment banks. It also highlighted promising investment channels with a special focus on green bonds and de-risking approaches to facilitate green infrastructure investment by institutional investors in OECD countries, emerging economies and developing countries. The  forum was  part  of Climate  Week  Paris, taking  place 200  days  before  the  COP21 climate  talks  in  Paris.

Green Bank Academy

6-7 February 2014, Washington DC, USA

Featuring speakers from NY Green Bank, Connecticut Green Bank, the Brookings Institution, the California Treasury Department and the Coalition for Green Capital.

The Green Bank Academy event provided a unique forum for state energy and finance officials from around the country to learn about and discuss the establishment and coordination of state “green” banks. Attendees worked together in working groups on practical problem-solving, with a focus on turnkey solutions to build green banks with shared principles for coordination and standardization. Leaders from over a dozen states, at various stages of green bank development, attended the event

The keynote speakers at the two-day meeting included Dan Esty, outgoing Commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, Congressman Chris Van Hollen of Maryland, and Richard Kauffman, Chairman of Energy and Finance for New York.

International Green Bank Summit

  17-18 November 2014, New York City, USA

Featuring speakers from NY Green Bank, UK Green Investment Bank, Clean Energy Finance Corporation, Green Finance Organisation, KfW, GreenTech Malaysia, Connecticut Green Bank, NJ Energy Resiliency Bank, Hawaii Green Infrastructure Authority, California Alternative Energy and Advanced Transportation Financing Authority (CAEATFA), Coalition for Green Capital, California Clean Energy Fund and the OECD.

The first day of the summit was a discussion among representatives of existing Green Banks that also served as the Second Annual Green Bank Congress, a forum initiated in 2013 by the UK Green Investment Bank. The closed-door session provided a venue to exchange information, share best practices, and discuss how to maximize individual and collective impact on clean energy financing markets. Discussions on day two focused on the role of Green Banks within emerging clean energy financing markets. Attendees included representatives from Green Banks around the world and leaders from the private sector and non-governmental organizations been active in driving the development of clean energy finance worldwide.

ACEEE Finance Forum

11-13 May 2014, Washington, DC, USA

Featuring speakers from NY Green Bank, Citi, Connecticut Green Bank, Coalition for Green Capital, Vermont Energy Investment Corporation, Maryland Energy Administration, Michigan Saves and Bank of America.

The ACEEE Energy Efficiency Finance Forum is dedicated to catalyzing investment in, and scaling the market for, energy efficiency. This year, the event focused on “Building Momentum and Driving Demand.” The ACEEE Energy Efficiency Finance Forum together experts in the field of energy efficiency and finance, and provides a forum for discussing some of the challenges and solutions to financing energy efficiency around the world.