The EIB is the largest climate financier in the world and on the occasion of COP 21 in Paris late last year, pledged to increase these investments across the board.
At the event in our Brussels offices, we heard from speakers from the EIB, as well as projects promoters from a range of fields, from large scale renewable energy, to resource management, and funds investing in small scale green initiatives. Björn Gabriel, the EIB Head of Policies and Operations in Brussels welcomed participants together with Mr Viwanou Gnassounou, Assistant Secretary General from the ACP Secretariat, and Rasmus Lauridsen, Senior Climate Change Specialist talked us through the climate challenges in ACP.
We heard from the Kenya Electricity Generating Company’s Business Development Director Moses Wekesa. Kengen’s geothermal power station meets growing electricity demand and has a limited impact on the environment.
In addition we also welcomed Andrew Reicher, Investment Committee Member of the Africa Renewable Energy Fund, in which the EIB is an investor.
Jacques d’Unienville, Chief Executive Officer of Omnicane Management & Consultancy, also joined us, as the promoter of an innovative waste management project in Mauritius.
This workshop showed us exactly how the EIB supports climate action in the ACPs and what we can bring in the future.