The European Investment Bank (EIB) and the EU B@B Platform have teamed up to organise a webinar series on financing investment in natural capital.
Access to investment finance is frequently seen as a barrier by businesses in scaling up projects and innovations that benefit natural capital and biodiversity. On the other side of the table, banks and other investors struggle to develop a pipeline of investible projects that enhance natural capital and biodiversity.
This webinar series aims to help participants to better understand and overcome barriers to investing in nature, and thereby facilitate investment in natural capital and biodiversity-related projects and innovations. It is in particular targeted at project developers (public and private businesses, cities or municipalities) but will also benefit non-governmental organisations, consultancy companies and individuals seeking to increase their practical knowledge in the field.
This webinar draws from the EIB’s recent publication “Investing in Nature”: financing Conservation and nature-based solutions’, which provides a practical guide on how to put together investment propositions.
Following the first three webinars that covered the fundamentals of financing investments in natural capital, explored the business models and provided guidance on how to prepare financial and commercial viability of a project, this fourth webinar provides a practical guidance on:
- Understanding different types of financing and their pros and cons
- Concessional and blended finance v. commercial funding
- Direct financing options through equity and debt
- Accessing debt and equity financing through intermediaries
- Linking the pros and cons of the various funding sources with your growth objectives, key risks and current stage of development
Webinar presenters include:
- Eva Mayerhofer, Lead Environmental and Biodiversity Specialist at EIB
- Daniel Farchy, Equity Investment Officer at EIB
- Gautier Queru, Director of the Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN) Fund
- The LDN Fund, co-promoted by the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) and Mirova, is a first-of-its-kind impact investment fund investing in profit-generating sustainable land use and ecosystem restoration projects in developing countries. The Fund uses a layered structure, leveraging public money to increase private sector investment in sustainable land use, and counts the EIB, l’Agence Française de Développement and the Government of Luxembourg as anchor investors.
- Martin Berg, Partner at Pollination (moderator)
- Pollination is a specialist climate change and advisory and investment firm, accelerating the transition to a net zero, climate resilient future. Martin joined Pollination from the EIB where he was the Head of the Environmental Funds and Climate Finance Policy Unit. At Pollination, Martin works on new natural capital investment ideas and products.
Presentation slides and recording available:
Further events of interest:
- Investing in Nature - Part 5: Variety of legal structures and their pros and cons (September 2020)
Details will be announced closer to the date. To stay informed about upcoming events, drop us a line:
EIB Contact: Kristyna Pelikanova
Previous webinars and useful resources:
- Investing in Nature: Financing conservation and nature-based solutions (Brochure)
- PART 1: An introduction to financing investments in natural capital (Slides)
- PART 2: Business models for conservation and nature-based solutions projects (Slides)
- PART 3: How to prepare financials and strengthen commercial viability of your project? (Replay and slides)