Investment in public transport is the foundation of urban transport climate mitigation. Public transport helps cities reduce carbon emissions, energy consumption and environmental pollution while also delivering wider social and economic benefits.
The EIB’s urban lending and advisory services focus on improving public transport networks.
Why does the EIB finance urban transport?
The EIB’s support addresses two major barriers to investment: lack of funding and technical capacity, both inside and outside the EU.
- Inside the EU: According to the latest EIB Municipalities Survey, 46% of respondents said that urban transport lacked infrastructure investment.
- Outside the EU, the investment gap is much larger. This creates opportunities for investment that meets climate and broader sustainable development goals.
How we help
The Bank offers a wide range of financial tools. We provide direct lending including products such as framework loans to aggregate smaller investments (such as like bike lanes) to intermediated lending, the Bank supports sound investments from public sector promoter’s and private operators.
The Bank also provides funding for higher risk projects through risk-sharing and blending instruments such as InvestEU and the Future Mobility Initiative, launched in 2019 by the EIB and the European Commission.
The EIB provides also advisory support through JASPERS, ELENA and the EIAH, which help to tackle investment barriers.
Eligibility criteria
The eligibility criteria is set up under the Climate Bank Road Map and the current EIB Transport Lending Policy.
Urban mobility investments will remain a priority for the Bank as they fulfil all four pillars (clean, safe, smart and efficient) underpinning the new Transport Lending Policy.
The growing complexity of urban mobility requires strategies that provide sustainable urban transportation through a combination of different modes of transport.