Innovate4Climate | Connect4Climate

Carbon Delta - Pitch Hub Innovate4Climate 2018

Carbon Delta – the Environmental Fintech

About Pitch Hub Innovate4Climate 2018:

The Pitch Hub provided a dynamic space to "pitch" to potential investors and seek feedback from leaders in climate investment, finance, and markets.

EcoLigo - Pitch Hub Innovate4Climate 2018

EcoLigo - Closing the finance gap for solar projects in emerging markets

About Pitch Hub Innovate4Climate 2018:

The Pitch Hub provided a dynamic space to "pitch" to potential investors and seek feedback from leaders in climate investment, finance, and markets.

BetterVest - Pitch Hub Innovate4Climate 2018

BetterVest - Kickstarting the global energy transition

About Pitch Hub Innovate4Climate 2018:

The Pitch Hub provided a dynamic space to "pitch" to potential investors and seek feedback from leaders in climate investment, finance, and markets.

We Innovate For Climate Because Our Future Depends On It

In Frankfurt this week, Innovate4Climate brought together climate leaders who recognized and applauded the growth in climate finance and innovation but noted that much remains to be done to scale up action and get on track to meet the Paris Agreement’s 2°C goal.

The big news coming out of #Innovate4Climate was the launch by the Government of Spain of a new initiative to develop next-generation climate solutions. This represents the first step toward facilitating new climate markets using an instrument that addresses the supply and demand of mitigation outcomes, to attract private investors and new sources of financing in line with the Paris Agreement.

There was standing room only at the presentation of the World Bank’s 2018 edition of the State and Trends of Carbon Pricing report and IETA’s GHG Markets Sentiment Survey. The World Bank report shows that coverage of global greenhouse gas emissions by carbon pricing mechanisms is up by 5 percent compared to last year - now covering about 20% of emissions. There’s a growing sense of optimism about the prospects for emissions trading around the world.

“The conference successfully convened key actors on climate finance from both the private and public sector. I am glad to see that the agenda featured resilient investing and insurance-linked solutions to climate risks. These topics will gain prominence as the impacts of a changing climate require us to rethink conventional business models."

Simone Ruiz-Vergote, Managing Director at Allianz Climate Solutions.

Simone Ruiz-Vergote, Managing Director, Allianz Climate Solutions.

Participants brought latest examples of financial innovation, business, technology and policy solutions to accelerate mitigation and adaptation. Sessions on blockchain technology and disruptive technologies to form new systems that save clients time and money drew big crowds, as did presentations at the Pitch Hub on energy efficient lighting and cooking in India by EESL.

With a new optimism and a sense that carbon markets have turned a corner – for example, the average carbon price in the EU’s emissions trading scheme is now above 14 Euros per ton– business is showing renewed interest in investing in climate-smart projects.

“There is new confidence in the air, confidence in market solutions.”

Ingrid Hoven, Director General of Global Issues, BMZ

Photo Credits: Max Thabiso Edkins / Connect4Climate

Tim Jarvis, Environmental Explorer: “Polar expeditions are about heading towards an endless white horizon, and chipping away one step at a time in the knowledge that those steps, when added together, will get you to the goal that you want. And that is the position we find ourselves with climate change and solutions to it. We mustn’t lose heart, we must keep going in the knowledge that the cumulative effort of all of us working together can get us to the end outcome.”

Innovate4Climate is about tapping the ideas and ingenuity of a growing community of business, finance, technology, civil society and policy leaders and increasing their role in driving climate action. Everyone has a part to play: governments, for example, can put policies and MRV infrastructure in place; multilateral development banks like the World Bank can help de-risk climate investments through financial and political guarantees; business can increase the use of private investment capital; and civil society can highlight progress while bringing a voice to the most vulnerable people.

“Climate Change is a challenge but also opens enormous opportunities. To take these opportunities to their full scale, partnerships, innovation and leadership are critical. Governments must provide enabling regulations; MDBs must help mobilize investors by mitigating risks; and the private sector must come in full force with its capacity to innovate and provide solutions.“

Hans Peter Lankes, IFC Vice President for Economics & Private Sector Development

This second Innovate4Climate conference showed, once again, the importance of bringing key climate finance players together to discuss ideas around accelerating decarbonization and presenting concrete solutions and deals.

Photo Credits: Max Thabiso Edkins / Connect4Climate

The World Bank takes an approach it calls “Maximizing Finance for Development” and aims to harness the power of everyone in the room to unlock climate finance. It involves redefining the approach to development finance, by leveraging the private sector in ways that optimize the use of scarce public resources. Meeting the Paris Agreement’s commitments requires investments at unprecedented speed and scale. The financing needs are monumental but so are the opportunities. Emerging market economies will need about $23 trillion to meet the Paris objectives. Unlocking this potential demands forward-looking policies, innovation and investors with capacity to take some risk.

“Blockchain has the potential to truly transform our global supply chains and create disruption but only when used in combination with other technologies to address the needs of society. We all have a role to play in defining those needs and in finding the new business cases to accelerate the transition and affect change,” said Deanna MacDonald, CEO and Co-Founder of BLOC.

There are major challenges ahead, but also solutions and opportunities. The message was loud and clear at I4C: private investment in climate action and green growth is good for the bottom line. And that is a message everyone can get behind.

We Innovate4Climate to Accelerate Climate Action, Frankfurt, 22-24 May

Social Media Kit: Innovate4Climate 2018

Innovate4Climate, launched in 2017 in Barcelona, is an integral part of this global dialogue of government, multilateral, business, banking, finance, technology leaders and society and embraces the global themes of climate finance, sustainable development, carbon pricing and markets.

Innovate4Climate: Finance & Markets Week 2018

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The second edition of “Innovate4Climate Finance and Markets Week” will take place at the Kap Europa Congress Centre in Frankfurt, from May 22 to 24. Innovate4Climate is a new global dialogue of government, multilateral, business, banking and finance leaders focused on shaping the next generation of climate finance and policy instruments.

World Bank Group Youth Summit 2017: Technology and Innovation for Impact

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We find ourselves amid the greatest information and communications revolution in human history and must take advantage of this rapid technological change to make the world more prosperous and inclusive. With youth being the early adopters and the most active users of Information and Communication technologies, their participation is essential in expanding the reach of technology and fulfilling the transformative potential of the digital revolution.

For World Environment Day Bologna opens its doors to the All4TheGreen Week

As World Environment Day is celebrated around the world, in Bologna, the Italian Environment Minister Gian Luca Galletti launched the All4TheGreen week of activities with a message to all: “The Paris Agreement should be implemented by all countries, it increases the economic competitiveness of these countries.” His interview on the Piazza Maggiore, in Bologna, Italy, launched a week of environmental and climate action in the lead up to the G7 Environment Minister meeting, June 11-12.

talian Environmental Minister Gian Luca Galletti at Piazza Maggiore, Bologna, Italy

The Italian Environment Minister Gian Luca Galletti at Piazza Maggiore, Bologna. Photo Credits: Riccardo Savi/Connect4Climate

For the week, June 5-12, more than 70 events will take place around the city to promote the transition to an international green economy. “We need to love our planet as we love ourselves", underlined Antonia Testa, Focolare Movement in Rome, during the first interview of the All4TheGreen SDG Media Zone presented by the Connect4Climate program of the World Bank Group and partners.

Speakers from the private sector, journalists, photographers and implementers of climate solutions took the stage to tell the world what needs to happen in order to protect the environment. "We have reached 66 million people forced to migrate for many factors and climate change is certainly a major one," informed the journalist Luca Attanasio, in a panel with the photographer Kadir Van Lohuizen. "Because of sea level rise, people are leaving. They will be forced to leave. Let's not forget, rising seas do not make a distinction between rich or poor", highlighted Kadir.

In a parallel event, Earth Day Italy awarded media professionals for their work reporting the environment. "We're using this planet as if we have another one," said the organization’s president Pierluigi Sassi during the awards ceremony. Connect4Climate’s program manager, Lucia Grenna, present to award and reminded the audience: "We are the custodians of this planet. To leave a clean future to our kids we must invest in a sustainable world."

Connect4Climate’s program manager, Lucia Grenna, in Bologna for #All4TheGreen week of activities.

Connect4Climate’s program manager, Lucia Grenna, addresses the audience in Bologna. Photo Credits: Riccardo Savi/Connect4Climate

“The environment is a certainly a factor unifying countries and its people,” said Minister Galletti, in closing the awards ceremony. The Minister reminded all that All4TheGreen activities will continue all week, featuring environmental discussion, concerts, solar-powered film screenings, debates, announcements, art installations and other exciting events.

All4TheGreen week of activities in Bologna.

Bologna is the World Capital for the Environment with All4TheGreen. Photo Credits: Riccardo Savi/Connect4Climate

Join Connect4Climate and partners in support of All4TheGreen, as we highlight the need to transition to a low-carbon, resilient and sustainable future. We are all for the green on World Environment Day and beyond.

Recap all of today's Facebook Live interviews at SDG Media Zone in Bologna, Italy