Green infrastructure presents a huge investment opportunity across the world, with an estimated USD100tn worth of climate/compatible infrastructure required globally by 2030 to meet Paris Agreement emissions reduction targets.
This report builds on the inaugural Green Infrastructure Investment Opportunities Australia and Zealand (GIIO) report released August 2018.
GIIO 2019 advocates increasing green investment in the real economy including green bonds and other green investment products and greater engagement between the financial sector, ASX listed corporates, the superannuation sector and governments around infrastructure and brown to green transition.
The report backs new long-term partnerships to address rising emissions, urban congestion and sustainability pressures, with energy, transport, water, waste and buildings as the priority areas
In the face of coming climate impacts GIIO supports strengthening adaptation and resilience factors in social and economic planning, infrastructure design and operation in Australia.
The report suggests that building Australia’s green finance capabilities would also support ASX listed companies in undertaking higher levels of green investment, critical to meeting increasing institutional investor expectations of brown to green transition and progress towards low carbon and ultimately zero-carbon business models.
The 2019 GIIO report also points to Australia’s potential role as a leading green finance hub for Asia-Pacific in the 2020s and beyond, leveraging the green financial expertise of the banking sector and the ready capital and infrastructure investment capabilities of the superannuation sector, as nations in the region seek to meet their combined infrastructure, energy, development and climate goals.
The report is intended for a wide range of stakeholders in Australia, including superannuation funds, asset managers and their global counterparts, potential green issuers, infrastructure owners, as well as relevant state and federal ministries including Finance, Planning, Energy, Transport and Environment.
Other related recent reports:
- Australia Green Finance State of the Market 2019
- New Zealand green bonds and infrastructure 2019
- Green Infrastructure Investment Opportunities Australia and New Zealand
