Expert forum: blended finance for climate and energy investments

Official partner event of the Berlin Energy Transition Dialogue

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March 27, 2023, 1 - 6 p.m. followed by a reception and networking dinner

ESMT Berlin | In-person event only, registration starts at 1 p.m.

Chatham House Rules apply

To achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations, there is an estimated funding gap of $3.7 trillion annually. Since the budgets of official development aid (ODA) alone cannot achieve this, calls for the mobilization of private capital abound. Yet, private investors are often cautious about investments in emerging economies due to perceived risks. Blended finance is the use of catalytic capital from public or philanthropic sources to increase private sector investment in sustainable development. Blended finance instruments such as structured funds and guarantees bring together investors with different risk-return profiles to finance shared impact objectives.

Hosted by ESMT Berlin, Germany’s # 1 business school, and supported by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the event will explore lessons learned on existing blended finance transactions related to climate and energy. It brings together:

European development finance institutions
Institutional investors
Impact asset managers

to reflect how to increase the leverage of blended finance. It is also open to large foundations and family offices with an interest in climate finance.

Registration for the event (panel discussion and case study sessions)

Panel discussion, 2 - 3 p.m.

How to tackle the climate crisis jointly by overcoming silos between different investor types

Moderator: Jörg Rocholl, ESMT Berlin

Panelists:

Markus Aschendorf, KfW
Claudia Kruse, APG Asset Management
Christoph Kuhn, European Investment Bank
Anja Langenbucher, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
Hans Peter Lankes, Grantham Research Institute

Case study session 1, 3:15 - 4:30 p.m.

How concessional funding can help mobilize private investment

Moderator: Katharina Birgmeir, Allianz Investment Management

CEI Africa, Hans Martin Hagen, KfW
InsuResilience Investment Fund, Alessandra Nibbio Bonnet, BlueOrchard
Mirova Gigaton Fund, Sebastian Duquet, Mirova SunFunder

Case study session 2, 4:45 - 6 p.m.

Waterfall structures to improve risk-return profiles in emerging markets

Moderator: Aleksi Lumijärvi, Nordic Development Fund

Climate Investor One & Two, Dorien Lobeek, FMO; Robert Whitlock, Climate Fund Managers
Emerging Market Climate Action Fund, Martin Ewald, Allianz Global Investors; Gunter Fischer, EIB
Green for Growth Fund, Borislav Kostadinov, Fund Director, Finance in Motion

Networking dinner

Participants are invited to a networking dinner at a nearby restaurant. Due to capacity reasons, the networking dinner is only open to speakers of the event and representatives of DFIs, policy makers, investors, foundations, and impact asset managers.

Please note that we are already at capacity for the networking dinner (7 - 9 pm) and are not accepting any additional registrations for this part of the event.