The developing world is facing a large infrastructure deficit and is foreseeing huge investments in the next few years to address it. These infrastructures will be in place for the coming decades; the decisions we make now will determine if we contribute to transformational change towards environmental sustainability, and low carbon, resilient and inclusive development, or we face a lock-in into carbon intensive and unsustainable infrastructure. If we fail in making our investments sustainable and green, we will fail in achieving the Green Deal's objectives. This session looked at how quality infrastructure can bring new opportunities in developing countries, and examined tools and approaches to ensure that infrastructure projects under the Global Gateway agenda contribute to transformational change whilst respecting the 'do no harm' principle.
Synopsis
The panelists presented solutions their organisations have developed to facilitate the transition towards quality and green infrastructure investments. They stressed the importance of moving away from the traditional approach of focusing on benefits and instead putting the focus on nature-based solutions. The discussion also concentrated on the topic of how financial losses can provide incentives for governments to invest in the green transition.