The Green Lead recently had the pleasure of hosting Isabel Chatterton, Director & Regional Head of Infrastructure at the International Finance Corporation (IFC). IFC is the private sector arm of the World Bank Group who has extensive investments in green infrastructure in Asia and beyond. Climate is one of the critical pillars in IFC's strategy and investment propositions. In this episode, Isabel Chatterton and Ambassador Sandra Jensen Landi talk about unlocking the opportunities for green infrastructure project in Southeast Asia.
Q: What are the main barriers to entering infrastructure projects in Asia?
Besides introducing IFC's climate investment approach, Isabel also gives advice to Danish solutions providers in overcoming local barriers. Here, Isabel underlines that barriers are not financial. Conversely, the constraint is rather finding enough investable and bankable green projects for institutional investors to engage in. One of the key tasks, according to Isabel, is therefore to grow the quantum by de-risking projects to driving long-term capital into the region.
Q: Where should Danish solutions providers start?
Connect yourself with the local eco-system. That is the first advice from Isabel Chatterton who highlights the importance of connections in hubs like Singapore where large-scale projects with regional presence often embark.
Secondly, Danish solutions providers should look inwards and take their point of departure in solutions, renewables, machines, developments and technologies already applied in Denmark. How may these solutions add value an Asian context? And how did you come about them? A key advice of Isabel's is to actively use Denmark's legacy and tradition as a green front-runner to guide local implementation processes and ease some of the structural obstacles. This goes especially for companies experienced in developing public-private-projects across local, region and national levels. And this goes for engineering consultancies and policy makers who are familiar with overcoming internal project barriers and thereby able to deploy their expertise on green infrastructure strategy and planning.
What is the Green Lead:
Hosted by the Royal Danish Embassy in Singapore, The Green Lead is an ongoing series of flash-talks with regional thought leaders aimed at sharing experiences, best practices, and linking up partners to drive the green transition through accelerated regional collaboration opportunities. Main messages and key takeaways from each flash-talk will be summarized and shared via LinkedIn and the Green Denmark in Southeast Asia community.
Contact the Royal Danish Embassy in Singapore for more information about business opportunities and how Denmark seeks to drive green transition in Southeast Asia:
Magnus H. Mernild
Head of Communications & Public Diplomacy at the Royal Danish Embassy Singapore
Phone: +65 9636 3819
Email: magmer@um.dk
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