Integrating Climate Resilience into Infrastructure Investments

This webinar featured experts in resilience finance for a discussion on the challenges for resilience and concrete ways to integrate climate resilience into investments. Josh Sawislak—senior advisor in the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions (C2ES)—discussed the broader market challenges for resilience, including value capture from both his experience in the Obama administration and the private sector at AECOMM. Stacy Swann—founding partner and CEO of Climate Finance Advisors (CFA), with more than two decades of experience in finance, fund management, and development, including with the World Bank Group and the International Finance Corporation—discussed her recent joint publication, Lenders’ Guide for Considering Climate Risk in Infrastructure Investing, and ways green and resilient banks can boost investment in resilient infrastructure. 

CFA’s team consists of bankers and financial professionals with expertise in international development, finance, sustainability, and climate change, and has deep experience in climate-related investments including renewables, climate-smart infrastructure, and adaptation. Sawislak was previously a principal with Clio Strategies, advising governments, corporations, international organizations, and NGOs on policy, implementation, and financial issues around building sustainable and resilient infrastructure in both the developed and developing world. Sawislak served in the Obama administration as the associate director for climate preparedness at the White House Council on Environmental Quality, where he developed U.S. federal policy on climate adaptation and resilience and worked with foreign governments and international organization on multilateral and bilateral efforts. The webinar was moderated by  Sarah Dougherty, green finance manager at NRDC.