As Mayor of the City of Basel, I am once again looking forward to the city hosting the annual GIB Sustainable Infrastructure Summit on 27 – 28 May 2015. Now in its fifth year, the Summit agenda again benefits from the inclusion of a dedicated meeting for C40 cities coordinated by the C40 Sustainable Infrastructure Finance Network.
Global Infrastructure Basel Summit
Under the theme “Transforming Momentum into Real Impact,” the Summit will bring together high-level policy-makers from municipal governments, infrastructure project developers, investors and academics as well as technology providers. The Summit will highlight and attempt to find solutions to the key challenges linked to sustainable infrastructure investment. It will also provide networking opportunities with diverse stakeholders and create fertile ground for innovative ideas, knowledge sharing, define concrete steps on how to progress infrastructure projects, and serve as a vital platform for matchmaking between urban projects and investors.
In addition to the C40 Finance Network meeting, C40 will moderate a panel session focusing on the topic of Transit Oriented Development. This session will explore the opportunities available to cities through compact and connected development, and the role of the public and private sector in financing and implementing equitable and sustainable Transit Oriented Development.
C40 Sustainable Infrastructure Finance Network Meeting
The C40 Finance Network is focused on supporting C40 cities to finance their climate priorities, looking at city climate funds, green bonds, and carbon markets. Our partnership with GIB has helped C40 cities attend the Summit and connect with global investors. As part of the agenda of the Summit, the C40 Finance Network will bring together all C40 cities attending the Summit to:
- Network and share experiences and priorities with other C40 city officials
- Share some of the key challenges and lessons learnt by cities relating to infrastructure finance and the way the GIB Summit has helped to resolve them
- Outline the current activities and determine the future priorities of the Network
The meeting is an opportunity for C40 cities to build relationships, discuss concrete solutions for sustainable infrastructure financing and ensure the maximum benefit of the GIB Summit is being realised. I look forward to welcoming C40 cities to this exciting annual event.
The SIFN meeting will take place on the second day of the GIB Sustainable Infrastructure Summit during the lunch break. All C40 city delegates will get free admission to the GIB Summit as well as to the C40 SIFN meeting. To register your city’s attendance at this meeting, please contact James Alexander, Head of the C40 Finance and Economic Development Initiative on jalexander@c40.org.