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Events

UNEP FI 2007 Global Roundtable

Blue Oil - Water and Finance

Part of the UNEP FI Open Debate Series

Workshop 2.3.1
13.25-14.40

Target 10 of the UN Millennium Development Goals consists in halving by 2015 the proportion of people without sustainable access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation: this means that 1.5 billion additional people will have to be provided with water-supply- and 2 billion people with basic-sanitation-facilities relative to 2000 levels.

From a developmental macro-perspective the biggest challenge consists in overcoming a resulting funding gap of USD 10 to USD 25 billion per year.

From the business-type micro-perspective of a financial institution this challenge becomes one of the biggest investment opportunities of the coming decades.

The 'Water & Finance' Session at GRT 2007 will try to find answers to the following questions:

Commercial lending and private investment in the water sector of developing countries have actually declined in recent years, despite the strategic importance of the issue: why is that and how can the barriers be overcome to boost water-investment?
Not every water-investment is good water-investment: what means overall sustainability (people, planet, profit) in water-supply and sanitation and how can investors ensure the inclusion of ESG-issues?
What are examples of best-practice with respect to sustainable water and sanitation schemes? What are the business models of the future and the finance mechanisms to make them possible?

Session Summary (PDF: 928 KB)

Speakers

Mahesh Babu, Chief Executive Officer, Infrastructure Leasing & Financial Services, Ecosmart
Sherisa Nuesa, Chief Financial Officer, Manila Water
James Pittock, Former Director, WWF Freshwater Programme
Andrew Pidden, Principal Chief Investment Officer, Clean Resources Asia
Campbell Wratt, Managing Director, Dexia Credit Local Australia