From Plans to Projects: Mobilising Finance for Urban Climate Action

At the Cities Mission Conference in Vilnius, the 'Overcoming Financing Challenges: Effective Approaches to Mobilising Resources' session, co-hosted by Eurocities, NetZeroCities, the City Climate Capital Hub, and Smart Cities Marketplace, tackled a critical question for Mission Cities:

How to turn climate investment plans into finance-ready, implementable projects?

BwB Senior Analyst, María Belén Ortíz Torres, presented data on investment gaps and technical assistance needs, and facilitated a finance-focused co-creation table with city leaders and financial experts. 

Designed for cities that are ready to move from planning to implementation, the session brought together peers from Bristol, Parma, Guimarães, and Florence, showcasing real-world approaches in:

- Mobilising public and private capital

- Engaging early with investors

- Addressing common financing roadblocks

Key challenges raised during the session included:

- Over-reliance on grants

- Risk aversion towards innovative finance and private sector involvement

- Project scale and bankability barriers

The city representatives and session facilitators worked together to identify possible solutions, including: 

- Promoting greater public sector openness towards innovation in finance

- Engaging financial stakeholders earlier in the project development process 

- Establishing more regular opportunities for dialogue between cities and investors

- Providing stronger support for project pipeline development

“Sessions like this are critical for helping cities to move from isolated efforts to coordinated, financeable portfolios that deliver impact at scale. BwB is proud to be supporting cities through the Climate City Capital Hub, designing tools and partnerships to bridge between climate ambitions and financing needs,” commented Belen.

The Climate City Capital Hub was designed to bridge the investment gap faced by cities pursuing decarbonisation goals – mobilising finance for urban climate mitigation and adaptation through a neutral, pan-European platform. The Capital Hub is part of NetZeroCities, the implementing platform for the EU's '100 Climate Neutral and Smart Cities' Mission. 

Learn more at: https://lnkd.in/dbhrQyfG