“The private sector's role in climate change: 3 questions with IFC”, 9 Jul 2015

The private sector is expected to play a prominent role in the implementation of the new development agenda, whether through financial assistance, technological innovations or investments that are in partnership with public entities. The business community is ready to embrace that role and appears more willing to shape the agenda than at any point in the past, according to Christian Grossmann, the IFC’s director for climate change…Recognizing that the most adverse effects of climate change will be most prominently felt by the world’s poor, the IFC has set to an annual goal of investing 20 percent of its long-term portfolio in climate-related initiatives such as renewable power, resource efficiency, green buildings and clean technology…For purely financial risk purposes you cannot at this point leave renewables aside...[D]isaster risk mitigation will be a pressing need. Although financing will most likely be from the public sector there is also an opportunity for private capital to do it in a smarter way...The key message is that climate-related investments are financially sustainable and make good, long-term sense.…The private sector is much more engaged in the preparation to Paris than I have ever seen before on climate change”…