Infrastructure is essential to meeting the global challenges of our time. Issues as diverse as Covid-19 response, economic recovery, building resilience against future pandemics, meeting the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and limiting global warming are all dependent on quality, socially beneficial infrastructure. As such – and given infrastructure’s importance to both the C20 and G20 – CoST and Eurodad will bring together a range of perspectives on the key G20 focus of infrastructure financing.

Infrastructure financing at the C20 Summit: Why the need?

Whilst there is agreement on some issues between the C20 and G20 with regard to infrastructure, financing continues to be an area of divergence. As the G20 continues to pursue its goal of establishing ‘infrastructure as an asset class’ to meet the backlog of infrastructure investment – estimated to be US $15 trillion by the G20’s Global Infrastructure Hub – there are concerns amongst the C20 around the efficacy of this approach, particularly in low-income countries where the risks for private investors are high and the prospects for generating reliable revenue streams low. Instead, the C20 advocates strengthening public institutions, increasing public investment and improving transparency and accountability.

The issue of infrastructure financing has taken on even greater urgency to facilitate the response to the coronavirus pandemic and to help mitigate the impacts of the economic crisis likely to plunge millions of people into poverty.

Our session Financing infrastructure in an era of global crisis will facilitate lively discussion from G20 and C20 working group, civil society and private sector representatives. Speakers will give their expert insight into the complexities, risks and opportunities of public and private infrastructure financing in the context of global challenges. With audience contribution welcome, join us for a diverse and participatory session.

Register to attend the C20 Summit and RSVP to our session on the Virtual Summit Platform.

Key speakers:

• Lisa Elliston, G20 Infrastructure Working Group Co-Chair
• Princess Haifa Al Mogrin, G20 Development Working Group Chair
• Rakan bin Dohaish, Policy Lead, Infrastructure Working Group, Saudi G20 Finance Track
• María José Romero, Policy and Advocacy Manager, Eurodad
• Ciro Salazar, Researcher and Infrastructure Specialist, Law, Environment and Natural Resources (DAR, Peru)
• Nadia Nikolova, Board Member of Long-Term Infrastructure Investors Association and Director of Infrastructure Debt, Allianz Global Investors
• Chair: Petter Matthews, Executive Director, CoST and International Lead C20 IWG