Articles

The circular economy is now core policy for a growing number of countries with leadership from Finland, the European Union and Canada, but it is also taking a strong hold in Asia as Japan and China implement circular economic policies to transition them to a sustainable inclusive future.

In this blog, Svetlana and Roberto discuss the major cross-border projects currently being planned and delivered with Russia’s involvement, and the importance of comprehensive quality assessment in delivering these projects. Their discussion practically illustrates several elements of successful cross-border project delivery that are detailed in the GI Hub’s cross-border reference guide, Connectivity Across Border.

While the infrastructure financing gap is huge, one of the main constraints to infrastructure development is not a lack of finance, but instead, a lack of well-prepared, bankable infrastructure projects.

This article reviews five economic shocks that are worsening the bankability of new infrastructure projects, and eight approaches to improve bankability and get projects off the ground.

Policy and regulatory implications of recent advances in the benchmarking of infrastructure investments.

Risks can be hard to define, manage and mitigate. In infrastructure projects that cross regional or national borders and involve multiple parties from both the public and private sector, these risks may be amplified.

Given its share of greenhouse gas emissions, infrastructure needs to be decarbonised as part of the long-term transition to net zero and the limitation of global warming to 1.5%.

The participants of the second Regional Roundtable on Infrastructure Governance held in Côte D’Ivoire last week reinforced the need for good governance across all stages of infrastructure delivery. The Regional Roundtable was the second of its kind, with the first held in South Africa in November 2017.

As stimulus spending ramps up, a ten-year trend study shows private investment in new infrastructure has declined since 2010.

Equity and debt performance show that infrastructure as an asset class provides attractive and resilient returns for investors and unlisted infrastructure equities generated the highest returns and risk-adjusted returns.

The infrastructure supply gap is significant, but by focusing on four key deliverables, the G20 can support and establish new, technology-based critical networks that would be resilient in future crises.

When we as consumers decide to invest our money—whether through shares, bonds, or other instruments—we look at whether our investment will deliver a solid financial return. It makes sense then that the same risk-return principle is applied to investments in infrastructure.

What role should an Infrastructure Commission play in Northern Ireland? Could it help build a pathway to net zero? And what signal would it give to the private sector? GI Hub speaks to Kirsty McManus and Richard Johnson of Northern Ireland's Ministerial Advisory Panel on Infrastructure for answers on these questions and more.

Talk of trade tariffs and heightened geopolitical tensions are dominating news headlines recently. As developed economies consider escalating protectionist policies, it’s easy to forget about the situation many emerging markets face.

How sustainable infrastructure is a key enabler of the transition to a low-carbon economy and an important driver of resilient, inclusive growth

In 2018, after 3 years of droughts, the city of Cape Town in South Africa faced severe water shortages. Dam reservoir capacity had dropped to critical levels and the city was fast approaching “Day Zero” of no water availability. Desalination, new dams, strict water usage limits – all solutions were on the table. Solving the water crisis in Cape Town required a variety of activities, including gray infrastructure, behavioral change, pricing changes, and a massive communications campaign. Among all these approaches, one important contribution was surprising: the removal of invasive plant species.

Infrastructure can often be used as a pawn in the political chess game, not only at a federal level between political parties, but at a foreign policy level too. It’s crucial that a cross-border infrastructure project has political support and cooperation from all parties involved, and that it’s being supported not for political gain, but to further regional development. A lack of strong political leadership can be detrimental to a cross-border project, and weak capacity can be a deterrent to investors.

As outlined earlier in this blog series, private investors are looking for reliable returns to justify the risks that they are taking. Financing and procurement of cross-border projects will often be more complex than national projects due to the scale of the project and compounded risks, and the financial returns may be more uncertain than for national projects.