Building a Public-Private Partnership to Finance the Green Economy

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• published: 08 Apr 2016
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Moderator: Steve Cohen, Executive Director, The Earth Institute; Professor in the Practice of Public Affairs, School of International and Public Affairs, Columbia University; Panelists: Jessica Bailey, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Greenworks Lending; Satyajit Bose, Lecturer in Economics, School of Professional Studies, Columbia University; Curtis Probst, Managing Director, Sustainable Finance, Rocky Mountain Institute The Earth Institute presents "Building a Public-Private Partnership to Finance the Green Economy," a panel discussion with Moderator: Steve Cohen, Executive Director, The Earth Institute; Professor in the Practice of Public Affairs, School of International and Public Affairs, Columbia University Panelists: Jessica Bailey, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Greenworks Lending; Satyajit Bose, Lecturer in Economics, School of Professional Studies, Columbia University Curtis Probst, Managing Director, Sustainable Finance, Rocky Mountain Institute It was once assumed that investing in environmentally friendly companies meant accepting higher risk or lower returns, but that is no longer the case. As investors become more aware of climate and sustainability risks, financial markets are shifting in response. One in every six dollars invested in the United States is screened for environmental, social or governance factors, and the proportion is rising. Green investment strategies – whether that means investing in mature businesses with optimized environmental footprints or in new business models arising from the demand for sustainable products – are gaining traction. This panel brings together a diverse array of professionals to discuss the emerging trends and challenges in the green investment world. It will focus especially on the role that public policy can play in encouraging and facilitating green investment. What are the policy tools, incentives, guarantees and other mechanisms that steer green investment effectively? How do you leverage public dollars to unlock private finance for green growth? Panelists will examine the extent to which green companies rely on government subsidies or tax incentives, and discuss how sustainable investing can help provide the capital to scale clean energy technology needed for a sustainable economy.