India International Climate and Energy Transition Finance Forum

The Wheeler Institute welcomes The Climate and Energy Transition Finance Initiative (CETFI), in partnership with London Stock Exchange to London Business School on Wednesday 25th September, to discuss new approaches to climate finance and leadership from the Global South, starting with India.

The latest event in the Wheeler Institute Climate Initiative will include public release of “New Approaches to Climate Finance: Models for Global South” Report along with a panel discussion from 17:00 featuring experts from private and public sectors, including: U.K. Sinha (Former Chairperson, SEBI, current Chairman, NDTV); Conrad Sangma (Chief Minister, Meghalaya); and Sanmit Ahuja (Board Member, cGanga). The session will be moderated by Narayan Naik (Professor of Finance at London Business School).

According to the most recent estimates the world will have to spend almost USD 200 trillion between now and 2050 to address the climate change challenge. These investments are needed to develop products and services that help to reduce emissions and support generation of renewable energy, clean water, green transport, waste management, carbon credits and so on. Achieving this will require inordinate levels of commitment from all stakeholders and find pathways to pull together in one direction.

The world cannot afford to leave the climate finance conundrum in a state of flux. Relying on current institutional structures will offer support incremental progress when a quantum leap is the urgent need of the hour. A new paradigm is needed – one led by nations of the Global South, not in opposition to the Global North, but by finding new ways of collaboration and introducing dimensions not yet fully exploited.

Collectively, the Global South offers a significant market size for both selling technology and deploying capital. By enhancing the capacity of emerging markets to absorb global high finance, such as Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and Foreign Institutional Investment (FII)/ Foreign Portfolio Investment (FPI), substantial growth can be achieved.

Emerging markets can play a pivotal role in reorienting global supply chains, making technology diffusion more affordable and faster. Additionally, developing energy markets in the Global South, particularly through structures that promote a greater share of renewables in the energy mix, will trigger a beneficial chain reaction. These efforts will yield significant dividends by accelerating the decarbonisation of Southern nations. Furthermore, economies of scale will reduce technology costs, creating a positive feedback loop that benefits the entire world.

To achieve these goals, it is essential to establish a dedicated climate finance collective that enhances the flow of knowledge among nations of the Global South. This collective operates under the Climate and Energy Transition Initiative (CETFI), a multi-stakeholder platform that not only creates innovative financial structures to drive this paradigm shift but also accelerates it through the implementation of high impact pathbreaking projects across the Global South.

The concept of CETFI was initiated in India in September 2023 through a series of workshops and over 100 dialogues with experts from India and around the world. The initiative culminated in the Climate and Energy Transition Finance Summit (CETFiS), which provided a pivotal platform for the launch of the program that will expand globally.

Join us on Wednesday 25th September to find out more about new approaches to global climate finance and discover your role in the process.

Host or Publisher Wheeler Institute for Business and Development / The Africa Club