Author: Rebecca Jones

GIIA’s recent webinar, Digital Infrastructure – The Hidden Costs & Challenges for Investors, looked at the digital infrastructure market trends and outlook, with a particular focus on the European ‘Digital Decade’ and digital targets that are in place for 2030. The Deloitte panelists looked at the operations and technical challenges and the role of digital infrastructure in reaching the 2050 NetZero targets and wider ESG problems and solutions. Experts from Simpson Thacher & Bartlett, KKR and Brookfield discussed regulatory and legal challenges facing the sector as well as wider decision making considerations from an investor viewpoint.

A full recording of the webinar is available here.

GIIA is grateful to our expert panelists for this event, including:

Amy Mahon, Partner, Simpson Thacher & Bartlett
Priya Veerapen, Director –  Infrastructure Debt and Capital Advisory, Deloitte
George Budden, Partner for Merger Integration and Separation, Deloitte
Mike Barber, Partner, Risk Advisory, Deloitte
Cristina Gonzalez, Managing Director, KKR & Co.
Sikander Rashid, Managing Partner, Investments, Brookfield Asset Management

 For more information about upcoming GIIA events please visit www.giia.net/events 

 

GIIA members are currently responsible for well over £200bn in infrastructure assets under management in the UK and GIIA’s recent report with PwC found that over £400bn of further investment will be needed over the next ten years to achieve the UK Government’s net zero targets – double the current rate.

With that in mind, yesterday (Wednesday 26th May) Lawrence Slade, gave evidence to the House of Commons International Trade Select Committee as part of their inquiry into inward foreign direct investment in the UK, making the case that the UK’s new National Security Regime, enacted in the recent National Security and Investment Act, needs to be applied in a way that doesn’t deter much needed private investment in UK infrastructure.

During the evidence session, Lawrence landed key points around the need for the process to be streamlined for investors with a strong track record of responsible investment; the role that DIT and the Office for Investment can play in coordinating across departments; and the need for the Investment Security Unit in BEIS to be sufficiently well resourced to ensure that notifications are processed promptly and that only cases which raise genuine national security concerns are subjected to a detailed national security assessment.

A recording of the session is available on UK Parliament TV available here, and GIIA’s original submission to the committee is available here.