Building structural frameworks to derisk PPP projects across the world

In our recent event “SOURCE and Green Cities: Turning Infrastructure Plans into Investable Opportunities,” hosted by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the Sustainable Infrastructure Foundation (SIF), we explored how stronger project preparation, clearer pipelines, and effective risk allocation can help translate infrastructure ambition into bankable, investable opportunities.

Speakers from the EBRD and SIF drove home the point that infrastructure capital today is multiregional— raised by investors around the world and deployed across global markets. This reality challenges prevailing narratives of isolation, deglobalisation, and fragmentation.

However, while infrastructure capital is theoretically mobile, in practice, it gravitates toward markets where projects are most bankable, regulatory frameworks are clear, policy continuity is strong, revenue models are reliable, and market depth exists. As a result, capital continues to concentrate primarily in developed economies, despite the greatest infrastructure needs lying elsewhere; Asia, for example, is among the regions most exposed to climate risk and requires an estimated USD 1.5–2.5 trillion in annual investment through the 2030s to close its infrastructure gap. Investment requirements across the Americas and Europe also run into the hundreds of billions, if not trillions, of dollars. The scale of the global infrastructure investment gap remains immense.

The Sustainable Infrastructure Foundation’s CEO, Christophe Dossarps put this issue in context during our event, presenting SOURCE: the foundation’s digital platform designed to help governments around the world build clear and investable pipelines of bankable projects. Mr Dossarps walked participants through the platform, demonstrating how SOURCE enhances transparency, standardises documentation, and supports governments in developing credible project pipelines. He illustrated its value proposition for both public authorities and investors, including its application in markets such as Brazil, where clearer pipelines are critical to attracting long-term capital.

Similarly, Matthew Jordan-Tank, Director of Sustainable Infrastructure Policy and Project Preparation at EBRD shared the Bank’s approach to mobilising private capital for sustainable infrastructure. He highlighted the importance of robust policy frameworks and project preparation in creating the conditions investors require. Maya Almog, Green Cities Associate, introduced EBRD’s Green Cities initiative, which works with municipalities to identify, prioritise, and implement environmental investments that improve urban sustainability and resilience. Idil Altineyeleklioglu, from the Debt Mobilisation team at the EBRD followed up by explaining how structured financing solutions are supporting the deployment of Green Cities projects across multiple markets in Eastern Europe, Asia and North Africa.

Our event demonstrates the importance of the work of EBRD and SIF. By strengthening project preparation, standardising documentation, improving transparency, and allocating risk more effectively, they are not merely supporting individual projects—they are building the institutional memory and structural frameworks that capital requires. Bridging the global pool of infrastructure capital with local investment needs will depend on continued collaboration between development institutions, governments, and investors.

Want to get involved with our Sustainability Working Group? Contact our Senior Policy & Research Manager, Vlad Benn.