Financing sustainable development: Is fintech the solution, problem, or irrelevant?

Digitalization is far more than turning everything we know into ones and zeros. Gathering, moving, and using more data will make it faster and cheaper. This increased digitalization drives fundamental changes in business models, markets, and the design of physical infrastructure, and enables new policy and regulatory options. It covers a growing technological ecosystem, including artificial intelligence, the “internet of things,” blockchain, and cryptocurrencies, as well as the more basic but all important mobile payment platforms.

The Plan for Markets to Finance Chinese Sustainability

At China’s annual economic work conference last month, President Xi reiterated China’s commitment to being a world leader in green finance. Finding ways to use market mechanisms to help pay for the country’s ambitious program on environmental protection is essential to its success. To this end, nine Chinese ministries issued The Action Plan on Building A Market-oriented and Diversified Ecological Protection Compensation Mechanism (the Plan), as a road map for its intentions at the end of December.

Green bonds can promote economic growth for Egypt

Sustainability has taken another step forward in Egypt this month. On July 18, the Egyptian government announced a regulatory framework for the issuance of green bonds to promote sustainable development. The challenge, however, will be finding projects qualified for the “green” designation, especially since the definition of what constitutes a sustainable project is yet to be standardized in Egypt – or in most markets for that matter. And implementation and enforcement mechanisms for these standards are even less defined.

The U.S.-China Green Fund inaugurates the U.S.-China Green Baoye Smart Building Research Institute in Shanghai

The U.S.-China Green Baoye Smart Building Research Institute was inaugurated on January 26, 2018 by the U.S.-China Green Fund and Baoye Group. Basilinna was honored to have been represented by our President for China, Gracie Sun, who spoke at the event.

China’s green capacity challenge

Last month I was asked by my former employer, the Paulson Institute (PI), to write a paper on how to build out Chinese capacity in green finance. PI launched a new series of papers tackling a number of key issues that if addressed could unlock the potential of green finance – which could be a game changer in China’s war on pollution.

Greening the Belt and Road: opportunities for Egypt

Much has been made of China’s grand building plan for the Belt and Road Initiative, but little attention is focused on the “green” standards that China is proposing to receive this investment. Launched in 2013 by China’s President Xi Jinping, the B&R is a one-trillion-dollar plan to finance infrastructure investments spanning over 60 countries and covering three quarters of the world’s population.

Here's how to move ‘Green Finance’ further into China's mainstream

“We need to start moving [sustainability] out of the philanthropic world into the mainstream world of finance,” Deborah Lehr, the CEO and founding partner of Basilinna and vice chairman of The Paulson Institute, told the Fortune Global Forum in Guangzhou, China, on Thursday. To that end, green finance—the financing of investments that generate environmental benefits—is key.

Basilinna's President for China joins Hank Paulson at Tsinghua to Speak on B&R

The Paulson Institute and the Center for Finance and Development of Tsinghua University National Institute of Financial Research co-hosted a roundtable discussion on Belt & Road and Green Finance in Beijing, which is one of a series of roundtable discussions on green finance.

Paulson Institute co-convenes fourth meeting of greening the financial system

On October 12, the Paulson Institute and partners—the UN Environment Inquiry, the Institute of International Finance (IIF), the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association (SIFMA), the European Banking Federation (EBF), and Bloomberg Philanthropies—co-hosted the fourth meeting of the Greening the Financial System series in Washington DC.

China flexes its economic muscles to push green finance on the New Silk Road

China’s “Belt and Road Initiative” is likely to transform trading routes from Asia to Africa, the Middle East to Russia. With the world’s largest foreign reserves and a determination to build political and economic ties with strategically important governments, China is helping finance much-needed major infrastructure projects along the modern Silk Road.

China’s new carbon market: A spot but no trades

China’s ambitious plan to develop a nationwide carbon market is moving forward – but with a whimper, not a bang. The launch, now expected in late November, will cover just a small fraction of the existing carbon market, and for all intents and purposes, will be an exchange in name only.

International green finance forum

China is leading the pack to become the global leader in green finance. At the annual The International Green Finance Forum, held in Beijing on September 5, Yin Yong, Vice Governor of the People's Bank of China (PBOC) declared China as the first country to establish a “relatively complete” green finance policy, and that it will now promote these standards abroad.

The China Carbon Market Roundtable

China's plans to launch a unified carbon market later this year will create the largest experiment to date in carbon trading. While it will start on a small scale with possibly just the power sectorcovered, it will eventually cover the major polluting sectors in China.

Deborah Lehr speaks with Global Times on International Green Finance Forum

Deborah Lehr, Vice Chairman of the Paulson Institute and a key speaker at the forum, told the Global Times in an exclusive interview on Wednesday that the G20 Green Finance Study Group has helped elevate on green finance.

Greening the financial system: Enhancing competitiveness through economic development

Investment in green finance is surging making it a matter of competitiveness for companies and countries. Last year, total investment in green bonds nearly topped $600 billion, more than double the value of the previous year.

Why successful global green finance is all about the color of private money

As leaders in the global financial community gathered in Washington for the annual IMF/World Bank meetings, the hottest ticket in town was for a technical discussion on green finance.

Greening the financial system: From momentum to transformation

In the midst of the International Monetary Fund/World Bank fall meetings, international and U.S. experts convened for the “Greening the Financial System: From Momentum to Transformation” conference on October 7th, 2016 in Washington, DC.

How to raise trillions for green investments

Saving our planet from the worst effects of climate change won’t be cheap. A new report from the United Nations says that the world will need to mobilize $90 trillion in public and private capital over the next 15 years.

Basilinna congratulates member countries for adding Green Finance to G20 agenda

Basilinna congratulates on the G20 member countries for the bold move of including green finance as a integral part of the final Communique of their meeting in Hangzhou, China in September 2016.

China's Green Finance Initiative presents opportunities for global investors

For three decades, China's growth was fueled by government investment and exports of manufactured goods, but rapid growth and urbanization created serious environmental problems.

China Clean Technology

Building energy efficiency and green development fund launches first projects

Beijing—The Paulson Institute joined the Office of the Central Leading Group for Financial and Economic Affairs on June 16 to witness the signing of the first letters of intent for projects to receive funding from the Building Energy Efficiency and Green Development Fund.

Green finance: A strategic imperative for China

With last month’s high-profile signing ceremony of the Paris Agreement by 174 countries at the United Nations, the complicated process to turn these historic commitments on climate change into reality has begun. Yet away from the cameras, the more difficult process of financing implementation of these commitments is getting a boost from what may seem an unlikely source: the Chinese government.

For China, Green Finance is a strategic imperative

With last month’s high-profile signing ceremony of the Paris Agreement by 174 countries at the United Nations, the complicated process to turn these historic commitments on climate change into reality has begun. Yet away from the cameras, the more difficult process of financing implementation of these commitments is getting a boost from what may seem an unlikely source: the Chinese government.

China said to expand green fund

China and the U.S. are bulking up the size and scope of a fund created to finance green projects to about $3 billion, according to two people familiar with the decision. The capital boost will increase the fund’s size by 50 percent from $2 billion and broaden its investment mandate to green projects beyond just improving the energy efficiency of buildings, said the people, who asked not be identified because the information isn’t public.

Xi’s green teams fight for the environment

Chinese President Xi Jinping was an unexpected savior of the historic Paris Climate Summit last December. He offered far reaching Chinese commitments to reduce carbon emissions, and also provided necessary political momentum to finalize the difficult international negotiations.

Green Finance symposium explores financial mechanisms to promote low-carbon global economic growth

Washington, DC—The Paulson Institute and the Green Finance Committee of China Society for Finance and Banking convened a half-day symposium of global finance leaders and experts to discuss recommendations for the development of robust global green finance mechanisms and markets.

COP21: Cities of the future - innovation and sustainable urbanization in China

COP21: Cities of the future - innovation and sustainable urbanization in China.

Green bonds take root in China

China is set to become a hotbed for the $100-­billion market in bonds tied to environmentally friendly investments as authorities and developers seek alternatives to loans for funding a shift to clean energy supplies.

China to boost $100 billion green bond market for renewables

China is set to become a hotbed for the $100 billion market in bonds tied to environmentally-friendly investments as authorities and developers seek alternatives to loans for funding a transformation to clean energy supplies.

How cleaning up China's environment can also be good for its economy

China's 13th five-year plan, due for release in 2016, will reportedly include the most ambitious environmental reform agenda attempted in history. A study by Goldman Sachs predicts that, as a result, the Chinese environmental market could be a multibillion-dollar opportunity.

Building a “Sustainable Eco-Edge District” outside Beijing

China’s mayors are on the front lines of the country’s ambitious drive to move more than 100 million people into cities over the next six years. Their challenge is to try to make sure that those people will have a cleaner environment and more livable communities.

Green building solutions for energy efficiency

Increase the role of market forces: Reform of resource pricing in the energy sector will ensure more efficient supply and demand of energy. Use data more effectively: Tracking energy use would allow governments, building owners, utility companies and users to regulate their behavior in a more cost-effective manner.

Solutions to carbon reduction are within China's reach

At November’s Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation meeting, the world’s two biggest carbon players - the United States and China – signed an important agreement to reach specific carbon reduction targets by 2025 and 2030, respectively.