I really enjoyed chatting with Aarth Saraph at the Future of Utilities: Energy Transition event. Aarth works in the Finance Unit of the United Nations Environment Programme where his team is doing something genuinely important - using public finance strategically derisk the financing gap and bring in private investment for sustainable energy projects.
Aarth made a good point - it’s not always that the money isn’t there, it’s the barriers that stand in the way, whether that’s perceived risk, technical hurdles, or financial obstacles that stop investment flowing.
Through initiatives like the 3DEN Initiative, Aarth and his team are working to de-risk climate projects and bring proven clean energy technologies from cities like Zurich and Copenhagen to emerging markets like Bogota and New Delhi - building a bridge to enable the innovative solutions needed to deliver on the energy transition.