Swiss urban infrastructure foundation
Global Infrastructure Basel Foundation (GIB) is an independent, not-for-profit foundation under Swiss law active in the field of sustainable urban infrastructure.[1] The CEO of GIB is Louis Downing.[2]
Activities
GIB supports various stakeholders such as governments, banks, and cities, in the designing, implementing, and financing of infrastructure projects at all stages of the project cycle.[3] Currently, the foundation particularly works on:
- The SuRe Standard – The Standard for Sustainable and Resilient Infrastructure:[4] a global voluntary ISEAL standard,[5] developed in cooperation with the French bank Natixis that integrates key criteria of sustainability and resilience into infrastructure development and upgrade;[6]
- a Resilience and Sustainability Credit Rating;[7]
- Capacity building services to enable infrastructure developers, financiers, and public sector actors to develop the skills and knowledge necessary to create green infrastructure;[8] and
- consultancy and tailored services to municipalities and their stakeholders.[9]
GIB also organizes the GIB Sustainable Infrastructure Summit and is regularly asked to provide input at sustainable infrastructure events.[10]
GIB has also developed the SmartScan, an infrastructure self- assessment tool that provides a rapid assessment of an infrastructure project against sustainability and resilience criteria covering Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) issues.[11]
Publications
GIB and UNEP Inquiry have partnered to publish the often-cited working paper "Sustainable Infrastructure and Finance" (published 2016).[12] In August 2016, GIB and the UN Global Compact Cities Programme signed a Memorandum of Understanding with a view to developing synergies and collaboration as well as sharing knowledge and expertise on a range of topics.[13]
Organisational affiliations
GIB is supported by the Swiss Government[14] and many other partners,[15] such as WWF, ICLEI and the European Investment Bank.
GIB is an Observer of the Green Bond Principles.[16]
Since 2016, GIB is member of the Steering Committee of the Cities Climate Finance Leadership Alliance (CCFLA), which was launched at the United Nations Secretary-General's Climate Summit in September 2014.[17]
References