3rd Roundtable Exchange on Integrating Adaptation into Infrastructure Pathways 

Event Description:
With support of the Ministry of the Infrastructure and Water Management of the Netherlands, the Global Center on Adaptation China Office will collaborate with the Climate Change Department of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment of China and the Chinese National Center for Climate Change Strategy and International Cooperation to conduct a series of knowledge exchange activities on climate-resilient infrastructure, with an objective of facilitating the exchange of knowledge and experience in, and practical guidance on integrating climate resilience and adaptation into the entire infrastructure life cycle: from planning and design, financing and construction, to operation and maintenance, and decommissioning. These knowledge exchange activities include: 

• A series of three technical roundtables among experts from China and the Netherlands. 
• A case study report drawing upon experiences from the two countries on climate-resilient infrastructure; and 
• A culminative, high-level dialogue with senior governmental officials from China and the Netherlands. 

The knowledge exchange will facilitate discussions on themes critical to the integration of climate resilience into infrastructure pathways, including, among others: 

• Institutional strategies to ensure cross-sectoral coordination for the planning and implementation within government agencies. 
• Technical approaches to climate-resilient infrastructure, including engineering solutions, monitoring and early warning, data analytics and modelling as well as nature-based solutions to integrating “natural” and “green” infrastructure into “grey” infrastructure; and 
• Financing instruments and tools including results-based incentives and public-private partnerships. 

This roundtable is the third in the series, where the Dutch and Chinese experts will share insights and practical experience in finance for climate-resilient infrastructure, providing perspectives and framings for good practices to be featured in the case study report. 

Facilitator 
Xianfu Lu, Project Senior Advisor, GCA 
 
Participants 
The Netherlands: 

• Wim Leendertse, Professor, Management in Infrastructure Planning, Faculty of Spatial Sciences, University of Groningen, the Netherlands 
• Joël van der Beek, Economist, Directorate-General for Public Works and Water Management, Rijkswaterstaat, the Netherlands 
• Lizette Hemmen, I&W/DGMO, Senior Policy Advisor, Road Renewal & Renovation Projects and Climate Adaptation, Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management, the Netherlands 
• Herman Jan Wijnants, Coordinator Energy and Climate Change, Rijkswaterstaat, the Netherlands 

China:

• Hou Fang, Deputy Director of the Cooperation and Exchange Division of the Department of Climate Change, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, China 
• Cao Ying, Deputy Director/Researcher, Policy& Regulation Department, National Center for Climate Change Strategy and International Cooperation, China 
• Cui Ying, Vice President/Associate Professor, Central University of Finance and Economics 
• Xiang Fei, Director, the Business

GCA project team:

• Aiping Chen, Regional Director, GCA China 
• Xuefei Liu, Senior Infrastructure Program Officer, GCA 
• Jingjing Dai, Program Officer, GCA China 
• Camilo Benitez, Project Advisor, GCA 

Agenda:
Opening & Introductions (10 min.):

• Short remarks by Hou Fang, Deputy Director of the Cooperation and Exchange Division of the Department of Climate Change, Ministry of Ecology and Environment of China;  
• Project background introduction by GCA 
• Climate-resilient infrastructure valuation – the Physical Climate Risk Assessment Framework (PCRAM) of the Coalition for Climate-Resilient Investment (CCRI).  
• Innovative financing instruments (e.g., capital market mechanisms such as resilience bonds, green/blue bonds) 
• Public-private partnerships.  
• Other climate resilience finance tools (e.g., results-based contracts/public procurement) 

International perspectives (30 min.):
To help set the scene, two short presentations will introduce some of the emerging development globally around analytics and innovative financing tools that facilitate the mobilization of finance for climate-resilient infrastructure:    

• Climate-resilient infrastructure valuation – the Physical Climate Risk Assessment Framework (PCRAM) of the Coalition for Climate-Resilient Investment (CCRI).  

• Innovative financing instruments (e.g., capital market mechanisms such as resilience bonds, green/blue bonds) 
• Public-private partnerships.  
• Other climate resilience finance tools (e.g., results-based contracts/public procurement) 

Open discussion (30 min.):
This segment offers an opportunity for participants to pose questions and further explore critical issues including those raised during the presentations. Time permitting, experts could be invited to reflect on: 

• Innovative financing instruments (e.g., capital market mechanisms such as resilience bonds, green/blue bonds) 
• Public-private partnerships.  
• Other climate resilience finance tools (e.g., results-based contracts/public procurement) 

Summary takeaways & Closing (10 min.)