The Solutions Lab – Scaling for Sustainable Infrastructure: Third Meeting “Milan Online”
Sustainable Infrastructure
The Solutions Lab recently reconvened for a series of online meetings from 30 June to 2 July under the bittersweet theme “Milan Online”. Bitter, because it reflects the reality that the world has been hit by a viral pandemic and global economic crisis in its wake which thwarted the community’s plan to meet in person in Milan. Sweet, because from digital break out corners to a virtual tour of the University of Bocconi’s zero emissions campus, participants from numerous time-zones demonstrated extraordinary commitment to using all digital means available to collaborate very fruitfully under difficult circumstances. What is more, Lab members have been at the forefront of policy debates on how investments in sustainable infrastructure can contribute to a much-needed Green Recovery.
At the heart of this third and nominally last Solutions Lab meeting stood work on outreach and scaling strategies in various workstreams that have been established over the last months, including on (1) upstream policy considerations and integrated planning approaches; (2) to improve application of meaningful sustainability standards at project and pipeline levels; to (3) work at the intersection of gender & infrastructure, (4) to mobilize new technologies and innovation for sustainability and (5) to jointly write several T20 Policy Briefs to be submitted to this year’s Saudi G20 presidency.
Please see the video below for an outtake of the Lab participants’ collaborative work on a common definition for Sustainable Infrastructure:
Outlook & Future of the Solutions Lab Community
As co-organizers of the Solutions Lab, the team at Emerging Markets Sustainability Dialogues (EMSD) of GIZ GmbH has been honoured to work with such a diverse and inspiring group of change makers, who are united in their passion for sustainable infrastructure and the belief that it is absolutely critical to deliver on the SDGs and Paris Agreement on Climate Change. This commitment is reflected not least in the community’s decision to continue their collaboration as a self-driven ‘community of practice’.
At EMSD, we will continue to facilitate the implementation of identified sustainable infrastructure solutions through GIZ’s bilateral portfolio across 120 countries. In addition, we will be holding several outreach events to share the outcomes of the Lab with a wide range of stakeholders, including select German Ministries and international financial organizations at the margins or the IMF/WBG Fall Meetings.
To learn more about the Solutions Lab and its participants, visit our Solutions Lab event page or contact Vanessa Bauer at: vanessa.bauer@giz.de.
