Climate Investor Two

The water cycle is one of the most important parts of the global climate crisis – when managed improperly untreated wastewater can be a source of carbon emissions; while coastal ecosystems can act as powerful ‘carbon sinks’. The imbalance between the water cycle and the climate is threatening many livelihoods, as growing economies and populations are reducing freshwater availability.  The World Health Organization estimates that there are 750 million people with no access to clean water, and 2.5 billion people lacking access to proper sanitation. Inadequate water and sanitation infrastructure are estimated to be related to 80 per cent of all illnesses in the developing world. In total, the World Bank estimates that by 2050, water shortages caused by climate change could reduce the GDP of developing countries in Asia by USD 4.4 trillion and developing countries in Africa by USD 1.6 trillion.  

Climate Investor Two (CI2) is a fund that aims to support the private sector to develop and construct climate-resilient infrastructure projects in developing countries in the water, sanitation, and ocean sectors – areas which usually do not attract interest from the private sector. The targeted investments under the fund will reduce the effects and consequences of climate change by decreasing greenhouse gas emissions and by increasing the resilience of vulnerable communities. For instance, in the water sector, CI2 will help countries, undergoing, or expected to undergo water stress, adapt to climate change by building infrastructure which sources, transports, and treats the water necessary for both municipal and industrial users. This is GCF’s first at-scale private sector programme in the water sector.