Frankfurt School – UNEP Collaborating Centre for Climate & Sustainable Energy Finance

The vision of the Frankfurt School - UNEP Collaborating Centre for Climate & Sustainable Energy Finance (the Centre) is to advance transformation to resilient low-carbon and resource-efficient economies by attracting new types of investors, in particular catalysing the financing of clean energy by the private sector, which has a pivotal role to play. The Centre’s work is designed to encourage and assist the finance community to scale-up current investment, or to take the first steps into new markets.

A key part of this process is to enable the public sector to put in place policies, regulations and initiatives that overcome existing or perceived investment risks and other barriers seen by the private sector due to unfamiliarity with clean energy initiatives, particularly in developing countries. It aims to bring together demand and supply of climate financing by promoting smart financing structures and mechanisms. Understanding what drives investors and financiers, and the barriers they face, is crucial to improving public-private interaction in climate finance.

The Centre combines in-depth knowledge of financing markets, particularly in developing countries, with extensive skills for the design of appropriate financial mechanisms and contractual arrangements for financiers under local conditions. It acts as a moderator between the public and private sectors, developing and developed countries, high-level climate policy negotiators and on-the-ground project developers, thereby bringing together the demand for financing with those able to supply it.