The world’s green energy transition is potentially under threat, as the financial era of rising interest rates is making some projects unaffordable. Estimates suggest that Europe must now find an additional €163 billion to reach net zero by 2050, with figures likely to be similar elsewhere in the world. Sharply higher interest rates have further stressed a model strained by soaring prices for raw materials, higher borrowing costs and investors’ increased risk perception. All this threatens to increase the cost of capital and with potential returns being recalculated, fundraising and M&A processes are also slowing down.

• The cost of financing clean energy in the new high-interest rate, high inflation environment and impact on debt and refinancing of projects?
• How are initiatives such as RENEWFM in EU and the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) in USA affecting a much slower private equity investment in alternative energy technology?
• Debt opportunities in an increasingly competitive lending market; the green infrastructure debt brand
• Are higher energy prices translating into more generous PPAs? Or is this hitting offtakers’ creditworthiness and increasing counter-party risk for lenders?
• Which renewable sectors are attracting more interest from institutional investors? Will this mean a race to become mainstream for investors?