The role of finance in climate change adaptation and mitigation strategies is undisputed.
On the one hand, most vulnerable countries are fighting for developed nations commitments on climate financing for adaptation and discussing liability and compensation for “loss and damage” caused by massive floods, devastating wildfires, and rising seas; on the other hand, in Europe, new technical criteria are defining activities that contribute substantially to climate change mitigation and adaptation, opening new opportunities for innovation regarding green assets financing.
In both contexts, Earth observation can play a role.
The finance theme will be one of those on stage at next year’s Living Planet Symposium, one of the largest events worldwide dedicated to Earth observation.
You are invited to submit an abstract (deadline 26 November 2021) to gain the opportunity to be a speaker in the dedicated session at the symposium.
You may like to join the discussion on emerging concepts that combine FinTech/DeFi innovation, EO and GNSS, and end-to-end orchestration of different technologies to collect data about natural objects, their identities, and their entire life-cycle in order to optimise industrial operations and build completely novel investment instruments; or to address challenges and opportunities for EO in innovative risk financing solutions for climate shocks and other complex risks.
Any of the following two sessions might be the most relevant for you:
E1.01 When FinTech meets Nature - linking green assets with innovation in financial and digital ecosystems
The introduction of EC-regulated Taxonomy on Sustainable Finance (EU Delegated Act on EU Taxonomy Regulation adopted in June 2020) will drive the definition of the investments that can be considered environmentally sustainable, and in line with European Green Deal. It will also open up new opportunities for the technological innovation regarding green assets financing, as well as elaboration of new financial instruments that will intrinsically rely on the use of data and ICT systems for monitoring, and reporting of compliance.
On this wave, a growing number of private (and public) sector entities looks for opportunities to respond to the market that is interested in solutions that allow for better, faster and more reliable way to channel financial resources to “green projects”. They are aiming to disrupt markets that currently incentivise environmental degradation by introducing a new class of financial assets that are linked to ecological performance of investments, climate mitigation strategies, carbon credits generation or green/blue infrastructures that perform certain ecosystem services. These innovative concepts are spearheaded by emerging climate and eco-finance industry and were developed on the cross point of FinTech, DeFi (decentralised finance), and sustainable finance whose objective is to provide investment opportunities, financial liquidity and risk management strategies to attract new participants to green and digital finance.
This session will be dedicated to the presentation of these emerging concepts that combine FinTech/DeFi innovation, EO and GNSS and end-to-end orchestration of different technologies to collect data about natural objects, their identities, and their entire life-cycle in order to optimise industrial operations and build completely novel investment instruments.
Convenors: Anna Burzykowska (ESA)
D1.03 Satellite EO for Disaster Risk Transfer & Insurance
The EO for Disaster Risk Transfer session is looking at embedding observations in decision making solutions for Ministries of Finance in developing countries and the insurance sector. Stakeholders, such as IFIs, and users have defined needs and integrating satellite EO and catastrophe modelling can help transfer risks with financial instruments and the Sentinel missions of the Copernicus programme have a potential to be fully exploited. The session is addressing challenges and opportunities for the EO sector.
Convenors: Philippe Bally (ESA)
The Living Planet Symposia bring together scientists and researchers from all over the world to present and discuss the latest findings on Earth science and advances in Earth observation technologies. Moreover, these extraordinary events also offer unique forums for decision-makers to be better equipped with information, for partnerships to be forged and formalised, for space industries to join the conversation, for students to learn, and for all to explore the concepts of New Space such as the digital transformation and commercialisation.
