The 8th meeting of the Roundtable on Financing Water was a thematic meeting focused on Climate Action.

Mobilising finance and investment is central to accelerating the transition to net zero carbon emissions and to strengthening climate resilience. The Paris Agreement recognises that reaching these goals depends on “making finance flows consistent with a pathway towards low greenhouse gas emissions (and climate-resilient) development” (Article 2.1c). Investments that contribute to water security can make key contributions to climate action by supporting adaptation and resilience as well as mitigation.

In the lead up to the UNFCCC COP 26, this thematic meeting of the Roundtable on Financing Water focused on driving climate action was organised in partnership with the U.S. Government including the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). It supported the OECD’s broader work on financing water and climate action as well as the strategic priorities of the US Global Water Strategy.

Aim of ‌the Roundtable on Financing Water 

The Roundtable on Financing Water is a joint initiative of the OECD, the Netherlands, the World Water Council and the World Bank. The Roundtable provides a global public - private platform drawing upon political leadership and technical expertise, with the ambition of facilitating increased financing of investments that contribute to water security and sustainable growth. 

The Roundtable engages a diversity of actors – governments and regulators in developed, emerging and developing economies, private financiers (e.g. institutional investors, commercial banks, asset managers, impact investors), development financing institutions, bi-lateral donors, international organisations, academia and civil society organisations – focused on finding novel ideas and solutions.

Video Recordings

Presentations

• Roger Pulwarty, Senior Scientist, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), United States
• Dr Yongdeok Cho, Executive Director, Asia Water Council, K-Water, Korea (on financing the Tina River Hydropower Project in the Solomon islands, K-Water & Green Climate Fund)
  
  

 Session Background papers 

• OECD (2021) Session 1, The interlinkages between water security and climate action.
• OECD (2021) Session 2, Aligning and scaling up financing flows for water security and climate action.
• OECD (2021) Session 3, Watered down? Investigating the financial materiality of water-related risks in the financial system.
• OECD (2021) Session 4, Climate resilient investments in water security: Contributing to women’s empowerment and environmental justice.
  
  

 Other Background material 

• World Bank (2019), Women in Water Utilities : Breaking Barriers
• Equal Aqua: Inclusive Water Institutions Platform