Climate Policy Initiative (CPI)

CPI’s mission is to help nations grow while addressing increasingly scarce resources and climate risk.They work to improve the most important energy and land use policies and business practices around the world, with a particular focus on finance. Their analysts and advisors support decision makers through in-depth analysis on what works and what does not. They work in places that provide the most potential for policy impact, including Brazil, China, Europe, India, Indonesia, and the United States. Their services include advisory and convening, analysis and assessments, and design and implementation of new solutions. Research Areas Climate Finance They ensure economic growth in the face of increasingly scarce natural resources and climate instability..CPI has deep expertise in finance, and navigates the financial aspects of energy, land use, and climate policies.CPI’s climate finance program conducts the most comprehensive mapping of climate finance flows available and convenes public and private stakeholders to design and implement innovative financial instruments through The Global Innovation Lab for Climate Finance. They also work with governments, companies, investors, and foundations around the world to assess, test, and replicate their policies, programs, and investments to ensure that resources are spent as effectively as possible. Energy Finance CPI’s energy finance program works with governments, utilities, companies, banks, investors, and foundations around the world to understand the true cost of the transition to a low-carbon energy system, to evaluate and improve policy, and to design new financial vehicles that can lower costs and align investment returns from low-carbon energy assets with investors’ needs. These actions can maximize the financial benefits of transitioning to a low-carbon energy system while minimizing the cost to public budgets and private balance sheets. Key Projects Exploring how the potential stranding of fossil fuel assets will affect different countries and regions and how policies can help reduce the cost of transition to low-carbon energy. They work on the transition to low-carbon electricity looks at how to scale up renewable energy through adjustments to current models of electricity generation, transmission, delivery, and finance. Their analysis shows that creative policy solutions could reduce the cost of renewable energy support by as much as 30% in developing countries. They assessed and quantified the potential for expanding institutional investment in renewable energy through direct investment, corporate investment, and pooled investment vehicles taking into account policy, financial and regulatory barriers. Their case studies on large-scale renewable electricity generation projects in the United States and Europe evaluated how policy affects project economics, as well as the cost and availability of financing. Land Use A growing population and middle class mean it’s more important than ever to use land and natural resources efficiently. To meet the world’s needs, they must improve agricultural productivity while avoiding expansion into carbon-rich areas like forests.Their approach of Production & Protection aims to help nations achieve low-carbon economic growth. They identify and assess opportunities to improve land use efficiency and increase productivity of land while simultaneously protecting forests’ vital carbon stocks. CPI is working with the Ministry of Environment in Brazil, the Ministry of Finance in Indonesia, and other decision makers to support a Production & Protection strategy.