Climate change is already reshaping the way cities, regions and communities think about their future. From extreme heat and flooding to drought, water scarcity and other climate-related risks, the need to invest in adaptation and resilience has never been more pressing. 

But recognising the need for adaptation is only the beginning. Turning climate resilience plans into concrete projects requires resources, and securing those resources can be challenging. For many promising adaptation projects, the question is not whether they are needed, but whether they can demonstrate the value, viability, and investment potential needed to attract financing. 

This is the challenge that the CLIMINVEST project is addressing. 

Funded by the European Union under Horizon Europe, CLIMINVEST brings together climate adaptation, sustainability and investment perspectives to explore how adaptation solutions can become more attractive and accessible to finance. At its core is a simple but important idea: bankability should not be something considered at the end of the project. It should be built into the project from the beginning. 

Designing Adaptation With Investment In Mind

The concept of Bankability by Design (BbD) sits at the centre of the CLIMINVEST approach. When developing an adaptation project, technical feasibility is only one part of the equation. A project also needs to consider its business model, potential risks, co-benefits, local condition, scalability and the requirements of potential investors. Bringing these considerations together early can help identify barriers to financing while there is still time to address them. 

CLIMINVEST is therefore developing a framework and set of tools to help stakeholders consider bankability throughout the development of an adaptation project, rather than treating it as a final assessment. 

Projects do not remain static, however. Risks evolve, circumstances change and new information becomes available. Through its concepts of Continuous Bankability and Predictive Bankability, CLIMINVEST also aims to support stakeholders in monitoring investment potential over time and identifying potential challenges before they become significant barriers. 

From Promising Solutions To Investable Opportunities

Making an adaptation project bankable required a clear understanding of its risks, opportunities and wider value. CLIMINVEST is developing tools covering areas such as risk assessment, ESG considerations and bankability reporting, helping stakeholders better understand the factors that can influence investment potential. 

The project also looks beyond individual projects towards replication. A solution that works in one location may need to be adapted to different climate risks, infrastructure, regulations or local needs before it can be successfully transferred elsewhere. CLIMINVEST is developing tools to support this process and helping promising solutions reach new contexts. 

Connecting Solutions With Investment

For a project to move from development to implementation, the right connections are also essential. CLIMINVEST is therefore working towards a Marketplace for climate resilience solutions, supported by a wider stakeholder network. 

The aim is to bring together local and regional authorities, solution providers, investors, sustainability experts, researchers and policymakers, creating opportunities for knowledge exchange, matchmaking and collaboration around climate adaptation investment. 

Learning Through Real-World Application

CLIMINVEST is also putting its approaches into practice through real-world pilot activities. These pilots provide opportunities to test the tools, gather stakeholder feedback and identify how the approaches can be improved across different contexts. 

Alongside this, the project’s Learning Centre will provide training materials, multimedia resources and practical toolkits to help stakeholders better understand the relationship between climate adaptation, investment, risk and sustainability. 

Towards A More Investable Future For Climate Resilience

Climate adaptation is becoming increasingly urgent, but urgency alone does not guarantee investment. Solutions need to be credible, financially viable, understandable to investors and capable of being adapted to different contexts. 

CLIMINVEST is working to strengthen the connection between climate resilience and finance by bringing these considerations together throughout the investment journey. 

Its ambition is to help create a future in which climate adaptation is not viewed only as a necessity, but also an opportunity for investment, innovation and long-term value creation, making resilience more bankable, replicable, and scalable.