Financing the energy transition: trends, risks, and investor appetite

Financing remains one of the greatest barriers to scaling the energy transition. As global capital seeks stable, long-term returns, the challenge is to create financial frameworks that can de-risk projects, attract private investment, and deliver at the pace required. Traditional approaches — from government-backed incentives to public–private partnerships — continue to play a role, but questions remain over whether they’re still fit for purpose in today’s fast-evolving market. At the same time, new tools such as blended finance, transition funds, export credit, and sovereign guarantees are emerging, with varying degrees of success.

This session will bring together investors, financiers, and industry leaders to:
- Assess the evolving financial landscape for clean energy investment — from public incentives to private capital markets.
- Reflect on lessons learned from existing models (such as CfDs and PPAs) — are they keeping pace with new market realities?
- Examine how investors are viewing and pricing risk across different technologies and geographies.
- Discuss what a fair balance of risk and return looks like between developers, financiers, and governments — and how to unlock capital at scale.

Confirmed:
- Marc Schmitz, managing director, Rabobank
- Maria Balyasna, associate director, Amberside Advisors
- Cecilia Tam, head of energy investment unit, International Energy Agency
- Joachim Koefoed, head of public affairs, Denmark & EU, Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners

Moderator: Ian Welsh, publishing director, Innovation Forum