Last week in Rio de Janeiro, C40 Cities, supported by IAPH and the International Finance Corporation (IFC) launched the Global Port Sustainability-Linked Loan (SLL) Initiative at the C40 World Mayors Summit. Announced on 4 November, this transformative partnership is designed to unlock massive investment in sustainable port infrastructure and accelerate the maritime sector’s just transition to net-zero. The initiative establishes the first global framework specifically tailored to deploy SLLs for port decarbonisation projects worldwide. By combining C40’s network of nearly 100 cities and dozens of ports, IFC’s expertise in structuring climate finance transactions, and IAPH’s global alliance of 201 ports, the partnership will target the delivery of comprehensive market guidance, capacity-building programmes, and direct access to finance for port authorities, particularly in the Global South where financing barriers have hindered green infrastructure deployment. The initiative complements IAPH’s work on the Clean Energy Marine Hubs (CEM HUBS) initiative, which aims to import, export, bunker, and where feasible, produce clean energy sources and zero and near-zero emission fuels. You can read more detail on the C40-IFC-IAPH partnerships and its projected impact here.
IAPH VP for Central & South America Vinicius Patel (far right) with Alisa Kreynes, director of C40’s Ports and Shipping Programme (second to right), Johannah Christensen, CEO of Global Maritime Forum (centre) and other speakers at the C40 Cities World Mayors summit. Photo: Barnardo Jardim – C40
