The FAST-Infra Sustainable Infrastructure Label verification

With the recent commitments towards accelerating decarbonisation and diminishing the trillion-dollar sustainable infrastructure investment gap, institutional investors are positively looking for opportunities to deploy funds in sustainable projects. Infrastructure projects increasingly need to comply with sustainability baseline criteria, comprising of certain performance standards such as the IFC PS and the Equator Principles.

The FAST-Infra Sustainable Infrastructure Label (FISI) (the “Label”) offers a platform to stakeholders to attain credibility on the sustainability of their infrastructure assets. The Label ensures significant positive sustainability performance and compliance with the minimum safeguards across the fourteen sustainability criteria underlying the Label.

The Label is a globally applicable system designed to identify and evaluate infrastructure projects with the principal objective of transforming sustainable infrastructure into a mainstream, liquid asset class while mobilising private sector investment for the financing of the labelled projects. With the successful launch of the Label at COP26 last year, the Label has established universal recognition and is being endorsed by over 80 institutions. Bloomberg L.P. and the Global Infrastructure Basel Foundation (GIB) have been elected as the Data Repository and Secretariat for the Label this year at COP27.

How we can support on providing independent verification

A project, once verified and labelled, establishes its legitimacy as a sustainable project, which increases market trust for stakeholders, leading to informed investment decision-making by funders and sponsors and ensuring stable, long-term returns at lower investment rates.

Since the inception, we are proud to have been a part of the FISI Label and a long-standing member of the Label’s dedicated working group, having developed the verification template to ensure a smooth process for awarding the Label. With our support, stakeholders can achieve assurance on the sustainability criteria of the infrastructure assets through the application and verification processes.

Additionally, our team can support in ensuring adherence to minimum safeguards and compliance with the risk management frameworks.

Rudi Lang, Partner, Member of the Group Executive Board, said:

“We have contributed to the FAST-infra initiative from the early beginnings, from project management support to evaluating pilot projects and actively participating in the leadership team. It has been a pleasure to work with a group of excellent and dedicated people. We look forward to working with all of you in the future.”

Bob Green, Partner, and the Head of the Infrastructure Finance team, said: 

“The need for accelerating investments into sustainable infrastructure is immediate and profound; I trust, the FISI Label will be a highly effective part of the solution and I am delighted that we have played a part in the development of the Label. As the leading model auditor in the Energy and Infrastructure sectors, we understand the benefit derived from independent verification in the investment decision-making process; I am therefore looking forward to working with the Secretariat and the Label, in providing independent verification to funders and investors.”

Phuong Gomard, Partner, and Head of Sustainable Finance, said:

To accelerate investment into Sustainable Infrastructure, it is necessary to have a consistent and globally applicable labelling system that looks at the quality and sustainability performance of assets throughout the asset lifecycle. The Label will contribute to establishing sustainable infrastructure as an asset class and attracting investors and providers of capital. I am proud that we are participating in designing the verification process and testing pilot projects. I am looking forward to collaborating with the appointed Secretariat to bring to life such a necessary mechanism to the market of transition and Sustainable Infrastructure.”

Find out more about the Fast-Infra initiative

To find out more about how we can help you independently verify the Label to award it to your infrastructure project and the benefits, feel free to get in touch with one of our key contacts or via the button below.

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