Capacity, Resources, Regulation: Overcoming the Obstacles to Climate- Resilient Sub-National Infrastructure in G20 Countries

The latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report has warned that climate risks from global warming will overlap with non-climate risks, creating complex, compound, and cascading risks that pose multiple threats to ecosystems and human societies. Investing in climate-resilient infrastructure designed and built to withstand the detrimental impacts of climate change is crucial to better prepare for these risks. Under its G20 presidency, India has established the first working group on Disaster Risk Reduction, which aims to reduce the risks associated with natural disasters and climate change, including the development of climate- resilient infrastructure. Building on existing G20 infrastructure initiatives and collaborative platforms, it opens multiple avenues for G20 countries to marshal global and national consensus to tackle global climate challenges and accelerate climate-resilient infrastructure planning and building at sub-national levels. This Policy Brief proposessolutionsforG20countriesand sub-national governments to address the three crucial challenges to scaling up climate-resilient infrastructure: lack of capacity and resources; limited availability of financing; and legal, policy, and regulatory risks.