Eco-financing for low-carbon buildings and cities: Value and limits

Abstract

Building owners and governments face constraints in financing the transformation and development of low-carbon buildings and cities. Banks and other finance providers are often risk averse and unwilling to provide funds for such development and transformation. For some time now, governments and non-governmental organisations have experimented with novel forms of financing for low-carbon developments and transformations – often referred to as ‘eco-financing’. This article studies six such governance instruments from Australia, the Netherlands and the USA to better understand their value and limits.