How innovative finance is building nature-based urban resilience in Africa
Cities like Durban, South Africa and Nouakchott, Mauritania are using new nature-positive financing instruments for mitigation and adaptation projects.
Marie Lam-Frendo is the Chief Strategy Officer and Executive Committee member of Meridiam, a Paris-based infrastructure equity investor, with 20Bn AUM. across North America, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. She is also a Board member of INFRA, Saudi Arabia’s newly founded national infrastructure bank, and a member of the ASIA Panel, advising Singapore government on infrastructure strategy to support international development in Asia.
Before that, Marie was the CEO of the G20 Global Infrastructure Hub. This international organization provides data and knowledge to G20 governments, directly advising finance ministers on how to boost private sector participation in infrastructure.
An infrastructure and international development expert, Marie’s 24 years of career spans across senior positions in strategy, advisory, equity investment, and public policy for infrastructure projects. She contributed to developing, constructing, and operating large infrastructure projects and programs representing over 30bn USD, mainly in developing economies.
Marie holds master’s degrees in engineering, strategy, leadership and management. She is a Global Leadership Fellow of the World Economic Forum and a Global Fellow of the Wilson Center.
Cities like Durban, South Africa and Nouakchott, Mauritania are using new nature-positive financing instruments for mitigation and adaptation projects.
Coronavirus stimulus measures should focus on projects that not only grow the economy, but also anticipate the impact of future risks like climate change.