Banque des Territoires, with the support of the European Investment Advisory Hub, launches “S'GREEN+” to help municipalities participating in its City Centre Action programme roll out their climate change adaptation projects.
With the backing of the European Investment Advisory Hub set up by the European Commission and the European Investment Bank (EIB), Banque des Territoires is launching “S'GREEN+”. This development aid initiative will provide 25 cities participating in the City Centre Action programme with operational support as they roll out their climate change adaptation projects.
S'GREEN+ is endowed with €715 500, of which €500 000 is provided by the European Investment Advisory Hub under the Investment Plan for Europe. The remaining €215 500 is provided by Banque des Territoires. The operational management of S'GREEN+ will be handled by Banque des Territoires as part of its City Centre Action programme.
This project aims to strengthen the partnership struck between Caisse des Dépôts and the EIB in 2013 while also building on their cooperation, initiated in 2016, in providing technical assistance via EIAH[1].
This initiative consolidates the commitment of Banque des Territoires and the EIB to the European Green Deal, whose goal is to turn the European Union into the first economy with net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Its objective is to boost public and private investment volumes in climate change adaptation projects along with initiatives for preserving or restoring biodiversity in medium-sized cities, which play a major role in the fight against global warming. These include projects for restoring watercourses to their natural states, creating biodiversity spaces or limiting urban sprawl.
Under S'GREEN+, a task force supervised by Banque des Territoires will work with around 25 municipalities already benefiting from the City Centre Action programme. This team will provide each city with bespoke support for prioritising projects, taking decisions and organising financing (identifying sources of funding, tightening up investment plans, etc.). This support will result in a specific action plan for each municipality, listing the projects identified as priorities and outlining the steps to be taken to implement them. All the work carried out by the task force will be uploaded to an online digital library accessible to all to help share experience with other communities both within France and throughout the European Union.
The agreement was signed on 7 December 2020 by Eric Lombard, chief executive of Caisse des Dépôts, and Ambroise Fayolle, vice president of the EIB, and is due to last for a period of one year.
European Commissioner for the Economy, Paolo Gentiloni, said: “Thanks to a grant by the Investment Plan for Europe's Advisory Hub, Banque des Territoires will be able to deliver targeted support to 25 cities in France to help them adapt to climate change. This agreement is an important sign of our support to cities, which are hubs for innovative ideas and have an important role to play in making the green transition a success story.”
According to Eric Lombard, chief executive of Caisse des Dépôts, “this initiative is the result of the strong and supportive cooperation between the Caisse des Dépôts group and the European Investment Bank as they join forces to protect the environment. The ecological transition is the major goal of our recovery plan. Banque des Territoires is therefore using its recognised expertise in technical assistance and investment to provide regions with on-the-ground support.”
“This is the second such financing agreement between the EIB and the CDC, which is a strong sign of our excellent cooperation. This agreement provides an answer to French municipalities' need for advisory support when identifying and preparing projects that will allow them to meet the challenges posed by climate change,” said Ambroise Fayolle, EIB vice president. He added, “The EIB, as the climate bank, is pleased to support this agreement which demonstrates our commitment to working with our national partners – and the CDC is a key partner for the EIB in France – to stimulate sustainable investment in the heart of the regions.”
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About Banque des Territoires
Set up in 2018, Banque des Territoires is one of the five arms of the Caisse des Dépôts. It brings in-house regional expertise together within a single structure. It is a single point of entry for clients, providing made-to-measure advice and financing solutions for loans and investments to meet the needs of local authorities, social housing associations, local public enterprises and legal professionals. It is aimed at all French regions, from rural areas to large cities, with the objective of eliminating social and regional inequalities. Banque des Territoires is represented by 16 regional offices and 35 local branches of Caisse des Dépôts to enhance visibility and proximity to its client base.
For more attractive, inclusive, sustainable and connected regions.
www.banquedesterritoires.fr @BanqueDesTerr
About the European Investment Advisory Hub
The European Investment Advisory Hub is a partnership between the European Investment Bank Group and the European Commission as part of the Investment Plan for Europe. The Hub is designed to act as a single access point to various types of advisory and technical assistance services. It supports the identification, preparation and development of investment projects across the European Union. Its advisers work directly with project promoters to prepare a tailor-made advisory package to support investment projects.
[1] A pilot digital toolbox project dedicated to providing development support for a farm methanisation project kicked off their cooperation in this area (signature on 13 December 2019).