British International Investment Pioneers Global Initiative to Boost Private Capital in Climate Solutions
British International Investment providing global leadership to mobilise private capital to combat the climate emergency
Singapore, 04th November, 2025 : Leslie Maasdorp, Chief Executive of British International Investment (BII), the UK’s development finance institution, announced ahead of COP30 in Brazil that the conditions are now in place to significantly scale private capital flows required to combat the global climate emergency.
Maasdorp emphasized that Development Finance Institutions (DFIs) and multilateral development banks play a pivotal role in unlocking private capital for climate finance, particularly in countries most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change.
“Mobilising private capital is the single most important climate finance issue facing the world today,” said Maasdorp. “It is absolutely essential to harness the trillions of untapped dollars in pension funds, life insurers, and other private institutions to meet this global challenge.”
Emerging and developing economies require at least $2.4 trillion annually until 2030 to achieve their climate goals, yet they currently receive only a fraction of this amount. Between 2022 and 2024, BII invested $2.2 billion in climate finance and successfully mobilised an additional $1.1 billion in private capital.
BII is set to announce a series of new climate finance initiatives over the coming month, including a partnership with a global private investor to create a fund enabling UK life insurance companies to invest in climate-focused opportunities in emerging markets. This initiative follows BII’s flagship mobilisation challenge, launched earlier this year, to engage private investors in designing innovative products that expand climate investment in developing economies.
Additionally, BII has published a new roadmap outlining how to accelerate the flow of private capital into blended finance funds, combining private investment with concessional capital from DFIs and other institutions.
Maasdorp noted that with strong support from the UK Government, BII continues to work with City of London institutions to address barriers—such as regulatory constraints, risk perceptions, and return expectations—that have historically limited private capital’s role in climate finance.
“We are not asking investors to compromise on returns,” Maasdorp said. “There are now widespread opportunities in emerging markets for private capital to achieve predictable, long-term, and commercially attractive returns while driving meaningful climate impact.”
BII reaffirmed its ongoing commitment to climate adaptation and energy access in frontier markets, where the need is greatest and private capital remains scarce, ensuring sustainable growth that aligns with global climate goals.