Welcome to our ‘Countdown to COP: Financing and Fuelling the Future’ podcast series. Ahead of the launch of COP28 in the UAE, Dubai-based Projects Partner Mhairi Main Garcia catches up with experts from across WFW’s global network to discuss a key part of the COP28 agenda – financing the road to net zero.
In each episode, our sector experts talk about the journey to achieving net zero in their sector, what represents the biggest challenges and, perhaps most importantly, the opportunities available to both financiers and those looking for financing in the industry.
Listen and subscribe to the WFW podcast on Apple or Spotify.
If you would like to discuss any of the topics touched on in this podcast series, please contact one of the team members listed below or your usual WFW contact.
Episode 1 – Mining & Commodities
Listen to our Mining & Commodities episode on Apple and Spotify.
This week, host Mhairi Main Garcia is joined by London Projects Partner Daisy East to discuss financing the road to net zero in the mining and commodities sector.
The discussion focusses specifically on mining and metals, a space in which the projects are complex with often competing challenges and demands, particularly when considering ESG, new technology and increasing and changing demands.
Find out more information and access a transcript here.
Episode 2 – RAIL
Listen to our Rail episode on Apple and Spotify.
In this episode, host Mhairi Main Garcia talks to Frederik Lorenzen, a Finance Partner based in our Frankfurt office. Mhairi and Frederik discuss rail, a sector that will play a key role in achieving net zero but which faces its own challenges. These include real and perceived issues around reliability, efficiency and, potentially, affordability if the sector is to reach its full potential in terms of sustainability.
This will also require proactive and combined effort across the industry from manufacturers, developers, operators, lenders, regulators and governments at both domestic and regional levels.
Find out more information and access a transcript here.
EPISODE 3 – Maritime
Listen to our Maritime episode on Apple and Spotify.
In this episode, host Mhairi Main Garcia sits down with Singapore Maritime Finance Partner Lizzie Roe, a key contributor to our 2023 The Sustainability Imperative – Part 2 thought leadership report, to discuss two key challenges facing the sector, namely technological and regulatory uncertainty, and the positive steps being taken to rectify these.
Find out more information and access a transcript here.
EPISODE 4 – Oil & Gas
Listen to our Oil & Gas episode on Apple and Spotify.
In this episode, host Mhairi Main Garcia is joined by Joe Levin, a Projects Partner from our London office, specialising in oil and gas, to discuss the important role of the oil and gas industry in the drive towards achieving net zero, placing a huge responsibility on the sector.
Find out more information and access a transcript here.
EPISODE 5 – Renewables
Listen to our Renewables episode on Apple and Spotify.
This week, Mhairi is joined by Madrid Partner Rodrigo Berasategui, who has more than 20 years’ experience advising on a broad range of renewables transactions, to discuss the sector at the heart of the drive toward net zero.
Find out more information and access a transcript here.
Episode 6 – Aviation
Listen to our Aviation episode on Apple and Spotify.
This week, Mhairi discusses the aviation sector with Global Aviation Sector Co-Head, Jim Bell.
Find out more information and access a transcript here.
Episode 7 – Infrastructure
Listen to our Infrastructure episode on Apple and Spotify.
In this episode, Mhairi is joined by Finance Partner José María Anarte to discuss the journey to net zero in the infrastructure sector, touching both on social infrastructure and transport infrastructure as well as emerging sub-sectors such as data centres.
Find out more information and access a transcript here.
BONUS EPISODE
Listen to our Bonus Episode on Apple and Spotify.
In our final episode, we turn the tables on our series host, Dubai Projects Partner Mhairi Main Garcia, who answers questions from WFW’s Global Sustainability Lead, Ben Churchill.
Mhairi discusses the key takeaways from the series overall including the need for improved regulation, transparency, and collaboration across industry and sector participants to drive transition, the cost of inaction and the impact of individuals in addressing climate change.
