E Co. bites | Series 4
Welcome to our 4th series of E Co. bites! We share short and easily digestible climate finance explainers, technical lessons, and more about us, our work, and how you can support our mission.
Evaluating the financial and impact potential of a climate project isn’t just about numbers—it’s about asking the right questions and building the right model. In this E Co. bite, our Managing Director Rowan shares how we approach investment assessments that attract capital and drive real-world change.
Watch now to learn how we help turn complex challenges into investable solutions.
TRANSCRIPT
Evaluating the bankability and Return on Investment of a climate or impact investment is a complex process.
So what do we do?
We put in the time and thought to provide a holistic assessment: we analyse a project’s risk profile, revenue potential, and cash flow projections, ensuring it can generate sufficient returns while meeting investor expectations. But we also examine the “why” behind the investment and ensuring alignment with its intended climate impact goals.
We scrutinise the impact measurement framework – ensuring it includes robust metrics and transparent reporting – whilst analysing the market for impact and identifying opportunities where the investment can address critical needs and provide a sustainable solution.
We’ll explore opportunities to leverage blended finance, strategically combining grants, concessional loans, and private investments to optimise the capital structure. We’ll always open our address book up to connect our clients with key strategic and necessary partners, such as the Green Climate Fund, to unlock critical capital.
Our goal is to provide a comprehensive assessment of the investment’s bankability and potential for generating both financial returns and positive impact. We believe this holistic approach enables our clients to make informed investment decisions that drive meaningful change.
Often we find that investors such as commercial impact funds and local financial institutions are put off from investing in sustainable climate solutions due to their perception of risk or uncertainty about returns in a certain country or sector. We help to develop business models to overcome these risks and uncertainties, such as with the &Green Fund, which invested in sustainable agriculture and protecting forests. Here, funding from the Green Climate Fund helped to de-risk and attract deforestation investments that are financially sustainable. Business models like these have a strong demonstration and catalytic effect, creating a blueprint for commercially viable investment.
About E Co.
We are E Co. We are a diverse and global team driven to build a sustainable future. For over 25 years, we’ve been supporting and guiding our clients to achieve low-carbon, climate-resilient development. We specialise in helping our clients lay foundations for transformative change, ensuring climate finance achieves its greatest impact.
We’ve mobilised over USD 5.9 billion from major climate funds with a 100% project approval rate. We work with global funds, UN agencies, national governments, development agencies, development finance, not for profits, businesses and investors. Clients include UNDP, IUCN, EBRD, FCDO, The World Bank, GCF, NEFCO, IIED, The Lightsmith Group.
We’ve worked on over 540 assignments in over 180 countries. Our clients span the public and private sectors, from international agencies and NGOs to governments, financial institutions, and global funds. We partner with them to turn ambitious climate goals into concrete action and lasting impact.
Across 17 sectors and seven services, we offer end-to-end support, from assessing market opportunities and formulating impactful strategies to designing and evaluating transformative programmes and projects. We empower clients to access and manage climate funds, develop effective policies, and build capacity for long-term individual and institutional success.
With deep expertise in climate finance and systemic transformation, we bring a nuanced understanding of sectors, cultures, and contexts. We lower risk, increase predictability, and design for impact, ensuring your investments create lasting, positive change.
E Co. is your trusted partner in navigating the complexities of climate finance and sustainable development, and together, we will make an impact.