2015 Reports

We need an international support programme for sustainable investment facilitation

Sauvant, Karl P.

This proposal’s key premise is the importance – and urgency – of creating favorable conditions for sustainable FDI flows to meet future investment needs. Governments must muster the political will to put an international support program for sustainable investment facilitation in place.

Transitioning to a carbon-free world economy and meeting the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030 requires, annually, trillions of dollars. Massive private investment, including foreign direct investment (FDI), has to be mobilized for this purpose. However, developing countries, especially the least developed countries, simply lack the capacity to compete successfully in the highly competitive FDI world market to obtain the required funds. They need assistance – not only to obtain more FDI but sustainable FDI. What is needed, therefore, is an international support program for sustainable investment facilitation.