In our latest interview with a prominent newcomer, we had the pleasure of engaging with Julie Godin, the CEO of Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI), an international organization dedicated to promoting sustainable development and green growth worldwide.

1. Please introduce your company and the products/services it offers.

GGGI is present in close to 40 countries. We support countries to transition to low-carbon, climate resilient economies that result in improved livelihoods, enhanced environmental sustainability, and achievement of Nationally Determined Contributions to Greenhouse Gases emission reduction. This encompasses different areas such as climate change adaptation planning and mobilization of green investments, blue economy and climate smart agriculture, e-mobility, waste management and circular economy, protection of natural areas, facilitating adoption of renewable energy, and supporting green industries through green entrepreneurship and green technology development and strengthening gender and social inclusion integration across all sectors.

2. What led to the creation of your company?

GGGI was established in 2012 at the Rio+20 United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development by few member states at the time. It now grown to 45 Member States.  Our niche is that we helped countries mobilize green and climate finance for their green transformation. Green and sustainable finance is definitely growing but it only still represents a small portion of the financial market today. GGGI has already mobilized 8.6 billion since 2015 to support our Governments and partners with their green development plans.

3. What is the most difficult or unexpected thing you've had to overcome on your journey?

We have to raise our visibility in Europe and because we are so much focusing on delivery, delivery, well we don't have the time to work as much on our visibility but that's needed so people and organizations get to know us, so we can cooperate and that's needed to fight the climate crisis, and that's why we have this European Liaison Office here in Luxembourg.

4. How is your offering different from your competitors and other market players?

We are embedded in Governments, acting as neutral advisers. Our experts, with technical (e.g. green mobility, sustainable energy etc.) and financial and banking expertise are present in countries, in fact the large majority of our staff is based in the countries we are serving and helping with their green transformation, so we don't fly and out, but build strong and long term partnerships in country.

5. What did you find at LHoFT / What did LHoFT bring you?

The LHoFT is helping us connect with number of actors in Luxembourg, the incredible sustainable financial ecosystem, the people, we felt welcomed in Luxembourg from day 1, thanks to the team at the LHoFT!

6. What's next?

We will reach to many actors in Luxembourg to develop new partnerships for impact, and please don't hesitate to reach out as well! And we launched a program on June 9 funded by the Government of Luxembourg, in partnerships with LuxSE in which we will strengthen and advance the national green and social finance ecosystem of at least 10 developing countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America and the Caribbean regions, through policy frameworks and training, delivering of pre-post insurance of thematic bonds (Green, Social, Sustainable and Sustainability inked Bonds) and disseminate knowledge.