GREEN FINANCE INSTITUTE
EUROPE

Green Finance Institute / GFI Europe / GFI Denmark

GFI Denmark

The Green Finance Institute was established in Denmark in 2023, to focus on catalysing investment into the decarbonisation of existing buildings stock.

Relying on its extensive experience within green finance space, the GFI offers impartial financial insights and a pragmatic approach to overcoming the financial obstacles and barriers to the green transition.

Within the sectoral focus of the built environment, the GFI is currently focusing on: risk sharing measures in the insurance sector; commercial bank involvement in the social housing sector and municipal retrofitting schemes; and on decarbonising the existing real estate portfolio of Danish pension funds, from an operational and embodied carbon perspective.

Partnerships

GFI has established a strong partnership with the World Climate Foundation, which will work with investors and the wider Danish real estate sector to design, operationalise, and bring to-market financial mechanisms for de-risking and scaling up green real estate investment. This will take place initially in Denmark, but with the potential to scale into Nordic and other European countries – creating the pace and scale required to meet the ambitious goals of the European Green Deal.

“What is clear is that the success of any climate or nature-positive action hinges on collaboration, coordination, and enhanced access to finance and technology – and that this typically requires capable platforms and convenings to act as bridges between corporations, sectors, governments, and funders. Our partnership with Green Finance Institute is an example of the collaborative solutions that are vital to help us reach short-term climate targets and build a greener and safer future.”

Jens Nielsen, CEO and founder, World Climate Foundation

“The SEB is fully committed to financing the green transition and we have a strong focus on furthering our sustainability work. We recognise the need for a central actor that can convene, inspire, and accelerate the work in the financial sector and so we are delighted that the Green Finance Institute has decided to establish themselves in Denmark. To address the immense challenges our planet is facing; we need a fundamental new way of collaborating. The Green Finance Institute is known for working with the market and government to remove barriers to investment and co-develop innovative financial tools to increase the flow of capital into decarbonisation. We see great potential in applying that in Denmark and look forward supporting them in their work.”

Lars Eibeholm, Global Head of Sustainable Debt Capital Markets at SEB

“There is a real willingness among financial institutions in Denmark to play a key role in the green transition, and the GFI will work with them and other stakeholders to develop, implement and scale innovative green finance mechanisms and remove barriers to investment to deliver change at the pace and scale that is needed. With construction and use of buildings responsible for 40 percent of Denmark’s overall energy consumption and 30 percent of CO2 emissions3, decarbonising the built environment will be vital to achieve net zero.”

Signe Fosgaard, Director, Green Finance Institute Denmark

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