Talking Global Infrastructure

How can the U.S. sustain for the long term what has been a massive increase in infrastructure investment since 2021, following the passage of the Infrastructure Investment & Jobs Act and Inflation Reduction Act?

That has been the question at the heart of this year’s Infrastructure Week in Washington D.C., where the ASCE published its appropriately titled report ‘Bridging the Gap’, warning that the Federal Government must maintain the same baseline of funding after these two giant infrastructure bills expire in 2026. And that all levels of government must collaborate with the private sector to further support the country’s vital needs.

Jon Phillips, chief executive of GIIA, met up with Marsia Geldert-Murphey, president of the ASCE,  in Washington D.C. to talk about progress so far, and what needs to happen next.

In recent years, the infrastructure landscape has undergone a significant transformation. As the global economy grapples with the aftermath of a pandemic, and ambitious targets to reach net zero across the world, the need for robust and resilient infrastructure has never been more pressing. With high competition for private capital, governments across the world are working to ensure they put in place the right environment to attract investment.

In this episode, we discuss the latest trends in infrastructure investment, following the recently published results of our latest Infrastructure Pulse Survey. Economic uncertainties and political shifts across Europe and the US are shaping investment trends in critical sectors such as data centres, renewable energy, and electric vehicle infrastructure. Regulatory environments and policy changes are key drivers influencing where and how investments are made. We delve into insights into these dynamics, helping listeners to navigate the complexities of the global infrastructure market.

Joining Harvey Chandler, Head of Policy and Public Affairs at GIIA, are industry experts from Alvarez & Marsal: Wayne Jephson, Jay Moody, and Michael Farkas.

In this episode, hosts Simon Montague, Director of Corporate Affairs, and David Quam, Senior US Advisor to GIIA, provide insights from Washington DC during Infrastructure Week and discuss the significance of its role in advocating for increased investment in American infrastructure.

They also delve into highlights of the recently launched report by the American Society of Civil Engineers, which emphasises the importance of forward-looking policies and public-private collaboration, to enable the US to remain as the top destination for global infrastructure investment.

The episode also features an interview with Giancarlo Peressutti from IFM Investors, who reflects on the tangible progress made during this year’s Infrastructure Week, as well as Sia Kusha from Plenary Americas, discussing the effectiveness of the bipartisan infrastructure bills and the crucial decisions Congress faces as they approach expiration.

In the transition towards a greener future, substantial investments are imperative for renewable energy projects and sustainable infrastructure developments. But where does the funding come from, and how is it being deployed to tackle the immense challenges posed by climate change?

GIIA's Policy and Research Manager Vlad Benn is joined by CMS's Ana Radnev, a Partner specialising in International Finance and Sustainability based in Bucharest and Francis Beechinor-Collins, an Associate in the Energy and Infrastructure team based in London, to delve into the intricate landscape of climate finance. Together they explore the strategies, successes, and stumbling blocks the infrastructure sector faces and provide an insight as to how private investors are reshaping their portfolios to align with environmental objectives, driving innovation, and catalysing positive change.

In this special episode of Talking Global Infrastructure, we celebrate GIIA passing the 100 members milestone from Berlin, where our Membership Officer Sophia Taylor was on the ground to catch up with some of our members about the growth of the industry, and what’s next for infrastructure investors globally. 

We’re joined by GIIA’s Chief Executive Jon Phillips to reflect on the growth of the association and how we will continue to work for our members in years to come, as well as Gautam Bhandari, Chief Investment Officer at I Squared, who delves into the developing opportunities for the private sector in the United States; Viktor Kats, Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Augment Infrastructure, to explore the momentum for sustainable infrastructure in growth markets; and Mark Hector, Head of Infrastructure at Aware Super, to reflect on the growth of the sector from its early origins in Australia to a globally established feature of pension fund portfolios.

In this episode, we explore the scale of investment by UK pension funds in the country's infrastructure and the potential for growth, drawing on lessons from around the world.

GIIA's Director of Corporate Affairs, Simon Montague, is joined by guests Ted Frith, Chief Operating Officer at GLIL Infrastructure, and Surinder Toor, founder of Arjun Infrastructure Partners, who delve into the need for citizens to better understand how pension funds investing their retirement savings in infrastructure both underpins society and grows their income in later life.

For our first episode of this year, GIIA's Director of Corporate Affairs, Simon Montague, is joined by Deloitte's Patricia Buckley, Managing Director of Economics in the US and Ian Stewart, who is a partner and chief economist in the UK, to discuss global macroeconomics and the outlook for the year ahead.

Together they delve into interest rates, inflation trends and upcoming elections in the US and Europe, and how these will shape the economic environment for infrastructure investment.

In our latest podcast episode, we round up the intriguing and complex dynamics of COP28, held this month in the United Arab Emirates.

GIIA's Policy and Research Manager Vlad Benn is joined by Andrew McHardy, partner and decarbnoisation hub leader at KPMG, to understand the risks that investors will need to navigate in a rapidly changing climate landscape, the role of climate finance, the contentious issue of fossil fuel phase-out and the social impacts of COP 28's proposals.

In this episode of Talking Global Infrastructure, GIIA's Matt Dickinson joined by Ben Marshall, Research Director at polling company Ipsos, to discuss the findings of our new Infrastructure Index, in which 22,000 citizens in more than 30 countries were asked by Ipsos about their infrastructure priorities.

In the latest episode of Talking Global Infrastructure, GIIA's Head of Communications & Marketing Matt Dickinson sits down with Cy MacKinnon, Managing Director at Equitix, to discuss the fund's £125m battery storage deal with the UK Infrastructure Bank, what policy U-turns mean for investor sentiment, and the investability of emerging net zero technologies in different markets around the world.