Who Benefits, Who Pays?
Who Benefits, Who Pays?
A living lab project on financing climate-resilient infrastructure.
The Who Benefits, Who Pays (WBWP) Project aims to understand and determine who benefits from investment in climate adaptation infrastructure—such as flood management infrastructure—and how that logic could inform financial frameworks in order to leverage private capital investment. The goal is to demonstrate that if municipalities can clearly identify who benefits from these investments, they can use innovative financing tools that make it possible and practical for the private sector to contribute.
About the Project
This project will help advance knowledge and test ways to fund resilient infrastructure by working with Canadian municipalities as “living labs” and collecting relevant data. It aims to better understand the distribution of benefits related to resilient infrastructure, identify potential innovative financing mechanisms, and highlight policy solutions to drive change in Canada. Ultimately, WBWP aims to prove the concept that if the benefits of investing in climate adaptation infrastructure can be clearly defined, it is possible to develop financing tools that:
- Are targeted to beneficiaries;
- Are defensible in their application; and,
- Provide enough certainty to attract private sector investment.
This work will be undertaken in partnership to build upon work that municipalities, businesses, and organizations are already actively undertaking towards the delivery of such investments.
Why Build Climate-Resilient Infrastructure?
Climate change is driving the need for infrastructure investments that are both low-carbon and climate-resilient. But the scale of investment required is far beyond what public funding alone can cover—the private sector has a critical role to play. This presents an opportunity since, when infrastructure can withstand climate impacts and prevent costly disruptions, this protects both communities and the businesses that serve them. To unlock this potential, a clear business case is needed—one that links investments in resilient infrastructure to future cost savings, especially at the systems level.
Project Partners
ICLEI Canada, as one of the Founding Partners of this project, is leading the planning and delivery of the project and working in collaboration with the other founding partners and contributing partners, including participating municipalities.
Founding partners
- ICLEI Canada
- Canada Infrastructure Bank
- Canadian Climate Institute
- Co-operators
Contributing partners
- Wawanesa
- Definity
- Participating municipalities
The Who Benefits, Who Pays project is a collaboration between ICLEI Canada, Canada Infrastructure Bank, the Canadian Climate Institute, and Co-operators, with the support from Wawanesa and Definity.
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Toronto, ON
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We respectfully acknowledge that ICLEI Canada’s work happens across Turtle Island which has traditionally been and is home to many diverse First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples since time immemorial.