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What is Thick Sustainable Infrastructure Finance?

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Thickness: the primary screen for evaluating sustainable infrastructure investments.

Thickness has its origins in the work of Dr. Robert Vos, a scholar at the University of Southern California. It was formally introduced in a 2007 scholarly publication. It has several unique features upon which criteria have been developed to screen the environmental performance of infrastructure investments. Specifically, four criteria are applied to assess thickness for sustainable infrastructure finance.

Scaleable:
Infrastructure is scalable to the magnitude of the problem.
Repeatable:
Infrastructure that can be replicated throughout the world.
Material:
Infrastructure that is effective in different circumstances and geographies.
Measurable:
Infrastructure whose impact can be quantified over a period of time.
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Grand Coolee Dam Rotor Replacement
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Thick Preservation InfrastructureTM
Seeks to preserve natural capital to a more closely balanced relationship with the environment
Long-term Impacts and Benefits
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Preservation

Preservation Scoring Process

Our Preservation scoring process focuses on the environment – how transactions between humans and nature occur and how they are managed. We either take from nature or we give to nature. In our vocabulary, we consider four forms of natural capital from the book Natural Capitalism: Creating the Next Industrial Revolution (1999) by Hawkins, Lovins and Lovins. The authors refer to the environment as “natural capital” and classify the environment into four categories which are finite in supply and should be consumed thoughtfully in the pursuit of economic growth:

Energy
Water
Atmosphere
Habitat
A flow chart for the describing the preservation scoring process that Fitzgerald Asset Management uses.
Thick Resilient InfrastructureTM
Seeks to adapt to the urgent symptoms of climate
Short-term Impacts and Benefits
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Resiliency

Resiliency Scoring Process

Our Resiliency scoring process focuses on adaptation – how communities and companies harden their systems, processes, and infrastructure to adapt to and protect against the adverse consequences of extreme weather. Our thinking is influenced by the City Resiliency Index, which was developed by ARUP, with the support of The Rockefeller Foundation. This index is based on the four qualities of resiliency:

Integration

The degree to which infrastructure systems share information to function collectively and respond rapidly through short feedback loops.

Robustness

The ability to of an infrastructure system to withstand the increasing severity of hazard events without significant damage.

Reflectiveness and Adaption

The ability of an infrastructure system to continuously evolve and improve to prepare for increasing uncertainty.

Resourcefulness

The design of the infrastructure system with alternative functions that meet the needs of a community during shock or stress, and its ability to rapidly respond to change.

A flow chart for the describing the resiliency scoring process that Fitzgerald Asset Management uses.

Case Studies

Gain better understanding of our investment philosophies with real world examples.

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Further Resources

Explore case studies, research papers, short educational videos, and other valuable resources for quick overviews and in-depth learning about thickness.

Go deeper on our Youtube channel

Our channel offers in-depth discussions about critical issues on Thick Sustainable Infrastructure Finance. Join our experts as they break down complex topics, provide actionable insights, and keep you informed about the latest trends in sustainable finance.

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