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This guide describes the First and Second Loss Capital Facility, a credit enhancement tool designed to attract investment into high-risk climate sectors by using concessional or donor capital to absorb initial losses.

The Green Guarantee Company (GGC) is a specialist guarantor designed to help public and private sector borrowers in emerging and frontier markets access long-term hard currency debt from global institutional investors for climate adaptation and mitigation projects. Managed by the Development Guarantee Group (DGG), the GGC provides full guarantees for bonds and loans of 5-20 years, aligned with the Climate Bond Standard (CBS), to mitigate sovereign and currency risks. The instrument includes a Technical Assistance (TA) facility to build issuer capabilities and market readiness. The GGC aims to catalyze approximately USD 10 billion in commercial term debt over its first decade, targeting sectors such as energy, transport, water, buildings, and waste, with an initial pilot phase in South Africa.

This report by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) examines the role of credit enhancement in scaling up sustainable infrastructure, particularly in developing countries. It defines credit enhancement as the transfer of project risk to creditworthy third parties to improve financial feasibility. The document identifies supply-side barriers, such as the conservative risk management and incentive structures of multilateral development banks, and demand-side challenges, including low awareness among policy-makers. It concludes that while a Universal Guarantee Facility is being discussed, empowering existing de-risking agencies and increasing domestic investor participation may be more effective strategies.

This fact sheet from the Climate Policy Initiative explains first- and second-loss facilities as credit enhancement tools used to de-risk climate and energy transition investments. It details how these layered capital structures absorb initial losses to attract private investment into high-risk sectors, the institutional capacities required to manage them, and provides examples of blended finance vehicles operating in emerging markets and developing economies.