IJGlobal ESG Technical Adviser 2025 – Ramboll

The Ramboll sustainable finance team was selected by the independent panel of judges to win the ESG technical advisory award, impressing them by “going into markets and sectors where others fear to tread”.

Ramboll was lauded for having an “impressive track record” with one saying: “I like the best practice guides, panel discussions and AI conference papers.”

Another judge said: “Ramboll has been involved in some very impressive projects. These projects have made a significant impact in a range of geographies both in mature and emerging markets.”

There was consensus that Ramboll had achieved “excellent geographical coverage and technical expertise”, boasting a “very strong technical track record”.

The judging comments were rounded off with one saying: “With the case studies, Ramboll demonstrates its innovative and ambitious approach to ESG aspects in technical advisory.”

The submission states: “We pride ourselves as a project finance deal facilitator, a role that requires a high degree of flexibility whilst maintaining the required standards to uphold the IESC mandate.

“We always engage the relevant experts so that our teams hold the most up-to-date technical knowledge and understanding of the project (including technology, design concepts, infrastructure interfaces and buildability).

“This is further supported by Ramboll’s multi-disciplinary market knowledge and expertise that enables us to draw on our extensive in-house technical experts across the energy and infrastructure sectors.

“This cross-disciplinary collaboration enables us to deliver projects with a high level of operational and technical efficiency.”

In its submission, Ramboll cites its support for Stockholm Exergi in securing lending to build one of the world's largest carbon capture and storage facilities for biogenic carbon dioxide.

This bio-energy carbon capture and storage (BECCS) facility expects to capture/store 800,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide annually, an amount exceeding Stockholm's annual road-traffic emissions.

This SEK 13 billion project represents a significant step towards achieving permanent negative emissions and supporting Sweden to achieve its climate targets. It was arranged across 2 green bond offerings, the first of which closed at the start of November (2024), followed by the second in the middle of that month.

Ramboll’s sustainable finance team played a crucial role in this project, conducting extensive ESDD.

The assessment aimed to identify, mitigate, and manage potential environmental and social risks associated with the project, ensuring compliance with international standards and contributing towards the project's integrity and sustainability.

Ulf Wikström, sustainability manager at Stockholm Exergi, said at the time: “Ramboll conducted a lenders’ ESDD process in accordance with Equator Principles, IFC Performance Standards, and EU Taxonomy Regulations. This process has been invaluable to the project and will continue to add value moving forward.”

Moreover, Ramboll provided critical insights and recommendations throughout the due diligence process, fostering an environment of transparency and accountability.

According to the submission: “Our team assisted in ensuring that financing is aligned with sustainable investment principles, enhancing stakeholder confidence and securing necessary investments.”

The second case study Ramboll identifies is the €94.8 million project to modernise a 70km corridor between Cameroon and Gabon, turning a dirt road into a lifeline for regional connectivity, trade and development.

Ramboll served as the E&S technical adviser to SEAS-COSEDIL (the sponsor) and their financial adviser – Bluebird Finance and Projects.

According to the submission: “We prepared a comprehensive environmental and social management system (ESMS), developed tailored E&S training programmes for the project sponsor for implementation, and provided hands-on coaching to build internal capacity in managing E&S risks – introducing a training toolkit and risk screening matrix tailored to local regulatory and lender requirements.

“The project achieved alignment with IFCPS and EP4, securing lender confidence and financial close, serving as a benchmark for sustainable infrastructure delivery in Central Africa.”

Ramboll also provided IESC project monitoring services for the Morava Motorway Corridor Project in Serbia which was subject to additional facility agreement recently.

The project comprises a 112km dual-carriage motorway located some 200km south of Belgrade in a low-level flood plain along the Morava River.

The project demonstrates climate-resilient infrastructure innovation through the integration of advanced 2D hydraulic and hydrological modelling, comprehensive river regulation, and flood protection systems along 62km of river – engineered with future climate change allowances to safeguard the motorway and surrounding communities against 100-year flood events while enhancing long-term environmental and operational sustainability.

Further key environmental and social challenges included land acquisition and resettlement, and biodiversity and nature conservation.

Ramboll prepared a gap analysis report and ESAP in accordance with the EP, IFC PS, relevant World Bank Group EHS Guidelines and the OECD Common Approaches.