At the COP30 Local Leaders Forum, Bloomberg Philanthropies, Brazil’s Ministry of Cities and Ministry of Environment and Climate Change, BTG Pactual, the Mitigation Action Facility (MAF), and WRI Brasil officially launched the Brazil E-Bus De-Risking Fund. This first-of-its-kind initiative aims to unlock approximately EUR 450M million in private lending to deploy more than 1,700 zero-emission buses and related charging infrastructure over the next six years. It represents a 235 percent increase in Brazil’s electric bus fleet, offering significant reductions in air pollution, greenhouse gas emissions, and urban noise.

Supported by Bloomberg Philanthropies, Catalytic played a key role in developing the financial structure, identifying eligibility criteria for initial cities, and appointing the fund manager, guiding the initiative from early concept to implementation. By addressing longstanding challenges cities face in accessing affordable capital, the fund strengthens Brazil’s leadership in the transition to resilient, low-carbon mobility.

Catalytic’s Contribution

• Incubated the concept through early-stage development funding

• Designed the blended structure to attract commercial lending at scale

• Led the international selection of BTG Pactual as fund manager

The Brazil E-Bus Credit Enhancement Fund is anchored by a EUR 24 million commitment from BTG Pactual and a EUR 16 million first-loss contribution from MAF. It includes additional grant-based technical assistance to reinforce enabling policies and strengthen local manufacturing capacity.

By transforming innovation into deployable investment solutions, Catalytic continues to advance its mission to unlock finance for sustainable development and demonstrate models that can be replicated by other countries working to decarbonize public transport systems.

Read the full press release here