Oshani Perera leads IISD’s work on public procurement and infrastructure finance. She advises policy-makers on planning, procuring and financing sustainable infrastructure. She also works with them to develop innovative solutions to share risks between public and private counterparts. She serves on the OECD Expert Groups on Public Procurement, Green Finance and Long Term Finance, and on the B20 Task Force on Infrastructure Finance.
Oshani also works on expanding the use and scope of the Sustainable Asset Valuation (SAVi) tool developed by IISD and the MAVA Foundation.
Before joining IISD, Oshani worked with McKinsey & Company on foreign direct investment and with KMPG Sustainability Services on sustainability reporting and the advancement of corporate social responsibility.
Oshani holds a Bachelor of Science (BSc) in business administration from Cornell University, United States, and the University of St Gallen, Switzerland. She also holds a Master of Science (MSc) in natural resource management from the University of Strathclyde, Scotland, as well as an MSc in environment technology from the Imperial College of Science Technology and Medicine, United Kingdom. She is an Associate of Trinity College London in Music and Drama.
All Publications
- Sustainable Asset Valuation of the Kalivaç and Poçem Hydropower Projects
Report - July 10, 2020
The SAVi results suggest that the hydropower assets cannot be considered a preferable solution to generate electricity for the Albanian people as they cause higher costs to communities, the environment and the state than they generate benefits. - Sustainable Asset Valuation (SAVi) of Senegal’s Saloum Delta
Report - June 23, 2020
The assessment provides an economic valuation of the contribution of the Saloum Delta to local livelihoods and regional development. - An Application of the Sustainable Asset Valuation (SAVi) Methodology: Assessing the economic value of restoring the wetlands of S'Ena Arrubia and Corru S'Ittiri-Marceddì-San Giovanni in the Gulf of Oristano in Sardinia, Italy
Report - June 15, 2020
This assessment uses the Sustainable Asset Valuation (SAVi) to calculate the economic and societal value generated by the S’Ena Arrubia and Corru S’Ittiri-Marceddì-San Giovanni wetlands in the Gulf of Oristano in Sardinia, Italy. - Economic Stimulus Should Reward Front Runners on Sustainable Development
Blog - April 9, 2020
How can we ensure COVID-19 stimulus packages include targets on environmental performance, social cohesion, and economic governance? - Environmental, Social, and Governance Targets of the March 2020 Economic Stimulus
Commentary - April 3, 2020
Can these economic stimulus packages be accompanied by targets on environmental performance, social cohesion, and economic governance? - An Application of the Sustainable Asset Valuation (SAVi) Methodology in Sri Lanka: Assessing the economic value of restoring the ecological health of Beira Lake in Colombo
Report - August 31, 2019
The SAVi assessment quantifies the economic value of investing into different ecological restoration options for South-West Beira Lake in Colombo and makes a strong case for such investments given the positive effects on property values and recreational value of the lake. - Sustainable Asset Valuation (SAVi) of the Contournement de Rabat (Morocco)
Report - March 21, 2019
IISD has carried out an economic and financial assessment of different risk scenarios of the contournement de Rabat, the bypass road in Morocco. The assessment included the valuation of different externalities related to the road project. - Lake Dal in Srinagar, India: Application of the Sustainable Asset Valuation (SAVi) methodology for the analysis of conservation options
Report - December 29, 2018
The report presents the interim results of the SAVi analysis for developing the business case for the long-term conservation of Lake Dal in Srinagar, India. - The Sustainable Asset Valuation of the Southern Agricultural Growth Corridor in Tanzania (SAGCOT) Initiative: A focus on irrigation
Report - December 27, 2018
This report discusses the results of the application of the Sustainable Asset Valuation (SAVi) tool to irrigation infrastructure in the Southern Agricultural Growth Corridor in Tanzania. - Applying the Sustainable Asset Valuation (SAVi) Tool to the 9.5 GW Offshore Wind Farm, North Sea, The Netherlands
Brochure - December 20, 2018
Applied to the 9.5 GW offshore wind farm in the North Sea, the SAVi tool compares the financial attractiveness of the wind farm with other energy technologies under four different scenarios. - Credit Enhancement for Sustainable Infrastructure
Report - October 2, 2018
The paper identifies the demand and supply-side barriers for upscaling credit enhancement solutions for sustainable infrastructure projects. - Financing Soil Remediation: Exploring the use of financing instruments to blend public and private capital
Report - September 4, 2018
A collection of 17 case studies on a variety of financing instruments that blend public and private capital that could be used to finance the remediation of contaminated soil. - Biodiversity and Infrastructure: A better nexus?
Policy Brief - November 13, 2017
In this brief, the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) provide initial policy guidance for parties to consider prior to COP 14 in Egypt on how biodiversity mainstreaming can be reconciled with the infrastructure sector. - Behind the Scenes of the G20: a Substantive Process Leads to a Significant Statement
Blog - July 24, 2017
After months of working behind the scenes to help develop recommendations for G20 leaders, I can tell you that it is a substantive process that led to a significant statement. - The Role of Public Procurement in Deploying Sustainable Infrastructure
Discussion Paper - December 12, 2016
This report discusses how to maximise value-for-money when procuring sustainable infrastructure. - Investing in Sustainable Energy: The case for solar technologies in Sri Lanka
Commentary - April 12, 2016
This commentary outlines why Sri Lanka should abandon coal and invest instead in a national solar energy program modelled on the experience of India. - A Step in the Right Direction: The EU's revised directives on public procurement
Commentary - March 1, 2016
The revised EU directives on public procurement provide welcome leadership on sustainable public procurement. The question that remains is how it can be implemented. - Addressing the global infrastructure deficit—Can we rely on institutional investors?
Blog - December 21, 2015
The global infrastructure gap is forecast to reach USD 50 trillion by 2030. In Canada, the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives reports that CAD 145 billion worth of infrastructure is required in order to return infrastructure funding to historic levels—amounting to an additional CAD 20 to 30 billion a year for 10 years on top of current spending. - Ideas and Solutions to Address the USD 50 Trillion Infrastructure Deficit: A contribution to the 2015 G-20 Summit, Antalya, Turkey
Paper - November 14, 2015
The opportunity costs of not addressing the global infrastructure deficit are too high.According to Brodhead, Darling, and Mullin (2014), for every... - Handbook for INGP Public Procurers / Manual para Agentes de Compras Públicas de las RICG
Paper - October 20, 2015
This handbook will guide government procurers on the design of procurement policies and preferential purchasing programs that will crowd-in SMEs, minority suppliers and women-owned enterprises. - Public Procurement Contracts as an Effective Risk Management Strategy for Securitization (poster)
Brochure - January 2, 2015
- 10 Big Ideas for Making Energy Efficiency Bankable in India
Paper - August 19, 2014
In a continent that is starved for energy and infrastructure, it is an enigma that India’s markets for energy efficiency have yet to take off.The... - Implementing Sustainable Public Procurement in South Africa: Where to start
Paper - May 24, 2014
This report investigates the extent of policy space for the practical uptake of sustainable public procurement (SPP) in South Africa.It also... - Value for Money in Infrastructure Procurement: The costs and benefits of environmental and social safeguards in India
Paper - January 23, 2014
This report debates the extent to which public-private partnerships (PPPs) are delivering value for money (VFM) in India.While VfM is traditionally... - Investment Incentives for Sustainable Development: The case of Lao PDR
Commentary - January 21, 2014
This commentary discusses how Laotian Policy makers can offer a differentiated mix of investment incentives as they upgrade their foreign direct... - Developing a Sustainable Investment Framework in Lao PDR: Broad recommendations
Commentary - January 21, 2014
This commentary has recommendations on upgrading the Laotian framework for foreign direct investment. - The Case for Pursuing Sustainable Public Procurement in Lower Income Countries
Commentary - January 21, 2014
This commentary discusses the economic and industrial gains afforded by well implemented sustainable public procurement policies - Rethinking Investment Incentives
Commentary - January 21, 2014
This commentary tracks the disadvantages of long term tax holidays and describes how targeted and temporary tax reductions and allowances can help... - Sustainable Development in Greenland: Perspectives from a preliminary stakeholder consultation
Commentary - January 10, 2014
How Greenlandic policy-makers are planning for sustainable investment in their country's natural resources. - Opportunities for Sustainability Along the Financial Services Value Chain (Speech)
Paper - June 13, 2013
Keynote speech delivered by Oshani Perera, Progamme Leader at the Nordic Financial Unions Annual Congress on June 4, 2013.The speech explores how... - Sustainable Procurement in Fragile States
Commentary - August 17, 2012
IISD has undertaken a preliminary assessment of the value of sustainable procurement in fragile states.It finds that governments as well as... - Markets and Morals: Embedding values in the governance of the financial services sector
Paper - June 27, 2012
The power convergence between financial corporations and government and the regulatory reforms supervising this close relationship have been a... - Reforming Over-the-Counter Markets: The role of central counterparts
Paper - June 27, 2012
The opacity, size, and complexity of over-the-counter (OTC) markets are under forensic examination by lawmakers, as they have led to the... - Basel III: To what extent will it promote sustainable development?
Paper - June 27, 2012
Traditionally, banks have been the main pillar of financial intermediation and, consequently, a fundamental source of systemic risk, which in its... - "SCP at the Global Level" and "SCP at the Regional Level" in Global Outlook on Sustainable Consumption and Production Policies
Paper - May 5, 2012
The report Global Outlook on Sustainable Consumption and Production [SCP] Policies, developed by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)... - IISD and Sustainable Procurement
Brochure - May 2, 2012
This brochure provides a brief outline of IISD's program on Sustainable Procurement, including the rationale and business case of sustainable... - Harnessing the Power of Public-Private Partnerships: The role of hybrid financing strategies in sustainable development
Paper - February 15, 2012
IISD has undertaken a preliminary investigation to gauge the scale and structure of PPP agreements in today's market. In doing so, it has... - Sustainable Development: Is there a role for public-private partnerships? A summary of an IISD preliminary investigation
Paper - October 4, 2011
Widely utilized across the developed world and continuing to diversify across sectors, public-private partnerships (PPPs) are increasingly... - Procuring Green in the Public Sector: A checklist for getting started
Paper - April 9, 2011
The IISD checklist for green procurement is designed to help procurers who are seeking to launch or improve sustainability practices within their... - Rebuilding After Disasters: Why sustainable public procurement can be a practical policy
Paper - April 8, 2011
IISD has developed a preliminary consultation paper that is designed to foster stakeholder discussion on if and how sustainable public procurement... - Towards a Green Economy: Pathways to Sustainable Development and Poverty Eradication - Enabling Conditions Supporting the Transition to a Global Green Economy
Book - April 5, 2011
United Nations Environment Programme's Green Economy Initiative, in collaboration with economists and experts worldwide, compiled the book: ... - Sustainable public procurement assessment in Vietnam: A reference to the timber industry
Paper - April 5, 2011
IISD performed an SPP-preparedness assessment in Vietnam, including a plan to introduce and implement SPP, especially with regards to the timber... - Life Cycle Costing in Sustainable Public Procurement: A Question of Value
Paper - November 19, 2009
... - Oshani Perera talks about corporate social responsibility
Video - August 18, 2009
Oshani Perera talks about corporate social responsibility and the importance of ISO 20006 Social Responsibility. She says there is a need for... - Towards Sustainable Outsourcing: A responsible competitiveness agenda for IT-enabled services
Book - March 13, 2009
IISD's primer on Responsible Competitiveness in the Information Technology Enabled Services (ITES) explores an ambitious agenda for countries,... - Sustainable Electronics and Electrical Equipment for China and the World: A commodity chain sustainability analysis of key Chinese EEE product chains
Paper - February 27, 2009
Since its entry into the World Trade Organization (WTO) in 2001, China's e-product manufacturing sector has entirely reoriented itself from an... - Information Technology Enabled Services (ITES) Sector Industries Might be Cut Down to Size, but Globalization Will Continue: An IISD Commentary
Commentary - February 3, 2009
IISD and AccountAbility will soon release a report on responsible competitiveness in information technology enabled services, which we hope will... - Building accountability and transparency in public procurement
Brochure - November 27, 2008
Governments are the largest consumers in an economy. The public sector on average spends 45 per cent to 65 per cent of their budgets on public... - How material is ISO 26000 Social Responsibility to Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs)?
Paper - September 6, 2008
The report maps the materiality of the ISO 26000 Social Responsibility to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) through a global survey of 59... - State of Play in Sustainable Public Procurement
Paper - November 24, 2007
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