If 2021 is the year inflation and interest rates rose to the top of investors’ list of topics to discuss at the Editorial Advisory Board meeting for Institutional Investing in Infrastructure, 2022 is the year those two trends began to have a real effect on investments, portfolios and decision-making for infrastructure investors. 2022 is also the year the energy transition and ESG were matched by the Russia and Ukraine war and energy security as trends at the top of investors’ minds.

These topics were of particular interest to i3 board members who met in person Nov. 1–3 at the Balboa Bay Resort in Newport Beach, Calif. In attendance were 36 board members, including investment managers, institutional investors and consultants from Europe, North America and Australia.

Inflation equation

Much of the board meeting discussions focused on inflation, debt levels and interest rates, and the ability of infrastructure companies to hedge inflation by passing