Several obstacles, resulting from market and government failures - including fossil-fuel subsidies, the lack of supportive policies as well as outstanding barriers to international trade and investment - still hamper investment in renewable energy. A key challenge for governments to catalyse investment flows in clean energy is to design and implement clear and predictable domestic policy frameworks. Investment policy • Non-discrimination of foreign versus domestic investors • Intellectual property rights • Contract enforcement The quality of investment policies directly influences the decisions of all investors, be they small or large, domestic or foreign. Transparency, property protection and non-discrimination are investment policy principles that underpin efforts to create a sound investment environment for all.