Investing for Impact

In our next episode, we talk to Faheen Allibhoy, Managing Director of the J.P. Morgan Development Finance Institution. 

The J.P. Morgan Development Finance Institution (JPM DFI) was launched in January 2020 to spur investment supporting economic development in emerging markets. The JPM DFI aims to increase the origination and distribution of assets with development impact to meet the Sustainable Development Goals. 

Faheen is a seasoned investment professional with a deep understanding of international business, emerging markets, and the development agenda. She has sector expertise in infrastructure, renewable energy, industrials, and private equity funds. Prior to J.P. Morgan, she spent 18 years at the International Finance Corporation (IFC), the private sector arm of the World Bank, where she was responsible for setting strategy, business development, transaction execution and portfolio management. 

In her role, Faheen was responsible for IFC’s investments, advisory operations and client relationships in Senegal, Cape Verde, The Gambia, Guinea Bissau and Mauritania. Faheen started her career at Merrill Lynch in Investment Banking based in New York. She is a member of the Council of Foreign Relations, Wellesley Business Leadership Council, the Harvard Business School Advisory Council for Africa and the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council on the Future of Resilient Financial Systems.

In our next episode of the IMPACT = podcast, we speak to Dr Frank Aswani, Chief Executive Officer of the African Venture Philanthropy Alliance (AVPA).

AVPA is a pan-African network of investors who are collaborating to increase the flow of capital into social investments across the continent, ensuring it is deployed for maximum social Impact.

Frank has extensive experience in both the private and social sectors. Before joining AVPA Frank held the position of VP and Director of Strategic Relations for six years at the African Leadership Academy (ALA) in Johannesburg.

In this enlightening conversation with our host Andrew Murray Watson, Frank provides an overview of the impact investing landscape on the African continent and the untapped potential of its population. A passionate advocate for impact-led investment, Frank believes the opportunity for this type of transformational investment across Africa is huge.

In our next episode of the IMPACT = podcast, we talk to Amit Bouri, Chief Executive Officer of the Global Impact Investing Network (GIIN)

Amit Bouri co-founded of the GIIN in 2009 and today it is the largest global community of impact investors dedicated to increasing the scale and effectiveness of impact investing.

Today, Amit dedicates his work to engaging industry leaders, institutional investors, foundations, and leading financial institutions all over the world to advocate for greater integration of social and environmental factors in all investment decisions, and to develop the tools and resources needed to effectively mobilise more capital towards impact investments.

In this conversation with our host Andrew Murray Watson, Amit shares his insights on the growth of the impact investing, the challenges it faces in scaling, and where he thinks it is going next. He also shares his views on ESG versus impact investment, and mobilising capital to help achieve the sustainable development goals.

IMPACT = has been founded as a platform to share impact expertise – through an open dialogue with leaders in the industry and a collaborative exchange of ideas, lessons and examples.

In our first IMPACT = podcast, we talk to Andy Kuper, Chief Executive Officer of LeapFrog Investments.  

Andy Kuper is a world-renowned responsible investment leader, who founded LeapFrog in 2007. Driven by its “Profit with Purpose” mission, today it is one of the world’s leading impact investors, driving social transformation through innovative financial strategies and investments.

Focused on emerging markets, particularly Africa and Asia, LeapFrog identifies high-potential companies that align with their mission. Through investments in healthcare, financial services, and insurance, LeapFrog reaches millions, promoting financial inclusion and improving healthcare access.

In this conversation with our host Andrew Murray Watson, Andy shares his journey into the world of impact investment and discusses how the industry has evolved and where he thinks it is going next. With a deep commitment to sustainable development, Kuper is a visionary in the field.

Research shows that women and girls are disproportionately affected by climate change and in diverse ways - from peace and security, to education, health and livelihood.  It is therefore critical that women are included in the decision-making process to ensure that climate action is effective and equitable for all.

Listen as Evelyne Batamuliza (Gender and Poverty Advisor at UNDP), Musonda Kapena (Zambian conservationist and nature-based solutions advocate) and Liberatha Kawamala (environmental conservationist and founder of Libe Green Innovations), explore:

This podcast is part of The African Climate Conversation, a platform which brings together leading African voices on the climate emergency – to discuss, evaluate and debate the greatest challenge facing the continent.

In this episode, Tshepidi Moremong, Chief Operating Officer of Africa50 speaks to BII’s Head of UK media, Andrew Murray-Watson about financing infrastructure in Africa and perspectives on building adaptation and resilience throughout the continent.  
Tshepidi talks about the cost factor, tools needed to adapt infrastructure, and ensuring existing infrastructure are resilient, including: 

Africa50 is an organisation established by the African Development Bank to help bridge Africa’s infrastructure funding gap by facilitating project development, mobilising public and private sector finance, and investing in infrastructure on the continent. 

The climate emergency is having a significant impact on communities all around the world, especially those living in Africa and Asia. A recent report from the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) said that 40 per cent of the world’s population is now ‘highly vulnerable’ and predicts that future climate risks are even more severe than previously thought.

While these statistics paint a stark picture of the severity of the crisis, there are opportunities that come from a green economic transformation. From clean energy and mobility solutions, to green buildings and new adaptation and resilience technologies, there is huge potential to address the climate crisis in a way that delivers prosperity and supports a just transition to a new, green economy.

In this podcast episode, we discuss the impact the climate crisis is having on firms operating in Africa and Asia, how they are responding and what support they need from investors. It builds on the findings from our recent Emerging Economies Climate Report 2022. 

In the run-up to COP27, there is an expectation that there will be a renewed call for Africa to be able to exploit its abundant gas reserves.

On this podcast, BII’s Andrew Murray-Watson talks to James Mwangi, founder of Climate Action Platform for Africa and Executive Director of the Dalberg Group, about Africa’s energy challenges and opportunities. 
Their discussion delves into the ongoing debate on Africa’s fossil fuel endowment. James breaks down both sides of the debate to address what it means for Africa to exploit its gas reserves. He discusses the need to put aside dogma to factually weigh up the long-term economic viability, speed and stability of building new gas infrastructure assets versus clean energy alternatives such as solar and storage infrastructure.
James observes that with a new way of thinking, Africa has a real opportunity to lead in the green revolution by leaning into the continent’s vast renewable energy and transition mineral resources to pivot from the current global energy system. The continent has the potential to be a disruptor and dominate in some of the emerging new renewables or in the production of the transition materials needed to facilitate a transition to a low-carbon future. 

This podcast is part of The African Climate Conversation, a platform which brings together leading African voices on the climate emergency – to discuss, evaluate and debate the greatest challenge facing the continent.

In this podcast, H.E. Wamkele Mene, Secretary-General of the Africa Continental Free Trade Area joins BII’s Andrew Murray-Watson to discuss the impact of climate change on agriculture and food security in Africa. The Secretary-General highlights the need to accelerate Africa’s value addition to the global supply chain in order to increase food sustainability, achieve self-sufficiency and power the continent’s industrialisation.  
With COP27 on the horizon, H.E. Wamkele Mene emphasises that discussions at COP27 must look at the global responsibility to finance energy transition as climate finance toward adaptation, resilience and energy transition should be commensurate with countries’ abilities and contribution to global emissions.  
Finally, he expresses his hope that the climate talks at Sharm El Sheikh will adequately address the financing gap if the continent is to transition and undertake green industrialisation. 

This podcast is part of The African Climate Conversation, a platform which brings together leading African voices on the climate emergency – to discuss, evaluate and debate the greatest challenge facing the continent.

In this podcast, James Mwangi, founder of Climate Action Platform for Africa and Executive Director of the Dalberg Group, and Ineza Umuhoza Grace, Eco-feminist, CEO Green Fighter and co-founder of Loss and Damage Youth Coalition, discuss perspectives and impact of climate change on youth people in Africa.   
  
In this conversation, James and Ineza look at how Africa’s youth perceive the current climate emergency, and to what extent climate change is at the centre of their experience or driving their activity or thinking. They highlight the need for government and policy makers to engage with youth, women and rural communities in designing climate solutions which originate from communities and are tailored to their specific environment and needs.    
  
Discussing the topic of youth unemployment, they note the opportunity to tackle the challenge by framing the creation of future jobs within climate actions and solutions. As more advanced economies reverse entrenched systems, there is a golden opportunity for African to build a green start, and African youths are eager to be part of the solution.