Investing for Impact

Our production and consumption of goods is one of the biggest contributors to the climate crisis. It generates nearly half of all greenhouse gas emissions. We’re using 60 per cent more resources than the planet can provide. And 90 per cent of biodiversity loss is due to the extraction and processing of natural resources.

However, there is an opportunity to address this challenge by transitioning to a circular economy, which keeps products and materials in use, eliminating waste and reducing pollution. Developing and emerging countries – which have large informal sectors and already practice circular activities, in areas such as electronic waste – are in a strong position to take advantage of this kind of economy.

Join us for a conversation with Lindsay Stradley, co-founder of Sanergy – a pioneering circular economy business providing safe sanitation services in Africa’s low-income urban areas. The company was shortlisted as a finalist for the inaugural Earthshot Prize, in the category ‘Build a waste-free world’.

In this episode, we discuss the potential of the circular economy in developing and emerging markets. We also explore the challenges facing businesses like Sanergy in securing investment, and the role of development finance institutions and impact investors in enabling the growth of the circular economy in these markets.

Lindsay is joined on the panel by BII's Ellen Brookes, and the event is hosted by Lynsay Taffe.

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Adaptation and resilience-building solutions are needed urgently around the world. In fact, recent studies suggest that they are needed even more quickly than previously thought. However, despite the clear need for companies developing such solutions, there is a lack of capital available for businesses.

In this episode, dig deeper into the need for adaptation and resilience solutions, why there is a gap in finance available and what more can be done to support businesses working in this vital sector.

We hear from Dr Amal-Lee Amin, Managing Director and Head of Climate Change at British International Investment, as well as the two winners of the recent Climate-KIC and BII Adaptation and Resilience Challenge and Accelerator Awards.

The awards recognise innovative start-ups developing solutions to the climate impact challenges affecting communities in developing countries. The Challenge was won by DropAccess, a Kenyan start-up that produces solar-powered fridges, and we spoke to the company's CEO and Founder, Norah Magero.

The Accelerator (given to a company at a more mature stage of development) was won by EF Polymer, which has developed a biodegradable product from biowaste to help reduce farmers' water consumption in India. We spoke to its Co-Founder Puran Singh Rajput.

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Gender-based violence and harassment (GBVH) is a widespread and serious global issue that affects people in the workplace, their communities and homes. While gender-based violence and harassment can affect anyone, it disproportionately affects women and girls: an estimated one in three women worldwide has experienced some form of physical or sexual violence.

And there is a growing recognition that the private sector has an important role in addressing this important issue. For companies and investors, it can pose a range of risks, including litigation, loss of profits and reputational damage. Addressing these risks can have many business benefits too - such as improved productivity and performance, reduced accident potential, improved access to skills and talent, and improved stakeholder relations.

In this podcast episode, Genevieve Joy from our ESG team speaks to Andrea Cullinan, the IFC's Gender and Gender-based violece Lead, about these issues and the practical steps companies and investors can take.

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Over the last thirty years, in many developing economies, poverty has fallen, people live longer and healthier lives, and economies have been transformed. But this is not the case across the board.

In his new book, “Gambling on Development: Why some countries win and others lose”, former Chief Economist at the Department for International Development, and Policy Advisor to the Foreign Secretary, Stefan Dercon, asks why some of the previously poorest countries have prospered, while others have failed. He argues that development is most likely to happen when a country’s elites want it to happen – what he calls a ‘development bargain’.

In this conversation with Stefan, we explore the implications of this thesis for the role of impact investors, including development finance institutions (DFIs), in fragile and conflict-affected countries. For example, the track record of DFIs in fragile states is mixed. Should DFIs focus on countries where a ‘development bargain’ looks likely?

This conversation is chaired by British International Investment's Colin Buckley, Managing Director and General Counsel. 

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In today's episode, we're exploring the fundamentals of the economics of development finance.

Our conversation discusses three key areas:

- What is development and why does it need private investment?
- Why does private investment need development finance institutions (DFIs)?
- Where can DFIs have the most impact?

Leading the discussion is British International Investment's Director of Research and Policy, Paddy Carter. And Paddy is joined by Mavis Owusu-Gyamfi, Executive Vice President at the African Center for Economic Transformation (ACET).

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The rapid growth of the digital economy is the defining narrative of the last fifty years. Spurred by an era of remarkable innovation, digital technology has transformed societies and now contributes an estimated 16 per cent to the global economy annually. However much of the world remains poorly served, with an estimated 3.5 billion people still with no access to the internet.

Most live in low to middle income countries where limited digital capacity in everything from skills and infrastructure, to governance and regulation, hinders economic development. But we know that simply connecting 10 per cent more of a country’s population to the internet leads to an estimated 1.4 per cent growth in GDP, the impact is transformational. Which is why accelerating investment in the digital economy must be a development priority.

Join us for a conversation with leading emerging markets VC investor, Nikunj Jinsi where we will discuss how digital transformation can drive sustainable and inclusive growth. We will also explore the role impact investors can play in accelerating the adoption of digital technology in developing countries.

Nikunj is joined by our Managing Director, Abhinav Sinha who heads up our Technology and Telecoms team, and the discussion is chaired by Colin Buckley.

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Within the field of impact investing, the growth of gender lens investment has been one the success stories of the last decade. And increasing evidence shows that investment policies that focus on gender equality have a transformative impact, especially in developing economies.

We know that gender lens investing results in women from marginalised communities having increased access to finance and improvements to their working conditions. The strategy also encourages the growth of female entrepreneurship and leadership, as well as an increase in the gender diversity of boards. All of which results in better returns for investors.

Join us for a conversation hosted for International Women’s Day, with two leaders at the forefront of inclusive investing: Roshaneh Zafar, the visionary founder of Kashf Foundation in Pakistan, which provides a range of vital financial services for women and Hany Assaad of Avanz Capital, a leading emerging markets investor and gender lens investing champion.

This conversation explores the growth of gender finance and its transformative impact on women across the spectrum of society. We also discuss how we can elevate gender lens investing to a mainstream strategy; the role of men in supporting gender lens investment; and the learnings that can be applied in the design of future inclusive investment policies which target other marginalised sections of society.

The conversation is chaired by Lynsay Taffe, Director of Communications at British International Investment.

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Global water use has doubled in the last 40 years. This increase in demand for water, alongside the effects of climate change, mean businesses need to take action to manage their water use.

With water risks growing, it is estimated that the costs to businesses of doing nothing are almost five times higher than actively addressing the issue.

Last year, we partnered with WWF to provide technical assistance to further enhance their Water Risk Filter - a free online tool that provides assistance to organisations in assessing and responding to water risks.

In this ESG Podcast episode, CDC's Zinhle Tshabalala and Ariane Laporte-Bisquit from WWF discuss the Water Risk Filter, how you can use it, and why businesses and investors should be turning their attention to water risks if they're not doing so already.

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Impact led social investment in Africa has experienced steady growth over the last decade, spurred by the need for a sustainable private sector which supports the economic and social demands of a growing young and rapidly urbanising population.

From building vital infrastructure, to creating future-proof employment, and supporting the growth of new industries, impact led investors can both address the continent’s social and economic challenges; and meet market and consumer needs.

Join us for a conversation with Frank Aswani, Chief Executive of the African Venture Philanthropy Alliance – a network of investors dedicated to unlocking new capital for social impact across Africa.

In this discussion we explore the evolution of social impact investment in Africa; examine how the UN Sustainable Development Goals funding gap has exposed systemic weaknesses; and reflect on the role of impact led investment in addressing the challenges and shaping the future of the continent.

The interview is hosted by CDC's Colin Buckley.

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When the scale of the pandemic became known in March 2020, financial institutions needed to respond quickly to support the individuals and businesses that use their services. This was especially true for Advans Group, a microfinance institution that lends to entrepreneurs and small businesses in developing countries around the world.

As many of Advans' clients faced national lockdowns, the nature of their work meant they couldn't continue to operate. In this podcast, we explore how the Advans team responded and what we can learn from it.

We look at how the response was coordinated at the company's head office, through the way it was implemented at a country level in Pakistan and the impact it had on its clients.

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