Investing for Impact

In this CDC Insight podcast, we share a conversation with Amit Bouri, CEO and Co-Founder of the Global Impact Investing Network (GIIN), in which he joins CDC’s Head of External Affairs, Colin Buckley, and Yasemin Saltuk Lamy, Deputy CIO for Catalyst Strategies, to discuss the growth of the $715 billion impact investing market.

They also look at how has the pandemic has affected impact investing. Ask what this means for the SDG agenda and what role the sector plays a role in ensuring a balanced and sustainable recovery.

The start of 2020 marks ten years until the deadline to fulfil the UN's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Despite the growth of the impact investment market, the annual funding gap for reaching the goals is estimated to be $2-4 trillion.In our final podcast of 2019 we speak to leaders from across the impact investment community to ask what can be done to mobilise more capital towards the goals within emerging markets.

In this podcast Pelayo Menendez from CDC’s E&S team interviews PRAN-RFL Group’s Corporate Finance Director, Uzma Chowdhury. The PRAN-RFL Group is one of the largest conglomerates in Bangladesh. In 2017, CDC made a US$15 million debt investment in RFL Electronics Limited (RFL), a sister firm to the PRAN-RFL Group and a producer of consumer electronics and large domestic appliances for the local market with ambitions to expand into international markets. It was our first corporate debt investment in Bangladesh.In this podcast, Pelayo and Uzma explore how PRAN-RFL implemented key environmental and social changes, the challenges the company faced and the value these sustainability efforts are bringing to their business.You can find more information on CDC’s engagement in helping PRAN-RFL Group move towards international E&S standards here - https://www.cdcgroup.com/en/labour-standards/rfl-electronics/

The London Stock Exchange Group has just published its second Companies to Inspire Africa report. The publication, produced in partnership with CDC, the African Development Bank and PwC, highlights some of the most exciting privately owned businesses on the continent.Representing seven major sectors, these businesses range from less than five people to more than a 1000. Over a fifth are led by women and, as a partner on the report, we are proud to showcase their performance and potential.In this episode, we meet some of the companies involved, find out what it means to be featured and what's happened to previous businesses listed. We speak to: - Ibukun Adebayo, Co-Head of Emerging Markets Strategy, London Stock Exchange Group
- Toyin Adulate, Founder and CEO, Olori Cosmetics
- Tom Greenwood, Chief Financial Officer, Helios Towers
- Emma Wade-Smith, Trade Commissioner for Africa, UK Government

CDC E&S podcast 8: Energy efficiency and current trends in emerging markets by CDC

India is among the earliest adopters of artificial intelligence (AI). In fact a study from the Boston Consulting Group puts the country third behind the USA and China in terms of its uptake of AI. People in India seem positive about the technology's potential too. Nearly three quarters of respondents to a survey conducted by PwC said they felt optimistic that AI can deliver social and economic impact. So where can this impact come from? And what role can investment play in helping deliver it? In this podcast, we aim to find out. We speak to: - Manish Singhal, Founding Partner of Pi Ventures - an investment fund that backs companies using AI.
- Geetha Manjunath, CEO and Co-Founder of Niramai - a company that has developed a product that uses AI to detect early stage breast cancer.
- Nishith Rastogi, CEO and Co-Founder of Locus - a business that uses AI to provide logistics solutions for firms.

In this podcast Dr. Veronica Di Bella from CDC E&S team interviews David Lerpiniere, head of waste resources and development at Resource Futures. Together they explore current challenges, opportunities and best practice on plastic waste management from a private sector perspective.This is the 7th edition in a series of podcasts by CDC Environmental and social Responsibility team. E&S podcasts are aimed at raising awareness and sharing learnings and experiences around environmental and social performance.

Impact investing is an industry that's grown massively in recent years. So much so, in fact, that the Global Impact Investing Network (The GIIN) estimates that there are now $228 billion in impact assets, while other estimates put the same number in the trillions. With more and more big name investors getting involved in impact investing, has the movement now gone mainstream? And, if so, will the trend last? In this podcast we seek answers to those questions. We speak to:- Abhilash Mudaliar, Director of Research at the Global Impact Investing Network
- James Purcell, Head of Alternative and Sustainable Investments at UBS
- Fran Seegull, Executive Director of the US Impact Investing Alliance

The potential of technology in supporting development is huge. We've already seen that, particularly through examples such as mobile money and off-grid solar systems, which have been adopted by millions of people in developing countries and are used every day.So, where else are companies using technology to help development? In this podcast, we look at examples across a range of different sectors, from education to gas and services. We also get an understanding of the potential limitations of technology by speaking to an academic who has concerns over the impact blockchain might have on development. This episode features interviews with:- Fausto Marcigot, Chief Technology Officer, PayGo Energy
- Adam Grunewald, CEO, Lynk
- Adesuwa Ifedi, Vice President, Policy and Partnership, Bridge Academies
- Michael Pisa, Policy Fellow, Center for Global Development

In this podcast Lara Martin from CDC Group interviewed Cindy Berman (ETI), Shami Nissan (ACTIS), and Larissa Luy (IFC) and discussed modern slavery in the context of private sector investments. What is Modern Slavery? Why it is important? What can you do about it?
This is the sixth edition in a series of podcasts by CDC Environmental and Social Responsibility team. E&S podcasts are aimed at raising awareness and sharing learnings and experiences around environmental and social performance.