Blogs
Photo by Wemajor Pictures
Photo by Wemajor Pictures
Urban areas need a variety of assets called social infrastructure combined with roads and buildings. Nature-Based Infrastructure (NBI) solutions harness nature to provide infrastructure service. Nature-based solutions take inspiration from forests, mangroves, wetlands, and grasslands, and the resultant can be engineered or grey structures. Apart from functioning as a basic infrastructure, it enables and supports […]
The mining industry remains one of the world’s biggest polluters, yet it remains a cornerstone of the world’s industries. Digital and data will play a key role in supporting miners to execute sustainability roadmaps, including through providing greater visibility across asset performance and operations, and better monitoring of energy and water consumption. Giles Crosse investigates […]
It’s amply clear that building resilience with an eye on sustainable growth is the only way forward in an increasingly uncertain world. Sustainability has already been a priority in emerging Europe. The devastating impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine, and more recently the extreme drought hitting much of Europe, potentially the worst […]
As leaders gather in Sharm el-Sheikh for COP27, everyone is thinking about how to accelerate global climate action in a world facing multiple crises. Doing this will require greening entire economies and making transformative investments to reduce emissions, scale up adaptation, and build resilience. Women and girls are at the heart of this. Read the […]
The question of how the world finances the transition to net zero by 2050 hangs in the balance. Sustainable finance is the future of finance. However, to avoid ‘sustainability washing,’ issuers and investors must do their homework even more thoroughly to ensure targets are material, ambitious, and robust.
At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and with little warning, municipalities suddenly faced unique waste management challenges: massive upticks in daily waste volumes combined with curtailed garbage collection and cutbacks in recycling. While workplace waste production fell at the pandemic’s height, household waste rose to a degree that offset the decrease in commercial waste. […]
The impacts of the climate crisis are rapidly intensifying, as evidenced by deadly heatwaves. Beyond slowing the pace of global warming, we must also protect our communities and adapt to living in a changing climate.
As we build the global climate finance architecture, Indigenous Peoples and local communities must have a seat at the table.
Here’s a sobering truth: To meet the Paris Agreement’s goal of limiting global warming to 1.5°C, the world needs to rapidly transition towards a low-carbon economy. But the question is: How is this going to be accomplished? It will mean doubling down on everything from electric vehicles (EV) to renewable energy sources like wind […]
Companies’ efforts to improve their environmental, social and governance credentials have given birth to a new type of debt – sustainability-linked finance – that links interest rates to ESG performance. But the majority of these instruments’ targets are mostly linked to issuers’ environmental impact, and not the impact they may have on the people they employ or the communities they affect.
With the pandemic bringing social issues to the fore and calls for a just transition to Net Zero, this could soon be about to change.
A remarkable new trend is taking hold in the world of infrastructure finance. Sustainable Finance—investments structured with environmental, social, and governance criteria—saw unprecedented growth in 2021, reaching over $1.6 trillion in total annual issuance and more than doubling 2020 volumes. Why is the rise of Sustainable Finance a big deal? Because it offers tangible evidence […]
Gender inequality and the climate crisis are two of the most urgent challenges of today. As we better understand and make the critical connections between gender, social equity and climate change, it’s time we take action towards solutions. From increasing women’s representation in leadership and decision-making to redistributing care-work and productive resources, progress towards a […]
Así es como luce la angustia en redes sociales: “Conozco el caso de una mujer y su hija que están en riesgo. Su pareja las golpea, la amenazó de muerte (…)”. Una muestra más: “Soy madre soltera cabeza de hogar de un joven con discapacidad, ahora estoy sin empleo, no hay subsidio al desempleo, la […]
The City of Bogota and IFC leveraged “social listening” techniques, analyzing millions of public social media mentions about Covid-19 stresses faced by women.
As cities look to realize a future vision of green, resilient, and inclusive urban infrastructure, citizen-centered digital services and solutions are more important than ever.
Elles figurent toutes les deux parmi les cheffes d’entreprise qui ont bénéficié d’un programme de soutien aux femmes entrepreneures organisé par IFC et le Canada en Côte d’Ivoire, au Ghana, en Guinée et au Kenya. L’objectif ? Les doter des compétences nécessaires pour tirer parti des débouchés commerciaux offerts par les investissements à grande échelle dans les infrastructures et les ressources naturelles.
A program sponsored by IFC and Canada that supports women entrepreneurs in Cote D’Ivoire, Ghana, Guinea, and Kenya. It boosts women’s business management skills so they can take advantage of the economic opportunities linked to large infrastructure and natural resource investments.
Few places on earth have been spared the scourge of COVID-19. But cities—with close living quarters, dense populations, health care centers, markets, train stations and airports—have borne the brunt of the crisis, with higher rates of infection and devastating public and private sector impacts. A recent UN study estimates that urban areas account for 90 […]
With the entire globe focused on the impact of the COVID-19 crisis, every business–along with their finance and development partners—must ask the question “How should we respond? How will we recover? How does this impact our value chains?”
As companies formulate COVID-19 response plans, those which address gender-specific vulnerabilities will amplify their effectiveness. Ultimately, the pandemic reinforces the case for stakeholder capitalism: when business acts in the interests of society, we realize mutual gains, increase shared value, and bolster resilience in ways that were not previously possible.
In our recent blog, we looked at three ways to keep vulnerable segments of the population — women and youth — from being left behind in the digital divide. Digital transformation and the renewed focus on the sustainability of mining offer great opportunities for the industry — it will help companies refresh their brands and […]
Data is the new gold. You may not wear it on your finger or store it in a bank, but you can use it to stimulate growth, create power, and exert influence. The digital economy, fueled by data, is growing faster than the traditional economy. But unlike talent, opportunity is not distributed equally. Youth in […]
Should renewable energy developers invest in vocational training? Job creation? Home repair? The answer, based on best practice in emerging markets around the world, is unequivocally yes – with community investment designed to match local priorities. The most successful companies in the solar and wind energy sectors are recognizing that the success of their projects […]
The African continent is endowed with an abundance of resources, both natural as well as human capital.
Transparency. Accountability. Good governance. Are the natural resource sectors there yet? Through the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI), Publish What You Pay, National Resource Governance Institute, and the International Council on Mining and Metals, among others, our understanding of these interrelated goals has evolved. We have learned that transparency alone – simply making information available to the public – […]
To ensure business success, infrastructure and natural resources projects need to bring clear social and economic benefits to local stakeholders.
The innovative web platform ‘Municipio al Dia’ (www.municipioaldia.com), promoted by Instituto de Estudios Peruanos (IEP), a Peruvian think tank, and IFC with the support of the Government of Canada, was certified as a Good Practice in Public Management by the prestigious NGO Ciudadanos al Dia. ‘Municipio al Dia,’ a free online information and advisory service […]
We seem to be inundated by new, emerging technologies, both physical and digital, plus all the breakthroughs in biotechnology.
Last year I was asked to be involved in a joint publication from the International Council for Mining & Metals (ICMM) and the International Finance Corporation (IFC) which explored the issue of collective action on water resources in the mining sector, with a strong focus on Mongolia. While WWF did not end up authoring the […]
Ulaanbaatar—Mongolia’s geography and people have long been accustomed to the vagaries of its landlocked, extreme climate.
The African continent is endowed with an abundance of resources, both natural as well as human capital.
A pioneering initiative implemented by IFC with support from the Government of Canada to promote good governance practices in the highlands of Peru has helped local leaders and municipal authorities prioritize municipal investments for the next 3 years so as to respond to unattended basic local needs. This effort is part of a larger initiative […]
With support from the Government of Canada and industry partners, IFC has provided thousands of people with training and provided support to dozens of communities to ensure that large-footprint development projects benefit those who live and operate businesses near them. IFC Advisory programs in Latin America, West Africa, and Mongolia have also empowered stakeholders to […]