Investing for Impact

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 agricultur...

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...

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 t...

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...

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...

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,...

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 an...

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...

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...

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 ass...

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...

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...

In 2017, we launched a five-year strategy, which aimed to tackle the key development challenges facing countries in Africa and South Asia. A lot has changed since then - the pandemic has pushed hundreds of millions into extreme poverty, climate change has become the climate emergency, and there is greater understanding of the systemic injustices that hold people back. This week, we launched our 20...

Women are more vulnerable to the effects of climate change than men and, at the same time, can be critical agents of adaptation and resilience responses.  In this podcast episode, we look at the reasons why women are disproportionately affected by climate change, and how investors can benefit from considering both gender and climate factors in their work.  We hear from:  Marijn Wiersma, Gender Lea...

It is now beyond debate that emerging economies will shoulder the burden of the climate crisis. It is estimated that out of the $90 trillion needed for the infrastructure to meet the 2030 emission goals, two thirds should go to emerging economies. And in the recent Global Climate Risk Index , eight out of the ten countries most affected by the quantified impacts of extreme weather events are low-...

In this episode, we explore the impact climate change is having on businesses in emerging economies. We look at how it's affecting firms today, how it might affect their future plans and what international investors can do to support a just transition to net zero emissions and resilient economies.  We hear from founders, CEOs and senior managers working at companies operating in Africa and South A...

A thriving private sector is the foundation of a healthy economy – creating employment, delivering vital goods and services, and providing valuable tax income. Which is why investment in emerging markets is critical to advancing development. However, these markets are complex and need different types of financial interventions to enable economic growth. So the question arises, how do we ensure the...

In this episode, we look back over our recent Insight events and ask what impact technology will have on economic growth on the African continent, and what challenges and opportunities it brings with it. We have a stellar line up of guests with expertise in investment, business and academia - you'll hear from:  Efosa Ojomo , Leader of the Global Prosperity research group at the Clayton Christensen...

We are on a summer break from hosting our regular events, so we thought we’d share some of our highlights from the last year of Insight. In this episode we’re focusing on the issue of climate change and in particular what our guests are thinking in the run up to COP26, which is taking place in November.  COP – which stands for Conference of the Parties – is a UN led global climate summit. And this...

India's has been one of the countries worst affected by the pandemic, particularly when it comes to case numbers. Clearly this has had a significant impact on businesses and their employees too.  In a large country, where workers can be regularly on the move or difficult to reach, it makes it hard for companies to communicate with people and provide access to information. In this podcast episode,...

Africa’s population is the youngest on earth and the fastest growing. Research recently published by the Lancet predicts that in the year 2100, five of the 10 most populous countries on earth will be in Africa. These demographic trajectories will have a dramatic impact on the global economy and who shapes it. This is clearly an opportunity for the continent and its leaders, but job creation in Afr...

The climate crisis is one of the biggest challenges facing humanity, with the threat to the most vulnerable and exposed populations in developing economies especially acute. Given the scale of the challenge, climate finance for private sector development is critical to helping these countries, not only mitigate the worst effects of climate change, but also adapt and build resilience against future...

This is an episode from our ESG Podcast series. In this one, we explore how businesses can benefit from supporting the circular economy and improving their management of electronic waste. The episode is hosted by Dr Veronica di Bella from our ESG team, who speaks with two representatives of off-grid solar company, M-kopa: Daniel Stoker, Head of Retail, and Sophie Mbugua, Retail Projects and Diagno...

The African continent has borne the brunt of some of the worst impacts of the pandemic, halting decades of growth, affecting millions of livelihoods and pushing much of sub Saharan Africa into a recession for the first time in over 25 years. Despite the challenges, the prospect for economies across Africa remain strong, with its young population, the expansion of the free trade area, renewable ene...

Global poverty is increasingly concentrated in fragile and conflict-affected settings. A vibrant private sector that creates jobs and opportunities is essential in these environments, to help alleviate poverty, inequality and instability. These regions struggle to attract commercial investment because opportunities are typically overshadowed by high financial risk, and weak or fragmented instituti...