Posts by Financial Institutions
How can banks jump-start Brazil's energy efficiency market?
Last year, I traveled with a team of IDB private sector specialists to São Paulo. There we hosted, in partnership with the UNDP, two one-day trainings for commercial banks. The purpose was to introduce the characteristics of financing energy efficiency projects to relationship managers and credit risk officers of the participating financial institutions. We demonstrated through a dynamic process and real case studies how they could overcome the typical barriers to investment in energy efficiency projects.
A Laboratory for Climate Finance
Editor’s Note: As of October 20th 2014, the Agricultural Supply Chain Adaptation Facility, along with 3 other financial instruments, has been selected at the Second Lab Advisor’s Meeting to move forward to Phase 3. During this phase, the Lab will refine the 4 most promising instruments with further analysis and stress testing, so they can be ready for pilot.
Impact Investing: Does intent matter?
Impact investing in Latin America and the Caribbean was highlighted at the the IDB’s annual meeting in Bahía, Brazil. One of the first sessions of the day began with the story of a loan officer evaluating the credit profile of “Helena” – an intelligent, ambitious student seeking a university loan and representing many others like her in the region. Thanks to a bank loan, "Helena" would have a chance to further her education and strengthen her economic opportunities. But is this impact investing?