We’ve selected five articles from the Negocios Sostenibles (Sustainable Business) blog to form a picture of the innovation and challenges that took place this past year. Together, they provide a general viewpoint for 2020 as we begin the year ahead.
Fintech solutions and digital banking services offer a unique opportunity to serve previously underbanked individuals and SMEs. Though most commercial banks are adopting these solutions, there is an opportunity to deepen the collaboration with Fintech firms in order to close financial inclusion gaps in the region, while promoting responsible finance practices.
To meet the ambitious targets laid out by the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), it is necessary to accelerate collective action, coordination, and resource mobilization across the public and private sectors. Public sector resources alone are not sufficient to bring development finance from the “billions to trillions” required to achieve the SDGs.
By Susan Olsen, Lead Specialist, Opportunities for the Majority, IDB Difficulty accessing financing, poor infrastructure and incapacity to scale are cited as reasons why businesses that target the (BOP) fail. Yet, an unwillingness to overcome base of the pyramid stereotypes could easily be the most important explanation as to why some BoP-focused companies aren’t successful. Shattering stereotypes before starting an inclusive business model was the basis for a provocative panel that took place during the Inter-American Development Bank’s BASE III Forum in Mexico City.
“Why should I care about future generations? What have they ever done for me?” American comedian Julius “Groucho” Marx once joked. Fortunately, there is Earth Day. It offers an opportunity to reflect on that very question. Today marks the 45th anniversary of the conception of the modern environmental movement. And by celebrating Earth Day in companies, schools and households, we can raise awareness and explore why we might want to care about future generations.
*By Eric Schwartzman If you’re curious if and how the Latin America and the Caribbean private sector uses social media, this post is for you.