Sustainable BusinessRecent posts
Four Reasons Why Transparency is a Strategic Asset for Development Finance Institutions
Open access to information builds credibility, enhances outcomes, encourages collaboration, and attracts investment. For development finance institutions, transparency is not just a value, it’s a cornerstone for achieving sustainable progress while navigating complex financial and operational landscapes.
Energy Efficiency Means Investment Opportunities for Technological Companies
Digitalization offers economic and sustainable benefits, driving efficiency, resilience and innovation in telecommunications, with key opportunities in infrastructure, responsible investment and multi-sector strategies in Latin America and the Caribbean.
In the Face of Sustainability Challenges, Strong Governance Begins in the Boardroom
Boards of Directors must lead mitigation strategies, embedding long-term planning and innovation into risk oversight. IDB Invest empowers directors to transform climate governance into resilience, opportunity, and competitive advantage across diverse sectors.
Investing in water and sanitation is no dirty business
In an era of smart cities, 3D printing and artificial intelligence, The Economist awarded the “humble loo” the world’s greatest innovation. Why? It has saved the lives of billions. The World Health Organization concluded that one dollar spent on sanitation generates a return of $5.50. In Latin America the return climbs over $7.00 – the second highest after East Asia. When people are healthier, productivity improves and attrition and absenteeism decline.
What does paternity leave have to do with a company’s success?
Companies in Latin America cannot find the human talent they’re looking for. An international survey of 41,000 companies found that more than 60% of employers in countries like Brazil and Peru have problems filling vacancies. In Costa Rica, more than 45% of the companies surveyed are dealing with this—they simply cannot find the right people.
Five lessons from the expansion of the Panama Canal
By Rachel Robboy Many aspects of the Panama Canal expansion make it stand out. The 7-year project to add a third lane to accommodate giant ships with triple the cargo capacity is the largest infrastructure project in Latin America and the Caribbean, costing over $5 billion. It brings in 22 percent of Panama’s national gross domestic product, allowing the country to grow at 6 percent in a year when the rest of the region is slowing down.
Why is there growing demand for Central American cocoa?
In pre-Columbian times, cocoa was a commodity so valuable it was used as a currency. In Mesoamerica, where it has been consumed for millennia, the Aztecs paid for everyday items in cocoa beans. Three would buy you a turkey egg, one hundred a whole hen.
Why does the private sector need capital markets?
Across emerging markets, access to finance is one of the largest barriers to success for private enterprises. Business leaders cite scarcity of credit as their main concern for growth, outweighing issues like corruption, tax and political instability.
How cattle ranchers can profit from planting trees
In agriculture it’s not often that you find a relatively simple way to increase production by up to 20%. Planting trees turns out to be one such way for cattle farmers. Cows like shade and grow much faster if they graze on pastures dotted with trees. Studies show that combining livestock herding and forestry on the same stretch of land can lead to an 8% to 20% increase in dairy and meat production in the Southern Cone region.
