Sustainable BusinessRecent posts
Artificial Intelligence for Health Care: Diagnosing Tropical Diseases in Remote Amazon Regions
Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming the global health landscape, particularly in remote Amazon regions, where a new technology can diagnose cutaneous leishmaniasis using a cellphone without requiring an internet connection.
Reimagining the Future of Finance in Latin America and the Caribbean
At the FinnLAC Forum 2025 in Miami, the IDB Group hosted over 500 industry leaders and experts to help redefine the future of finance in Latin America and the Caribbean. The event focused on improving the ability of individuals and companies to better manage their finances, withstand economic shocks, and invest in their long-term prosperity. By highlighting innovations that broaden access, strengthen resilience, and promote overall financial health, the forum set the stage for more sustainable financial systems across the region.
Fixing the Broken Rung: How Data Can Help Advance Women’s Careers in Latin America and the Caribbean
In Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), the greatest disruption in women’s career progression occurs during the transition into managerial roles. A collaboration between IDB Invest and LinkedIn, within the framework of the Development Data Partnership, uses large-scale labor-market data to identify where women’s participation declines and what barriers exist across sectors and career stages.
Soccer and women: not just something men talk about
Well done Germany! The German national football team is the winner of the FIFA 2014 World Cup that ended Sunday at the Maracanã stadium in Rio de Janeiro. The next time a men’s soccer team holds the FIFA World Cup trophy will be four years from now in Russia. As Die Nationalmannschaft were congratulated by two female heads of state; Brazil’s Dilma Rousseff and Germany’s Angela Merkel, another important event came to mind: the FIFA 2015 Women’s World Cup in Canada
Germany wins 2014 World Cup in energy efficient stadium
While the football battle of the continents continues, 50 percent of this headline will be true no matter how many goals die Mannschaft scores against los Albiceleste this Sunday. The energy efficiency part that is. Maracanã, South America’s largest stadium and the host of the final world cup game, is making history again 60 years after its completion. The US green building council announced recently that the iconic building, among four other world cup stadiums in Brazil, achieved LEED certification due to several design upgrades that result in lower resource consumption.
Keep The Ball Rolling: The Link Between the World Cup Mascot and the environment
“Fuleco” is its name derived by combining “Futebol” (soccer) with “Ecologia” (ecology), highlighting the role of the World Cup in preserving the environment. Many Brazilians also recognize it as “tatu-bola,” the Three-Banded Armadillo (Tolypeutes tricinctu) that exists only in Brazil. By either name, it is the FIFA 2014 World Cup mascot, and already a winning player. When the Tatu-Bola is threatened it turns into a round shape, similar in appearance to a soccer ball - making it a fitting mascot for the FIFA 2014 World Cup in Brazil, don’t you think?
Four Climate-Smart Business Opportunities in Jamaica and the Caribbean
If we contemplate climate change long enough, it seems like we all lose. However, if you really want to talk about the equivalent of an unfair penalty or missed offside call, look around Jamaica. Ten hurricanes ravaged the country in the last five years, each causing damages of approximately US$100 million. The rainy season is longer, droughts follow that exacerbate agricultural deficits, and the sea level is rising 3.5 mm year. Climate change affects Jamaica and other Caribbean islands disproportionately. And Jamaicans contribute very little to its causes.
Climate finance and Climate Investment Funds
What do Bob Marley and climate change have in common? Never would I have thought there might be a connection between Bob Marley and climate change. "It's all about 'One Love,'" repeated the Honorable Minister Ian Hayles of Water, Land, Environment and Climate Change, when he opened the Climate Investment Fund (CIF) Partnership Forum in Montego Bay, Jamaica. Obviously the minister realizes it is slightly more complicated than just “one love.” But starting with a little love, and, equally importantly, simplicity made the issue of climate change a tad more entertaining and understandable for the 500 plus global participants at this week’s event.
What is the World Cup's Carbon Footprint?
When Arjen Robben scored Holland’s fifth goal against Spain, the Arena Fonte Nova in Salvador, Brazil, was overflowing with emotion. The Dutch ecstatic, the Spanish devastated, and neutral fans like myself thrilled just to see such an exciting game. After watching the Netherlands team take a well-deserved victory lap, we poured out of the stadium into Salvador’s streets, singing until our throats were hoarse.
