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Superfoods also take care of Amazonia’s health
The development of sustainable value chains for quinoa, cocoa, sesame, and other high-nutritional-value crops can foster integration into international markets, benefit the region, and contribute to sustainable development goals.
By Adopting Traceability in Its Supply Chain This Company Managed to Become More Sustainable
In a world where sustainability is part of the DNA of business, an Ecuadorian company implemented standards to guarantee socially just and ecologically respectful practices throughout the value chain.
A Global Movement for Sustainable Growth Sprouts in the Heart of Amazonia
IDB Invest Sustainability Week 2024 brings together an array of public and private sector stakeholders, the impact investors community, governments, international organizations, and civil society in Manaus with one goal: scaling up impact.
Three best practices for energy companies investing in women
Three years ago, Marie-José Nadeau took the helm as the first woman to chair the World Energy Congress in its 90-year-history. She cautioned that the energy business was at a critical stage, suffering from underperformance and facing disruptive change. In her view, the industry would not have the ability to innovate and tackle these challenges without gender diversity. At the time, only 4% of executive board members at the top 100 utilities companies were women. Today, this number has inched up by only 1%, according to EY’s 2016 Women in Power and Utilities Index. At this rate, it would take the power industry four decades to reach 30% of women participation in boards. [clickToTweet tweet="At this rate, it would take the power industry 4 decades to reach 30% of women participation in boards" quote="At this rate, it would take the power industry four decades to reach 30% of women participation in boards" theme="style1"] At the employee level, a handful of energy companies in Latin America and the Caribbean are starting to invest in recruiting and training female personnel in non-traditional roles, for example, installing solar panels in remote areas and changing LED public lighting in cities. As renewable energy scales up across the region, technical jobs in solar and wind will be in high demand. Energy companies will have to widen their talent pool to meet this need. Here are three ways energy companies are already investing in opportunities that benefit men and women: 1. Investing in gender certifications Gender certifications today are what LEED certifications were a decade ago —a third-party seal of approval for sustainability— and some companies in Latin America are already investing in them. Based in Switzerland, global certifier EDGE (Economic Dividends for Gender Equality) is increasing its presence in Latin America and the Caribbean. Another option is seeking certification at the country level. These type of gender certifications allows companies to map and benchmark their efforts to create, support and advance gender equality throughout the workplace. In Mexico, this was the route that an energy service company took to start transforming its corporate culture. Based in Monterrey, Óptima Energía works with cities to replace incandescent street lights with energy-efficient LED street lamps. Two years ago, Óptima Energía embarked on a gender certification program through the Mexican Standards for Labor Equality and Non-Discrimination. Investing in a gender certification is just one of many steps this company is taking to ensure an equitable and inclusive workplace that attracts the best employees. 2. Partnering with technical universities to train new talent The solar industry is growing exponentially in Latin America and the Caribbean, and demand for experienced solar technicians is outstripping supply of qualified people. The same is true for the wind sector. With nearly two million people employed in renewable energy jobs, the need for a steady pipeline of qualified talent is opening doors for women. In the last five years, Uruguay has become a powerhouse wind producer, steadily moving away from relying on fossil fuels and hydropower. Solar is now ramping up. In 2015, the energy companies Technova and Sky Solar started installing solar panels in Paysandú, a small city in Western Uruguay on the Argentinian border. The companies wanted to hire locally, and partnered with Universidad del Trabajo (UTU) and Instituto Nacional de Empleos y Formación Profesional (INEFOP) to train local personnel in the assembly of solar photovoltaic projects. They set a target of 40% female participation in their programs and met their goal. 3. Recruiting women in STEM fields In Latin America, 45% of scientific researchers are women, surpassing even the global average; yet, women are vastly under-represented in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields. Cultural and socioeconomic barriers often lead young women to drop out of school to meet traditional obligations like care giving. In Panama, Grupo Ecos invested in an internship program targeting female students on STEM and finance tracks for the Divisa Solar project, the first utility-scale solar park in the country. Financed by IDB Invest (formerly known as Inter-American Investment Corporation) and the Canadian Climate Fund for the Private Sector in the Americas (C2F), Divisa Solar is changing the conversation around traditional gender roles while benefitting local women professionals. Empowering women makes business sense The evidence is clear —greater gender diversity drives business success. As the renewable energy boom in Latin America leaps ahead, investing in opportunities for women professionals will be critical for energy companies to stay ahead of the curve. Alison Kay, EY global vice-chair of industry, put it in these terms: “In these times of disruptive change, as the sector undergoes fundamental transformation, diverse leadership teams make good business sense.” Subscribe to receive more content like this! [mc4wp_form]
Making social investments count
When someone searches the word “sustainability” online, images of wind farms, trees, and waterways dominate the results. What is often missing from these photographs are people. It remains a challenge to break the habit of equating sustainability just with the environment. Sustainability, at its core, is something that should conjure not just these images but illustrations depicting people and the benefits of a positive healthy community. The private sector, in particular, should desire sustainable communities since this can often translate into better economic performance. According a study conducted by Deutsche Asset Management and the University of Hamburg, there is a positive correlation between good environmental, social and governmental practices and improved corporate financial performance. In other words, it literally pays to incorporate sustainability at the core of one’s primary business. An example of this is the Kingston Freeport Terminal Limited (KFTL) sustainable program at the Kingston harbor, in Jamaica. After winning the 30-year concession to operate the Kingston Container Terminal, KFTL saw an immediate need to seek out partners to become the catalysts for development in the harbor. Making room for sustainable infrastructure The first field visits to KFTL were challenging. I arrived at Greenwich, one of the largest fishing beaches in the harbor, to be immediately struck by the complexity of its location. Situated between the harbor and the state oil refinery on a slim piece of land, I wondered how these two could coexist. The visible conditions were extremely poor: no basic infrastructure and a landscape dotted with makeshift wooden shacks. Despite this, there was a real community there; fisherfolk (as they are called in Jamaica), who for several generations have made their livelihood from fishing these waters, have adapted to an extremely challenging environment. They are the largest —more than 4,000— and most economically vulnerable stakeholder. [clickToTweet tweet="Private sector should desire sustainable communities since they improve economic performance" quote="Private sector should desire sustainable communities since they improve economic performance" theme="style1"] As we began our conversations with the fisherfolk the tension was clear. The main concern was about the impact in their business, since previous experiences negatively affected their fish catch for more than a year. To define a social investment strategy and successfully structure the deal, IDB Invest (formerly known as Inter-American Investment Corporation) began working with KFTL. The purpose was to help the company to develop a long-term sustainability approach to ensure that investments produce benefits not only to private sector companies working with us but also to society. Coming to a sustainable agreement KFTL concession allows the company to modernize the harbor and to conduct dredging operations to receive larger Panamax vessels, which are designed to pass through the Panama Canal. These operations will increase employment opportunities for the surrounding communities, and help port operators engage with other stakeholders to ensure long-term sustainability for all harbor users. However, the creation of a long-term sustainability program was also a main objective for the company. This will be paramount to enhance relationships among port stakeholders, and invest in improving fisherfolk conditions. To increase social inclusion and incentivize an open dialogue, we recommended the creation of a committee with the fisherfolk fishing beach representatives, the Jamaican Port Authority, and KFTL staff. The committee has defined three main activities to revitalize the harbor: 1) provide livelihood support during dredging activities; 2) conduct solid waste cleanup of fish nurseries within the harbor; and 3) develop a fish sanctuary and artificial reef outside the harbor. These programs are still in their planning phases. However, their investments will provide long-lasting benefits to a community that has experienced declining incomes and economic vulnerability for years. On the business side, the 830 government workers from the port were employed by KFTL, and as container traffic increases additional labor growth is expected. Moreover, since the handover an additional 40 staff have been hired in various positions throughout the company. Ultimately, KFTL commitment will help shaping what it means to be a sustainable company while simultaneously providing a tangible improvement to an extremely vulnerable population. This is one clear example of how the private sector can leverage its resources to create economic benefits not only for itself, but also broad societal benefits for key stakeholders. Subscribe to receive more content like this! [mc4wp_form]
Untapped Potential: Water, Women and Public-Private Partnerships
More than half century ago, John F. Kennedy said: “Anyone who can solve the problems of water will be worthy of two Nobel prizes — one for peace and one for science.” Today, despite having a third of the world’s freshwater resources, Latin America and the Caribbean is home to 30 million people without access to clean drinking water, and 100 million without safe sanitation. The impressive urban growth in the region during recent years has only exacerbated this problem. Women provide a unique perspective for water management The water availability challenge is already evident in the region — particularly within the poor communities in cities. Women and girls are the most affected in these households, as they are usually in charge of ensuring water provision for their families. For this reason, women can play a key role in the implementation of innovative solutions that are in-tune with the needs and preferences of impoverished communities. This can have a positive impact not only in less favored urban areas, but also in the overall way in which the sector currently operates. There are already cases where women have taken the lead in the management of poor communities’ water systems, and the results have been encouraging. This user-centered approach acknowledges women’s vital role in water provision, and is helpful not only in refining project design and management, but can also increase consumers’ willingness to pay for the service. For utility providers, this can translate into multiple benefits, including improved cash flows, more resources for infrastructure investments, and service quality enhancements. [clickToTweet tweet="Women make up less than 17% of the water and sanitation labor force #NegociosSostenibles" quote="Women make up less than 17% of the water and sanitation labor force" theme="style1"] Women’s participation in the sector does not only bring financial advantages. A Deloitte study shows that when men and women are equally involved in the design and operation of water systems, significant improvements in governance, transparency and sustainability are achieved. For example, in more than 120 water projects that included the participation of women during the design phase, the effectiveness was six to seven times higher than in projects which only included men. Yet, today women make up less than 17% of the water and sanitation labor force, and only a small fraction of management and technical experts. More needs to be done to reduce the gender gap in water provision services, and to ensure that more women have access to key roles — such as engineers, system designers and utility managers. Forging new partnerships in water One way to reduce this gender gap is by identifying partners that can catalyze the financial, technical and social advantages that the participation of women in water projects can bring – and the private sector is particularly well suited for the task. Additionally, promoting private investments in the sector can help tackle another important gap: the investment one. In 2012, only 0.2% of the region’s gross domestic product (GDP) was invested in water and sanitation, compared to 3% in overall infrastructure. Public-private partnerships (PPPs) have traditionally provided much-needed financing, technical know-how transfer and best practices in infrastructure management. While adopting PPP schemes is commonplace in energy and transportation projects, this has not been the case for water. In 2016, out of 96 PPP projects that reached financial closure in Latin America and the Caribbean, only seven were related to water and sanitation. Currently, the region’s public sector continues to hold the lion’s share of water and sanitation services. Nevertheless, many cities have adopted PPP models that work. Cartagena and Bogota contract services to mixed companies, jointly owned by local authorities, a private operator, and local private shareholders. The results have been impressive: between 1994 and 2002, access to clean water and sanitation improved significantly, and more than 80% of new connections were in poor neighborhoods. [clickToTweet tweet="Only 7 out of 96 PPP projects in #Latam and #Caribbean were for water and sanitation in 2016" quote="Only 7 out of 96 PPP projects in Latin America and the Caribbean were for water and sanitation in 2016" theme="style1"] Earlier this year, the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) Group partnered with the Korean government and the Korea Eximbank to bring best practices in water management technology to Colombia. As part of a knowledge-sharing program, companies from both countries met in Bogota to better understand the operating conditions in that city and to discuss technology transfer plans. Among the conclusions of the meetings, both parts acknowledged the role that the private sector had in improving Bogota´s water operations. As urban demand for water rises across the region, leveraging the untapped potential of both public-private partnerships and women’s participation in water projects will be invaluable. Facilitating access to PPP solutions is one way to do it, like the new single window for PPPs launched earlier this year by the IDB Group. Another way is to have gender-inclusive perspectives at the core of the projects with women playing an active role in the development and implementation of sustainable projects, which is one of our commitments. By implementing this approach, our goal to promote solutions that effectively tackle the region’s water challenges. 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Three ways banks can attract millennials
71% of the millennials in the United States would rather go to the dentist than listen to what banks are saying, according to the Millennial Disruption Index, while 35% of the banks in Latin America feel they are not meeting the needs of this generation, and 71% admit they are unable to rapidly adapt to technological advances, according to a study done by the GMix program of Stanford University and Technisys. However, in upcoming years this age group will be the main source of consumers and labor. Millennials represent close to 30% of the population in Latin America and the Caribbean. For more than half of them, only innovative companies will be successful. In effect, four out of every ten believe that the private sector is the true driver of innovation, according to a survey conducted by Deloitte. For this reason, banks in the region are looking for new formulas to attract them: 1. Chile: Collaborative spaces The millennials are the “BRICs” of the age groups: due to their size, they can disrupt the economy, particularly the banking industry, according to Scratch. In Chile, banks are betting on collaborative spaces to approach this generation. Thus, was born Work/Café, a space open to the general public for working, holding meetings, and using free Wi-Fi and that already has six locations in the country. The Santander Group’s wager includes a cafeteria with discounts for clients, executives specializing in financial advice, and ATMs for cashing checks, making deposits, and transferring funds. Another characteristic sought by millennials is flexibility. Thus, these branches add four hours to traditional banking hours in Chile, remaining open for 18 hours, Monday through Thursday. Work/Café also gives talks in order to keep capturing clients constantly. [clickToTweet tweet="35% of the banks in #Latam feel they are not meeting the needs of the millennials" quote="35% of the banks in Latin America feel they are not meeting the needs of the millennials" theme="style1"] 2. Brazil: 100% virtual In Latin America and the Caribbean, 55% of the population buys products via the Internet and 90% of millennials are digital banking clients. For this reason, a Brazilian bank made the decision to be the first 100% digital bank. Banco Original developed a website, applications for mobile telephones, tablets, and even Smart TVs to reach its public on line and close its branches. To avoid in-person visits, this Brazilian bank developed a site with services for personal, commercial, and agribusiness banking. In addition, it developed Bot Original, a service enabling interactions via Messenger and even on Facebook, with a robotic system of instantaneous responses for clients. 3. Mexico: On-line support for SMEs One of the region’s largest financing gaps is experienced by small and medium enterprises (SMEs); this gap is estimated at between $210 billion and $250 billion. However, for more than half of the region’s millennials, a venture is one of the most important achievements. Thus, the banking system is seeking ways to facilitate access to financing for SMEs given that applications for financing for companies of this type still require in-person visits in many countries. Bankaool, Mexico’s first 100% on-line bank, developed financing tools for SMEs. Clients can apply for and receive financing for their businesses in a more streamlined and expeditious way. This has also allowed the bank to carve out a niche within the financial industry based on its work generating inclusive businesses. Innovative wagers continue to flourish in the region and in the rest of the world, from applications for different financial operations and the use of biometric profiles, to the development of products for women’s banking. They all seek a positive effect on returns, efficiency, and the consumer’s experience. It is thus essential to continue looking for strategies that make attracting millennials possible since, as John D. Wright once said, “Business is like riding a bicycle. Either you keep moving or you fall down.” Now we need to see what the banking sector’s next move will be in the region. Subscribe to receive more content like this! [mc4wp_form]
Four challenges facing the buildings of the future
In the 1960s, the Jetsons showed us a futuristic city in which pollution and the use of non-renewable resources did not exist. Twenty years later, when we had already begun to hear about environmental problems, Blade Runner showed us a more pessimistic vision of 2019: a city with countless skyscrapers, over-population, and extremely high pollution levels. Today we already have much of the Jetson’s smart technology, but sustainable buildings are needed to avoid Ridley Scott’s dystopian city. In 2016, the New Climate Economy determined that the only way to grow in the future and address the current gap is with sustainable infrastructure. According to the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and Mercer study “Crossing the Bridge to Sustainable Infrastructure Investing. Exploring Ways to Make it Across,” the ability to develop buildings of this kind depends on overcoming at least four key challenges: 1. Lack of familiarity What is sustainable infrastructure? Many investors still lack the information they need to clearly identify what it is and what it is not, and to identify the nature of the business opportunity. This makes it difficult to increase this type of construction. Sustainable infrastructure is planned, constructed, and operated to comply with changing governance, social, environmental, economic, and financial standards over time. For this reason, the role of multilateral and governmental organizations is to educate, inform, and provide appropriate financial products, in order to adapt current businesses to a climate change resilient economy with low carbon emissions. 2. Limited standardization of tools and approaches As this is a megatrend in full swing, there is excessive fragmentation in sustainability standards, principles, and initiatives. In addition, there is a lack of adequate information available on what the environmental, social, and governance criteria are for companies not listed in their respective securities markets, making it difficult for investors to identify which projects are sustainable. In addition, the lack of information increases transaction costs. For this reason, the IDB Group is developing and promoting the adoption of harmonized principles and working with investors to facilitate discussions regarding currently existing barriers to sustainable infrastructure. The objective is to generate useful solutions with innovative financial instruments in local markets and public-private partnerships and concessions that facilitate private sector participation. [clickToTweet tweet="US$6 trillion investment in sustainable infrastructure per year requires #Latam and the #Caribbean" quote="US$6 trillion investment in sustainable infrastructure per year requires Latin America and the Caribbean" theme="style1"] 3. Lack of coordinated policy Another fundamental point is to have consistent regulations and a commitment to comply with them throughout the region and in all sectors. Following guidelines like the Paris Agreement and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals is key to maintaining investors’ interest in measures such as the adoption of clean energy. For Latin America and the Caribbean, it is essential to adopt instruments adapted to our reality. In this case, the IDB Group’s NDC Invest is a solution enabling countries to implement these guidelines through a simple platform for preparing sustainable and bankable project portfolios, and increasing access to concessional funds, among other benefits. 4. Lack of tools and focus on climate resilience To date, priority has not been given to how climate change adaptation should be achieved, both in terms of infrastructure and the financial tools for investing in it. However, today there are various financial tools for adapting to climate change. For example, IDB Invest (formerly known as Inter-American Investment Corporation) has mixed climate financing instruments that can be used to address these challenges and adopt climate change resilient modalities with low carbon emissions. Developing the construction of the future requires investing at least US$6 trillion per year in sustainable infrastructure for our region. This will make it possible to support the economic development of Latin America and the Caribbean, grow at the necessary pace, and prevent our cities from becoming futuristic dystopias. Subscribe to receive more content like this! [mc4wp_form]
Blockchain: Democratizing finance
Fourteen million small agricultural producers in Latin America and the Caribbean are exposed to climate change with repercussions on land quality and yield. These producers have very limited ability to access financial services such as agricultural insurance. Less than 20% of local banks serve agribusiness, due to the high costs and the difficulty of assessing credit risk or damages in the case of insurance. The revolution in financial inclusion has the shape of blocks This situation is changing through the introduction of Blockchain in financial services. Blockchain is a technology to carry out financial transactions securely, transparently, and reliably between two separate users, whether banks or individuals, without using an intermediary, so that costs can be reduced. Blockchain technology uses a distributed database that saves blocks of information and links them to facilitate information retrieval and verify that the blocks have not been altered. In the case of agricultural insurance, Blockchain makes possible the use of smart contracts between the farmer and a financial institution, using reliable information based on weather data. One of the advantages is the automatic execution of the contract that relies on predefined conditions without requiring human interpretation. For example, a compensation is paid when a defined quantity of rain is exceeded, causing production losses. Another advantage is that with this model, insurance can be accessible in terms of costs ($2 to $3 per month) and in terms of geographic coverage, which is not feasible with the traditional insurance model. [clickToTweet tweet="Some banks stated that Blockchain-based commercial services will operate before the end of 2017" quote="Some banks stated that Blockchain-based commercial services will operate before the end of 2017." theme="style1"] There are already start-ups developing products that increase financial inclusion using Blockchain technology, such as the Etherisc company with crop insurance. Other applications cover remittances’ transfers, identity and background check systems, clearing and settlement in payment systems, credit history, property registration, and land tenure. The rules of the game are changing for financial institutions With the availability of Blockchain, banks can increase their client base, geographic coverage, and the financial products they offer while reducing operating costs. In an IBM survey, 17% of the banks interviewed stated that Blockchain-based commercial services will begin to operate at commercial scale before the end of 2017. Ignoring this wave of innovation not only means losing an opportunity to contribute to financial inclusion in our region, it also means running the risk of not being competitive and being left out of the market with little notice. Subscribe to receive more content like this! [mc4wp_form]