Sustainable BusinessRecent posts
How to Create Jobs in the Caribbean: From Payment Delays to Payroll Growth
Discover a pathway that speeds up payments, unlocks cash flow, and empowers Caribbean entrepreneurs to take more orders and hire.
Facing the Storm: How IDB Invest Supports Caribbean Private Sector Resilience
IDB Invest is partnering with the Green Climate Fund to help Caribbean businesses better withstand future climate shocks through blended finance and technical assistance.
Digital Innovation Expands Financing for Women-Led SMEs in Latin America and the Caribbean
Loans and disbursements approved in less than 24 hours, enabled by artificial intelligence, and early invoice payments powered by fintech solutions are transforming access to credit for MSMEs, especially those led by women.
Transparency is good for business
One out of three Latin Americans acknowledges having paid at least one bribe in exchange for some type of benefit related to public services. In tandem with this, major corruption scandals have come to light in recent years, affecting both governments and private companies. Small and large-scale corruption and lack of transparency are present at the individual, government, and business level and adversely impact countries’ productivity and economic growth.
Sustainable Finance: What can the financial sector do to better manage environmental and social risks?
In January 2018, Larry Fink, the CEO of BlackRock published an open letter to the CEOs of publicly traded companies. His message was clear, companies have a responsibility to deliver profit, and make “a positive contribution to society.” Failure to do the latter comes at the risk of losing its license to operate. Consumers can influence through decisions to purchase products from companies that value broader corporate goals of environmental impact, workforce diversity, and community engagement. What may come as a surprise statement from a private equity fund with $6 trillion under management is increasingly the de facto market standard.
Wildlife corridors: Saving lives, biodiversity and money
Latin America and the Caribbean count for 40% of the world’s biodiversity. However, the region has lost a big part of its natural capital during the past decades. For that reason, the IDB, in partnership with the Global Environmental Fund (GEF), recognizes the importance of taking action to support countries and private sector companies in the region to manage their natural resources to generate economic growth.
Development Effectiveness: Adding Value beyond Financing
A new private sector In his recent annual letter to CEOs, Larry Fink, the founder and CEO of the investment firm BlackRock, called on companies to incorporate both profit and purpose into their business strategies. “Society is demanding that companies, both public and private, serve a social purpose. To prosper over time, every company must not only deliver financial performance, but also show how it makes a positive contribution to society.”
The issues that marked the private sector in 2017
For the private sector, 2017 was a year marked by major changes and a call to prepare for the future. From the damages done by natural phenomena to the adoption of new technologies, several factors made this the year of adaptation, for both businesses and people. In this context, many Latin American and Caribbean countries began to explore new ways to grow, invest and even generate energy. Here we share the most discussed issues in 2017: 1. Solar energy took off In 2017, the constant increase in oil prices and the reduced cost of photovoltaic panels helped to spur notable growth in solar power, both in the developed markets and in Latin America and the Caribbean. The growth of this industry has gone hand in hand with the public and private sectors in the region, which have worked on procurement policies and programs to incentivize the use of clean energies, to transform the energy matrix and stimulate private investment. Review once again which countries are leading in solar energy in the region. 2. Natural disasters demand sustainable buildings Hurricanes and floods produced millions in losses, in Latin America and the Caribbean and the rest of the world during 2017. Hurricane Irma devastated the Caribbean, while other phenomena also left their mark in various countries of the region. For all of them, the lesson was clear: sustainable buildings are required. In all sectors, climate change is expected to continue causing havoc, and for this reason infrastructure must be increasingly more resilient. After the storm, many have already made the decision to adapt. We leave you with the case of Peru and its model of Reconstruction with Changes following the floods that swept through the north of the country. 3. Bitcoin whets investors’ appetite Bitcoin was another main issue in 2017. The cryptocurrency achieved fame when it entered the market, with prices above US$17,000, awakening crowds’ appetite. Although there are still many experts who warn about the risks of investing in digital currency, the imminent bubble it can cause in the markets, and the lack of regulation, it quickly became widespread. For many, investing in Bitcoin is a new way to diversify funds and even offset inflation in their countries. Also for this reason, every day there are more who seek to dabble in digital mining. Here we share the opportunities and dangers of Bitcoin mining in our region. 2017 was a year for adapting to new forms of construction, new ways to generate energy and even new ways to save and invest. For companies in Latin America and the Caribbean, this capacity will be key to continuing to have an impact on development and growing sustainably. As Peter Druker says: “the entrepreneur always searches for change, responds to it and exploits it as an opportunity.” What changes do you think will occur in 2018? Discover the rest of most searched terms during the year in Google Year in Search 2017.
Mobilizing the private sector to ensure access to water and sanitation for all
Sunday November 19th, 2017 will be Toilet Day. Why would we need a Toilet Day?! It is not a celebration day; as per the United Nations, “World Toilet Day is about taking action to reach the 2.4 billion people living without a toilet.” In Latin America and the Caribbean, access to sanitation is one of our greatest challenges: only 22% of the population has access to safely managed sanitation, and 20 million practice open defecation. So how do we make this day meaningful? We should put it in a wider context, as it obviously goes beyond raising awareness. Indeed, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) propose to transform the world. Goal six ambitions to “ensure access to water and sanitation for all” includes a clear target: By 2030, achieve access to adequate and equitable sanitation and hygiene for all and end open defecation, paying special attention to the needs of women and girls and those in vulnerable situations. A $15 billion market There is a case for the private sector in this target: toilets play a crucial role in creating a strong economy, as well as improving health and protecting people’s safety and dignity. Given the magnitude of the resources needed and the public resources constraints, it is essential to mobilize the private sector for: the funding of the investments, the construction, and the efficiency improvement in the operation of the infrastructure. In sanitation, there are near 15 million households without access to improved sanitation in Latin America and the Caribbean, which represents a market and potential revenue of up to $15 billion only for construction of sanitation infrastructure. While in pit or septic tank emptying and wastewater/sludge collection services, the market potentially reached over a billion dollars per year across the region, according to an IDB study. This also means the potential creation of thousands of jobs, provided with the help of the private sector. A drop of financial innovation For this we need a clear risk-reward framework, recognizing that “financial sustainability can be achieved through a combination of rates, tariffs and subsidies”. Also, it is important to state that — under adequate models — the private sector can supplement the public-sector approaches to reach lower income population, which is the most affected by lack of service coverage. [clickToTweet tweet="In #sanitation, there is a potential revenue of up to $15 billion in #LatinAmerica & #Caribbean" quote="In sanitation, there is a potential revenue of up to $15 billion in Latin America and the Caribbean" theme="style1"] To better serve the base of the pyramid, the region needs to promote blend participation from public, private and financial sectors for water and sanitation services. For example, SOIL, in Haiti, shows an innovative sanitation business model for lower-income households. It is a service to collect the waste from ecological toilets to treatment plants, where it is sold for agricultural purposes. This sustainable model covers the entire sanitation chain and after a few years it has already served over 2,000 people. With only 12 years left to accomplish the SDGs and the vast amount of resources required, we should recognize the need for an integral approach to water and sanitation services. Today, those lacking these network services are those that pay the highest price for alternative arrangements. However, with coordination between the public and the private sector we could develop products to better serve them. Development banks, like the IDB Group, engaging the private sector through IDB Invest and leveraging its public-sector presence, have an important role to play in promoting those synergies. Subscribe to receive more content like this! [mc4wp_form]
