Sustainable BusinessRecent posts
Guatemala Advances in Diversifying Energy Sources for the Transport Sector
IDB Invest supported technical studies that provided evidence for the introduction of a 10% ethanol blend in gasoline in Guatemala.
Making Every Dollar Count: Capital Management for Greater Development Impact
How IDB Invest optimizes its balance sheet to expand investment capacity through its Originate-to-Share model.
The Untapped Opportunity in SME Banking
IDB Invest is helping financial institutions across Latin America and the Caribbean strengthen their SME banking capabilities for long-term growth.
Green infrastructure: protect your oceanfront with a coral reef
Hurricane Matthew just swept across the Caribbean, leaving behind destruction and crumbled infrastructure. In Haiti, impassable roads and destroyed bridges between the capital Port-au-Prince and the areas most impacted by the hurricane pose the biggest challenge in reaching the affected population. The overall damage of the hurricane is estimated in the billions of dollars.
Local investors jumpstart capital markets and green energy matrix
Last night’s Latin Finance Deal of the Year Awards dinner in New York City highlighted some non-traditional deals. The Best Renewable Energy Financing Award went to Colonia Arias – a Uruguayan wind farm project with a unique structure to both tap local capital markets and mitigate the effects of climate change.
How Argentina can attract the private sector
This week I had the opportunity to participate in the Argentina Business and Investment Forum in Buenos Aires. The world has been watching as the country took center stage to start the conversation with the private sector and discuss ways to open its markets to the world.
Five Fintechs Disrupting MSME Finance
Big data is changing everything from the way we shop to how we travel. Financial technology companies (fintechs) are now following in the footsteps of giants like Amazon, Airbnb and Uber to transform the banking industry in the digital age. Fintech solutions have shown particular promise across emerging markets where big data is used in advanced credit analytics to help determine a borrower’s creditworthiness based on non-traditional indicators like cell phone usage and social media activity.
Can an entire city switch to LED lights?
Over the past few years, LEDs have become increasingly common, as they provide long-lasting performance for a fraction of the energy used by traditional lights. Think of the latest generation of LED TVs, modern car lights or even household light bulbs. Many LEDs today have an expected lifespan of over 20 years while using 80% less energy to produce the same amount of light. With savings like this, imagine switching over an entire city to LED lighting.
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.
