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.
Four ways to get more women on corporate boards in Latin America
Two weeks ago, Banco Santander invited 50 women to the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) Anderson School of Management to participate in the W50 program. The W50 program is part of the Banco Santander Universities program. It builds on the decision of former Bank’s president Emilio Botín that Banco Santander should maximize its social impact through universities providing education and capacity building. Over 90% of Banco Santander’s Corporate Social Responsibility Program is invested in the Universities program, an investment of over US$240 (EUR 210) million in scholarships since 2005.
Water crises drive private sector innovation
Protecting areas that provide water through water funds highlights an innovative way to spur green growth driven by the private sector. With the on-going water shortages in Sao Paulo, Brazil, the region has a heightened awareness of the importance of securing water supply for big cities. Water supply links increasingly to deforestation and poor watershed management.
CEOs Talk Shop – Four sustainable investments to tackle business challenges
Whether you’re a global tourism operator in Jamaica or a midsize recycling company in Honduras, corporates of all sizes often face similar business challenges.
The investor world and green growth
I recently attended the Regional Global Green Growth Forum (3GF) in Latin America and the Caribbean in Santiago, Chile. At this forum and in the business world, we witness how issues of sustainability and green growth are transforming the real economy. In the coming years in Chile, non-conventional renewable energy will make up more than 70% of new installed capacity. In Brazil, the second auction round for solar drew more than 2 GW in bids for investments of almost $3 billion. And in Costa Rica, hundreds of companies have small-scale power generation systems, as part of the country’s distributed generation power plan.
10 things a company needs to know about the market at the base of the pyramid
Seventy percent of the population in Latin America and the Caribbean – more than 400 million people – live on less than $10 a day. Even though their income is low, this segment of the population still demands goods and services, and represents a market of $760 billion per year. Hundreds of pioneering companies see opportunities in this market to do profitable business while improving the quality of life of low-income people. But where should they start?
The “Latinization” of public-private partnerships: What the world can learn from Latin America and the Caribbean
*By David Bloomgarden The world can learn from the experience of Latin American and the Caribbean in mobilizing private investment in public infrastructure and services.
