cat/sustainable-energy-finance-and-climate-change
In recent years, there has been a renewed appreciation for the critical role SME-focused development banks play in the economies of many countries. Besides supplying much-needed capital to businesses during times of crisis and recession, development banks are increasingly supporting essential change.
Matthew Gamser, CEO of the SME Finance Forum, was the keynote speaker at the ADFIMI International Development Forum on September 11-12 in Istanbul, Turkey. Under the theme, “SME Finance and Development in the Age of Digitalization,” the Forum analyzed the current state of knowledge about contributions of SMEs to economic and social well-being globally and in Organization of Islamic Cooperation Countries.
This report shows that almost half of Ant Financial Services Group’s 450 million users signed up to Ant Forest, an app that gamifies carbon footprint tracking – cutting greenhouse gas emissions and demonstrating the massive potential of Fintech (financial technology) for supporting sustainable development. By the end of January 2017, the approach had avoided 150,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions, thanks to the accumulation of small behavior changes, with much more to come.
The 2017 edition of CGAP’s annual Cross-Border Funder Survey reports funding commitments from the 23 largest international funders of financial inclusion, representing 80 percent of the full set of over 54 international funders and 73 percent of the global estimated funding commitments for financial inclusion in 2016.
Major project themes in 2016 included:
Leora Klapper, Lead Economist, Development Research Group, World Bank and Natascha Beinker, Co-Chair G20 Global Partnership for Financial Inclusion (GPFI) and Co-Chair GPFI SME Finance Subgroup, German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) co-author an article on how SMEs need financial help to meet sustainability standards and join global value chains.
Through the partnership with Khan Bank - a SME Finance Forum member, IFC aims to strengthen the capital base of the bank and to promote financing support to micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs).
The financing package entails subscription to a five-year US dollar-denominated green bond of up to $30 million, and provision of five-year sub-debt of up to $40 million from IFC’s own account. The green bond will represent the first issued by a private sector company in the country.
Two thousand international banking executives from 54 countries will gather in Hollywood, Florida for the 53rd FELABAN Annual Assembly to discuss key topics related to the international banking industry, including: Global Economic Outlook, Green Financing, Business Opportunities in Renewable Energy & International Trade.
SME Finance Forum member Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC), the U.S. Government’s development finance institution, has provided initial financing to SunFunder’s $85 million Solar Energy Transformation Fund which supports businesses providing solar solutions to some of the millions of people in Sub-Saharan Africa and India who lack access to electricity.
For this edition of the annual meeting, ODB and the ADFIAP leadership have chosen the theme, “DFI’s Role in National Development” to highlight the various programs and undertakings of DFIs in the development of entrepreneurship, infrastructure, technology, and initiatives for climate action.
Close to 200 senior microfinance practitioners all over the globe will meet to discuss, network and understand the main challenges the industry is facing at the moment. They will present success stories from the leading players on the market, compiled with the most innovative solutions which enable a smooth transition into digital microfinance.
