8 Billion Reasons: Inclusive Finance as a Catalyst for Climate Action

“Inclusive finance has a unique and critical role to play in ensuring that climate finance makes its way into the hands of the most vulnerable and empowers them to act… Given the increasing scale and frequency of climate shocks, now is the time for united action to make inclusive finance a corner-stone of climate response, creating a more sustainable future for those most affected by climate change.”

— H.M. Queen Máxima of the Netherlands, United Nations Secretary-General’s Special Advocate for Inclusive Finance for Development, and Ajay Banga, President, World Bank Group

Continue reading

Board Approves World Bank’s Role as Host and Trustee for the Fund for Responding to Loss and Damage

Historic Fund will assist developing countries hit by adverse effects of climate change.

WASHINGTON, June 10, 2024—The World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors today approved the World Bank’s role as interim secretariat host and trustee of a fund for responding to loss and damage caused by climate change.

Continue reading

Tipping the scales: AI’s dual impact on developing nations

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is transforming our world, and its potential to reshape development, especially in emerging markets and developing economies, is nothing short of revolutionary. But this isn’t just about getting AI to help with scheduling or recipe recommendations, it’s about real change, real challenges, and monumental opportunities.

Continue reading

How resilient ports can mitigate global supply chain disruptions

Imagine stopping by your favorite grocery store only to find barren shelves and shockinglyCPPI-1140x500_1140x500 high prices. This scenario is not as unlikely as you might think. Global supply chains, largely unseen by ordinary consumers, work 24/7 across the globe to ensure that products are available at reasonable prices.

Continue reading

Observing World Menstrual Hygiene Day: Understanding the struggles through data

On May 28, we mark World Menstrual Hygiene Day, a time to spotlight the importanceshutterstock-2371950649-1 of menstrual health, which must be recognized as the complete physical, mental, and social well-being of women and girls in relation to the menstrual cycle. Menstrual hygiene is the ability of women and adolescent girls to manage their menstruation in a hygienic manner, with dignity, using clean menstrual absorbents, and having access to facilities for changing in privacy, as well as for washing their bodies and hands.

Continue reading

Global entrepreneurship trends in 5 charts

Entrepreneurship plays a crucial role in economic development. Understood as the activities of an individual or a group of individuals aimed at initiating an economic enterprise, entrepreneurship creates jobs, fosters innovation, improves productivity.  However, disparities exist between the economies worldwide when it comes to entrepreneurship. Which economies have the highest rates of entrepreneurship? How have entrepreneurship rates evolved in recent years?

Continue reading

To tackle climate change, governments increasingly turn to green subsidies

Given the global concern about the existential threat posed by climate change, government subsidies aimed at spurring green technologies and the green transition—from solar panels to electric vehicles—can play a greater role. And the number of subsidies with green objectives is indeed increasing, according to the World Bank’s new Green Subsidies Database

Continue reading

Latest TechEmerge News & Opportunities

Today we are sharing a newsletter produced by the IFC. Its a great read , please subscribe.

Welcome to the latest edition of TechEmerge Innovation Exchange!

In this issue, we announce details of a new multi-million dollar IFC sustainable cooling initiative that will expand on the work of TechEmerge. We share an update on our newest pilots and celebrate fundraising success for one of our high-potential innovators. We also spotlight a TechEmerge adopter hitting the headlines for its work combatting food waste in Kenya and a new – and tasty – pilot in Mexico.   

Please don’t forget, you can contact us with any questions via techemerge@ifc.org. And if you enjoy this newsletter, please share it with your peers and colleagues.

All the best,

The TechEmerge Team     New Sustainable Cooling Initiative to Build on TechEmerge Success   IFC has announced the signing of a new $12.7 million Sustainable Cooling Initiative with the UK’s Department of Energy Security and Net Zero that will build on the success of the TechEmerge Sustainable Cooling Innovation program. The new initiative will have an expanded scope of operations, focusing not only on innovative technologies but on transformative cooling systems. This includes solutions for district cooling, space cooling, manufacturing and innovation, cold chains and temperature-controlled logistics, and finance for consumers and small and medium enterprises. While this is a global initiative, the initial priority countries include Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, Egypt, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Pakistan, and Turkiye. Read more here.      Update: New Cooling Pilots Underway!    Seventeen new pilots have been approved for the next phase of the TechEmerge Sustainable Cooling Innovation program, with 14 innovators from across the world teaming up with 13 leading local companies in Latin America, Africa, and Asia. With technical support and grant funding from TechEmerge and our donor, the United Kingdom Department for Energy Security & Net Zero, these new pilot partners will field test cooling innovations that aim to reduce energy consumption, operating costs, and greenhouse gas emissions.     TechEmerge Innovator Ecozen Raises $30 million   TechEmerge Innovator Ecozen plans to expand its offerings and extend its market reach in Africa and Southeast Asia, after successfully raising $30 million. This latest injection of debt and equity comes from Nuveen Global Fund and other equity investors, with debt support from InCred Credit Fund and the International Development Finance Corporation. India-based Ecozen participated in a TechEmerge pilot in Nigeria with Agvest Limited and engineering company Lange & Grant to field test a portable solar-powered cold room for fruits, vegetables, and other agricultural commodities. The company says it has grown fivefold over the past two years, with a threefold increase in profit, and aims to double its revenue in 2024-25. Read more here.     In the News: TechCrunch Profiles TechEmerge Adopter   Kenya’s Farm to Feed is in the headlines, with the well-known publication TechCrunch highlighting its efforts to curb food waste. Farm to Feed is a digitally-enabled aggregator that sources imperfect and surplus produce from farmers. It is partnering in a unique TechEmerge pilot with three innovators: it will test Greentech’s medium and short-haul transport solution to collect produce from farms, Purix’s cold storage innovation for warehousing of produce, and Eja-ice’s last-mile transport solution. Collectively, this pilot aims to increase produce shelf-life and reduce losses throughout the supply chain. Read more here.     Pilot Spotlight: A Taste of Success in Mexico’s Berry Fields    Israeli innovator NOF has partnered with Aneberries, Mexico’s largest cooperative of berry growers, to pilot a new post-harvest cooling solution. Initial results from trials in 20 berry fields indicate that berries that received NOF treatment maintained saleable quality, size, color, firmness, and freshness for almost twice as long as those that did not. Shelf-life in cold storage also doubled from 10 to 20 days, while the sugar content of the berries was generally higher as well. NOF and Aneberries are now developing the business case for commercializing the innovation.     IFC’s TechEmerge is implemented in partnership with the UK Government’s Department of Energy and Net Zero     If you received this newsletter from a friend or colleague subscribe here to stay connected.   Follow IFC Disruptive Technologies & Funds Follow IFC Disruptive Technologies & Funds

To Grow Strong, Grow Green

The World Bank Group’s mission is to end poverty on a livable planet. With more than 50Rwanda-wetlands-resized-780x439 percent of global GDP – $44 trillion in economic resources – dependent on nature, it is critical to understand the economic impact of biodiversity to achieve this mission.

How do we do this?

Taking a Dynamic Approach

Nature is everywhere, not just in national parks.

The World Bank’s vision for biodiversity includes four dynamic ideas:

Continue reading

Preserving the Treasures of the Amazon

STORY HIGHLIGHTSASL-Jaguar-Credit-Lucas-Bustamante-CI-Ecuador

  • The Amazon region is home to 10% of the world’s known species, and there is still much to discover.
  • Many Amazonian species are threatened by habitat loss, environmental crimes such as poaching and other human activities.
  • The Amazon Sustainable Landscapes Program has projects in seven countries in the region, working with communities to address these issues.