The UN estimates that the annual financing gap for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is in the trillions of dollars. The Independent High-Level Expert Group on Climate Finance estimates developing countries’ investment needs to address climate change and the energy transition at $3.2 trillion a year by 2035, excluding China.
Closing these gaps will require private sector investment, and in this episode of the ESG Insider podcast we’re talking with Sebnem Sener, the Head of Private Finance for the SDGs at the UN Development Programme (UNDP) Sustainable Finance Hub. She explains the challenges and opportunities of bringing in private capital to address sustainability challenges like climate change, stressed food systems and poverty.
"We work at UNDP in many different ways to unlock the private capital that goes beyond profit and that actively contributes to sustainable growth for people and planet," Sebnem says.
At the same time, she notes that the private sector should not function like philanthropy.
“Profitability needs to be there,” she says.
Read research from S&P Global Sustainable1 on the need for climate finance: https://www.spglobal.com/esg/insights/featured/special-editorial/narrowing-the-climate-finance-gap-will-take-more-action-from-banks
Listen to our interview with Marcos Neto, Assistant Secretary General and Director of the UNDP’s Bureau of Policy and Programme Support here: https://www.spglobal.com/esg/podcasts/un-official-says-credibility-of-climate-cops-at-stake-heading-into-2025
Join us to celebrate the 7th season of this podcast with a live event in NYC on Feb. 6. Register here: https://events.spglobal.com/event/075966b7-f60b-4a45-b489-c35e954d8baf/summary-full-event-info-?RefId=S1EMAIL
This piece was published by S&P Global Sustainable1, a part of S&P Global.
Copyright ©2025 by S&P Global
DISCLAIMER
By accessing this Podcast, I acknowledge that S&P GLOBAL makes no warranty, guarantee, or representation as to the accuracy or sufficiency of the information featured in this Podcast. The information, opinions, and recommendations presented in this Podcast are for general information only and any reliance on the information provided in this Podcast is done at your own risk. This Podcast should not be considered professional advice. Unless specifically stated otherwise, S&P GLOBAL does not endorse, approve, recommend, or certify any information, product, process, service, or organization presented or mentioned in this Podcast, and information from this Podcast should not be referenced in any way to imply such approval or endorsement. The third party materials or content of any third party site referenced in this Podcast do not necessarily reflect the opinions, standards or policies of S&P GLOBAL. S&P GLOBAL assumes no responsibility or liability for the accuracy or completeness of the content contained in third party materials or on third party sites referenced in this Podcast or the compliance with applicable laws of such materials and/or links referenced herein. Moreover, S&P GLOBAL makes no warranty that this Podcast, or the server that makes it available, is free of viruses, worms, or other elements or codes that manifest contaminating or destructive properties.
S&P GLOBAL EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ANY AND ALL LIABILITY OR RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL OR OTHER DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF ANY INDIVIDUAL'S USE OF, REFERENCE TO, RELIANCE ON, OR INABILITY TO USE, THIS PODCAST OR THE INFORMATION PRESENTED IN THIS PODCAST.
All Things Sustainable (formerly ESG Insider)