Investing for Impact

This is the fourth edition in a series of podcasts from CDC Environmental and Social Responsibility team. This episode focuses on the role of the board on managing environmental, social and business integrity matters. Here we interview Rosalind Kainyah and Imoni Akpofure from Kina Advisory.

More than 1.2 billion people in the world live without access to electricity. It's an issue that's holding back development. The World Bank estimates that, with reliable power, African economies could be growing up to two percentage points faster every year. The emergence of off-grid solar systems used by homes and small businesses is beginning to address the problem. These typically consist of a solar panel and battery, which powers a set of lights, a phone charger and radio. Whilst this industry has grown massively in recent years, how much further can it go and what barriers to the companies in the industry face? In this podcast we speak to three people working in the sector to answer these questions: - Jesse Moore, CEO and Co-Founder of M-Kopa - Laura Sundblad, who works on access to finance at GOGLA - the Global Off-Grid Lighting Assocation - Geoff Manley, Investment Director at CDC and the person leading our off-grid solar strategy

This is the third edition in a series of podcasts from CDC Environmental and Social Responsibility team. This episode focuses on how to build Environmental and Social Management Systems (ESMS), where we discuss what good looks like and what is the value for companies of a functional ESMS in place.

This is the second edition in a series of podcasts from CDC Environmental and Social Responsibility team. This episode focuses on labor and working conditions, where we discuss what good looks like and what is the value for companies of good labor practices.

This is the first edition in a series of podcasts from our Environmental and Social Responsibility team, which focuses on how businesses can benefit from introducing high sustainability standards. Here, we speak to Mark Goldsmith – the founder of Five Oak, a sustainability consultancy – about how environmental, social and governance (ESG) has evolved over the years, where environmental and social due diligence should focus and the business case for ESG.

Economic growth across African countries is under half that of the South Asian economies, while Africa has double the portion of unemployed. If the continent is to achieve decent work for all, it needs more formal firms creating quality jobs for the millions of people entering the labour market every year. New research from the Africa Programme at Chatham House (available from 8 September) looks at how to grow larger businesses in sub-Saharan Africa that can create the jobs the continent needs. In this podcast, Alex Vines from the Africa Programme, Alex MacGillivray from CDC, and Chibamba Lopa from impact investor Grofin discuss why the work's important and what impact it'll have.

A decade or so of 'Africa rising' - a period of high growth for the majority of the largest economies on the continent - has given way to a more nuanced picture. A recent study from McKinsey Global Institute finds that some countries have continued to grow, while others have experienced a slowdown. In this podcast we look at this McKinsey report - called Lions on the Move II - and ask whether we can still be positive about the overall economic outlook in Africa, whether there is potential for further growth, and how investors can support businesses on the continent. First, we hear from Tenbite Ermias, a partner at McKinsey, before discussing what the findings mean for investors with CDC's Dalia Aga-Shaw.

Earlier this year, the Executive Director of the International Energy Agency said improving building standards should be the world's number one priority when it comes to tackling climate change. The opportunity for introducing measures to improve buildings standards is particularly strong in developing countries, where the demand for construction is greater because populations are growing quickly and people are moving to cities. In this podcast, we look at the case for investing in green buildings in emerging markets. We hear from Prashant Kapoor from the IFC, who led the development of a green building standard called edge. We also speak to Inge Huijbrechts from the hotel group Carlson Rezidor and CDC's Joram Sengendo.

It's difficult to dispute that everyone working in supply chains - whether businesses or individuals - should get a fair deal for the work or service that they provide. But often it can be difficult to define what exactly that deal should look like. In this podcast we hear from the Ethical Trading Initiative's Peter McAllister about what makes a quality job, before looking at two different approaches to ensuring the people and small businesses working in supply chains are properly rewarded for their contribution. Ritu Kumar, CDC's Director of Environmental and Social Responsibility discusses the work she has done with manufacturing companies, while Pamela Cornes from SAB Miller talks about the company's approach to supporting small enterprises.

Having access to reliable and affordable electricity has a transformative effect on people's lives. It means families can light homes and businesses can grow and create jobs. It's an important issue and one that is covered in the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals. But, with around two billion people in the world without access to reliable power, achieving it comes with challenges. In this podcast, we hear from people working in various areas of the energy sector in developing countries to find out how these challenges can be navigated. From large scale energy generation and distribution, to off-grid renewable technology. We speak to: - Christine Eibs Singer from Power for All - a campaign to deliver universal energy access before 2030 through decentralised renewables. - Henry Aszklar, CEO of Globeleq - a large energy generation business in Africa - Selestino Babungi, Managing Director of Umeme - Uganda's national electricity distribution company