What will it take to end poverty on a livable planet? As the World Bank Group charts a new transformative path for a Better Bank Group, the sense of urgency in redoubling efforts toward sustainable development is palpable as we gear up for this week’s Spring Meetings in Washington, DC.
For the private sector, delivering impact demands pushing further and harder at the frontiers of development finance. With public resources strained, the private sector holds the key to generating the trillions needed to tackle urgent global challenges. But significant barriers—from regulatory uncertainty to political risk to foreign exchange exposure—still impede the flow of private capital into emerging markets.
To address these barriers, new data published by the World Bank Group, complementing statistics produced by the Global Emerging Markets Risk Database Consortium (GEMs), can help private investors feel more confident about investing in these regions. The report reveals the credit risk profile of private and public sector investments in emerging markets, providing valuable insights that can help mitigate the perceived risks and uncertainties. The analysis revealed, for example, that from 1986 to 2023, IFC’s portfolio exhibited a default rate of just 4.1 percent, evidence there is great potential for investors.
IFC Insights invites you to be a part of the conversation on how to scale up private capital for development impact. Join the live events and share your questions with the experts.
-- The Editors
The Spring Meetings bring together leaders from government, private sector, civil society, and academia to explore solutions to tackle global challenges head-on. Be part of the action—watch the livestream in English, العربية, Français and Español and join the conversation on social media using the hashtag #WBGMeetings.
Join this conversation on April 17 at 10:00 AM ET / 14:00 GMT on what it will take to scale up the solutions and investments that will help connect millions more Africans to electricity and transform African economies. Sign up to watch live in English, العربية, Français, and Español.
Join this conversation on April 18 at 1:00 PM ET / 17:00 GMT to learn how The World Bank is working closely with countries and partners to help ensure more people across the world have greater access to high quality and affordable health care. Sign up to watch live in English, العربية, Français, and Español
Investor confidence in emerging markets is critical to mobilizing private capital where it's needed most. In a first-of-its-kind report by the World Bank Group with insights into 40 years of lending in emerging markets, the numbers speak for themselves. Read more | Lire l’article en français
A community of farmers found new hope in the construction of the Mocuba solar plant that is providing consistent, clean, and affordable energy to homes and small businesses. Read more | Lire l’article en français
A long-term partnership with IFC in Türkiye has helped to address water quality issues, improve water and wastewater services, and had a positive impact on the area's wildlife and biodiversity. Read more | Lire l’article en français
Just like football needs rules, so does climate finance. Clear climate finance taxonomies are like the referee in a football match – they make sure everyone agrees on what constitutes a true "green" investment. Watch video
IFC’s Global Head of Banking for Women, Jessica Schnabel , shares insights on gender-focused financial instruments, services and initiatives that are reshaping the landscape of women's economic inclusion. Listen here
NEW RESEARCH
Africa’s digital startup ecosystem is one of the fastest-growing worldwide and African startups that incorporate disruptive tech tend to be more successful and receive more funding than their peers, new IFC research finds.Read MoreI Lire l’article en français
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Research conducted by the IFC-facilitated Sustainable Banking and Finance Network (SBFN) offers compelling evidence of rapid policy action driving progress in sustainable finance across 66 emerging markets. SBFN member countries have collectively introduced over 400 policies to enable sustainable finance initiatives and have issued a staggering US$759 billion in thematic bonds.
Download the 2024 Global Progress Brief | Access the SBFN Data Portal
WHAT'S ON THE HORIZON
Attend these events:
Location: Washington, DC | Event Date:April 15-20
Location: Washington, DC | Event Date:April 22
Location: Montreal, Canada | Event Date:April 24
Location: Dubai, UAE | Event Date:April 30
Location: Barcelona, Spain | Event Date:May 7-9
Location: Kigali, Rwanda | Event Date:May 16-17
JOB OPENINGS
To learn more about jobs at IFC, visit www.ifc.org/careersand sign up for our “job alerts” to receive job opportunities in real time. Here are some of the openings:
Location: Freetown, Sierra Leone | Deadline: April 17
Location: Mumbai, India | Deadline: April 20
Location:Washington, DC | Deadline: April 20
Location: Sao Paulo, Brazil | Deadline:April 24
Location: Washington, DC | Deadline: April 25
Location:Washington, DC | Deadline: April 29
Thank you for reading IFC Insights. Send your feedback to ifc_insights@ifc.org.
IFC INSIGHTS EDITORIAL TEAM
Chance Barnett , Brian Beary , Lee-Roy Chetty , Moussoukoro Diop , Bukola Ogunyemi , Isabelle Poupaert , Nataliya Radchenko , Daisy Serem , Gavin Thorpe , Vinit Tyagi , and Chris Vellacott .
