Sound environmental and social practices can help businesses secure competitive advantage in a growing number of markets and sectors. IFC PEP Africa’s work in this area focuses on promoting sustainable energy use through cleaner technologies, safeguarding water and biodiversity resources, improving labor practices, and promoting gender equity.
IFC can help companies gain a competitive advantage through environmental and social risk reduction and management, and the identification of opportunities that enhance business value.
IFC PEP Africa’s sustainability business line also works to demonstrate the commercial value of environmentally sustainable business practices, nurture business initiatives that deliver environmental and social benefits, and encourage the replication of successful models. In Africa, the work of the environmental and social sustainability team also covers IFC's work promoting gender equity.
IFC PEP Africa Environmental Sustainability Services
Cleaner Technologies
IFC PEP Africa helps companies invest in new technologies and business practices that offer environmental benefits and enhance productivity. It helps overcome barriers such as the initial costs of developing systems that minimize waste generation, water consumption, energy usage, and process emission volumes. The objective is to help businesses limit adverse environmental impact.
Social Sustainability
IFC PEP Africa helps companies manage the social, environmental, and labor dimensions of their business practices. It also supports strategic investment in local communities from where labor is sourced.
Sustainability Finance
IFC supports training and other educational initiatives on environmental and social due diligence. IFC also aims to develop a sustainable market for micro, small and medium enterprises and financial intermediaries, and has been a leader in promoting the integration of sustainability principles into emerging financial markets.
Sustainable Energy
Transforming markets for energy efficiency using renewable energy technologies is an IFC priority. IFC promotes energy-efficient and low-cost mechanisms for providing safe and environmentally-friendly lighting to rural areas. An example is the ‘Lighting Africa’ initiative, which is leading the move away from kerosene appliances towards light emitting diodes in parts of Africa.
Biodiversity
IFC PEP Africa encourages commercially viable activities that contribute to the conservation of biological diversity in developing countries.
Contact: Khetsiwe Dlamini
Tel: +27 11 731 3023
Email: kdlamini@ifc.org
IFC Gender Enterpreneurship Markets
IFC's Gender Entrepreneurship Markets team creates new opportunities and contributes to the development impact of IFC investments and projects by leveraging the untapped potential of women. IFC GEM activities are structured around three core areas.
- Assessing gender dimensions of the business enabling environment and supporting reform.
- Promoting access to finance for women entrepreneurs.
- Providing value-added services to IFC clients in industry sectors such as mining, agriculture and infrastructure, through IFC small enterprise linkage and community development programs.
Past IFC GEM initiatives include gender and growth assessments in Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, and Ghana and the study on access to finance for women entrepreneurs in South Africa. In Nigeria, IFC has provided a $15 million line of credit through Access Bank and an accompanying advisory services program to help the bank target women entrepreneurs. This program is being replicated in other countries. In Ghana, IFC is implementing a gender-related linkage program with Newmont Gold Ghana.
Contact: Makena Mwiti
Telephone: +254 20 275 9416
Email:
mmwiti@ifc.org
IFC PEP Africa Programs
- In South Africa, IFC PEP Africa is advising Lonmin Plc, a leading platinum miner on a project to improve mine safety and efficiency, and promote sustainable economic development in the area surrounding Lonmin's mining operations in South Africa. IFC's advisory services program with Lonmin covers local supplier development, women employment, HIV/AIDS risk mitigation, and community development.
- IFC is currently exploring several potential projects to assist existing clients in mining and other sectors to improve their energy efficiency
- IFC and the World Bank are implementing the Lighting Africa initiative, which aims to mobilize the private sector to bring modern off-grid, energy saving lighting solutions, such as fluorescent light bulbs and light emiting diodes, to the African market.
