Publications

Jan 15, 2021

Mobilization of Private Finance by Multilateral Development Banks and Development Finance Institutions 2019

The 2019 Joint Report shows mobilization of $63.6 billion for middle- & lower-income countries, with $6.7 billion for LIC only, up 21% from 2018. Total mobilization of $175 billion is up 9%.

English | 60 pages | 2021 IFC

Jan 13, 2021

Ctrl-Alt-Delete: A Green Reboot for Emerging Markets

The report analyzes the economic and climate benefits of a green post-COVID recovery. The report finds that supporting investments and channeling COVID-19 recovery funds in ten key sectors across 21 emerging markets can generate $10.2 trillion in investment opportunity, create 213.4 million jobs, and reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) by 4 billion tons. The report focuses on decarbonizing existing and future energy infrastructure, building climate-smart cities, and helping speed the transition of key industries to green production practices.

English | 84 pages | IFC 2021

Dec 8, 2020

Sustainable Finance Practices in South African Retirement Funds

A look at opportunities to unlock investment in green & climate finance & support a resilient economy

English | 66 pages | 2020 IFC

Nov 30, 2020

Leading a Clean Urban Recovery with Electric Buses

With the imposition of lockdowns in early 2020 due to the onset of COVID-19, bus, train, and metro lines experienced significant decreases in ridership. Between March and April, public transit ridership was down 70-90 percent in some places. These recent challenges have come on top of a fall in public transport ridership over the past decade, all of which leads some to wonder if our ability to get around cities will ever be the same.

English | 8 pages | IFC 2020

Oct 23, 2020

How Natural Capital Approaches Can Support Sustainable Investments and Markets

Nature’s current decline, underpinned by unsustainable consumption and production patterns, population dynamics, deforestation, and land use change, is a clear risk to business, markets, and society. The way that businesses measure, value, relate to, and account for the interaction between nature and people must evolve, and quickly. This note underscores the urgency of action and shares ways companies can use natural capital approaches to help maintain both nature and their ongoing role in advancing prosperity and development in emerging markets.

English | 8 pages — October — Note 92 | IFC 2020

Jun 15, 2020

Emerging Markets: Assessment of Hard-Currency Bond Market

As countries plan economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, governments and issuers may see green and social bonds as a way of meeting environment goals, mitigating the negative health and socioeconomic impacts, building sustainable financial systems, and transitioning into a more balanced world economy.

English | 48 pages | 2020 | IFC International Finance Corporation 2020

May 6, 2020

Emerging Market Green Bonds Report 2019: Momentum Builds as Nascent Markets Grow

As the next decade is critical for mobilizing investment for sustainable development, this report highlights growth and identifies opportunities for emerging market green bond markets.

Jan 13, 2020

South African Agri-Processing Resource Efficiency: Opportunities, Challenges and Outlook

IFC, in partnership with SECO and Agbiz, conducted a study on the opportunities, challenges and outlook of resource efficiency in South Africa’s agri-processing sector. The study identified the potential to save up to 30 million cubic meters of water per year, equivalent to 20 percent of the sector’s total water consumption, which will require an investment of $400 million. The study provides in-depth analysis on nine key sub-sectors and the policy framework on water use in agri-processing in South Africa.

English | 72 pages | 2020 IFC

Dec 3, 2019

Green Buildings: A Financial and Policy Blueprint for Emerging Markets

During the next decade, green buildings represent a significant low-carbon investment opportunity in emerging markets—$24.7 trillion by 2030. Cities in emerging markets are expanding at a fast pace to keep up with high population growth and rapid urbanization. The floor area of the buildings that dot our skylines is expected to double by 2060. Most of this growth will occur in residential construction, particularly in middle-income countries. Meeting the demand for new buildings through green construction can spur low-carbon economic growth and create skilled jobs in emerging markets for decades to come.

English | 2019 IFC

Sep 19, 2019

The Dirty Footprint of the Broken Grid

To better understand the impacts of generators on health, economies, and the climate, IFC has partnered with the Schatz Energy Research Center at Humboldt State University to embark on the most comprehensive inquiry to date into the footprint and repercussions of using backup generators. This study explores fundamental questions about the scale and impacts of backup generators that have been largely unanswered beyond anecdote and local or regionally focused studies.

English | 64 pages | 2019 IFC

May 20, 2019

Greening Construction: The Role of Carbon Pricing

This study explores how carbon pricing mechanisms can be designed better to more effectively account for emis¬sions from the construction value chain. It identifies raw material production and use as the stages with highest emissions, and outlines the need for intervention at the earliest stages of the project to reduce emissions along the lifecycle. The analysis also finds that the method of project delivery and financing can impact the emissions profile of a constructed asset.

Nov 29, 2018

Climate Investment Opportunities in Cities - An IFC Analysis

As cities work to meet the needs of their residents, they can leapfrog historical approaches to urbanization – which creates significant opportunities for climate investment. This report finds that cities in emerging markets around the globe have the potential to attract more than $29.4 trillion in cumulative climate-related investments in six key sectors by 2030.

English | 158 pages | 2018 IFC

Oct 30, 2018

Construction Industry Value Chain

Construction companies are becoming increasingly accountable for their contribution to global emissions and are facing pressure from investors, banks, regulators, contracting authorities, and consumers to mitigate their climate risk and find new solutions to reduce their carbon footprint. In response, the industry is making inroads toward addressing these concerns.

English | 48 pages | 2018 IFC

Jun 29, 2018

Unlocking Private Investment

Côte d’Ivoire pledged to achieve 42 percent of renewable-energy generation by 2030 under the Paris Agreement to combat climate change. Achieving this target could create a $9 billion investment opportunity by 2030, but the key question is how to unlock private financing. Working with the Ivorian government, IFC developed a roadmap that highlights promising pathways toward attracting private sector investment while focusing on the government’s goals.

Mar 12, 2018

Good Practice Note: Environmental, Health, and Safety Approaches for Hydropower Projects

This Good Practice Note is intended to be used in conjunction with other EHS Guidelines and IFC's Performance Standards to identify, avoid, mitigate, and manage EHS risks and impacts in hydropower projects.

74 pages | © March 2018 IFC | Complimentary

Mar 2, 2018

Good Practice Handbook on Environmental Flows for Hydropower Projects

This Good Practice Handbook provides guidance to practitioners on taking rigorous and consistent approaches to assess and manage hydropower project impacts on downstream river ecosystems and people, through the assessment and provision of environmental flows (EFlows).

154 pages | © March 2018 IFC | Complimentary

Feb 26, 2018

Sustainable Banking Network (SBN) Global Progress Report

The IFC-supported Sustainable Banking Network (SBN)’s first comprehensive Global Progress Report evaluates sustainable finance principles and policies in 34 member countries.

74 pages | © February 2018 IFC | Complimentary

Feb 5, 2018

Climate Risk and Financial Institutions

Feb 5, 2018

Climate Risk Case Study - Hydro - Himal Nepal

Jan 10, 2018

Fact Sheet: Building a Sustainable Textile and Apparel Market in Bangladesh

This fact sheet provides an overview of how IFC's advice and expertise is helping Bangladesh meet the challenges and opportunities facing the textile and apparel industries, which account for 80 percent of the country's export earnings and employ 4.5 million people, mostly women.

Nov 27, 2017

Climate Investment Opportunities in South Asia - An IFC Analysis

By fully meeting the national targets they set under the Paris Agreement, South Asian countries can unlock $3.4 trillion of climate-smart investment opportunities, according to Climate Investment Opportunities in South Asia, a new report by IFC. The report identifies untapped opportunities for climate-smart investing in Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, and Sri Lanka for sectors including renewable energy, transport, green buildings, urban wastewater, climate-smart agriculture, and municipal solid waste management.

Nov 1, 2017

Creating Markets for Climate Business Report

Developing countries can meet climate targets promised in the landmark Paris Agreement by catalyzing trillions of dollars in private investments through a combination of smart policy reforms and innovative business models, according to Creating Markets for Climate Business, a new report by IFC. The report identifies seven industry sectors that can make a crucial difference in catalyzing private investment: renewable energy, off-grid solar and energy storage, agribusiness, green buildings, urban transportation, water, and urban waste management. Already, more than $1 trillion in investments are flowing into climate-related projects in these areas. But trillions more can be triggered by creating the right business conditions in emerging markets.

Apr 28, 2017

IFC’s Definitions and Metrics for Climate-Related Activities

This document outlines the definitions and typology that IFC uses for identifying, promoting, and tracking climate-related investment and advisory projects.

English | 21 pages | 2017 IFC

Apr 27, 2017

Galvanizing Green Finance: A Bottom-up Approach

Dec 22, 2016

How Banks Can Seize Opportunities in Climate and Green Investment

Climate change presents risks and opportunities for the financial sector in both emerging and advanced economies. Financial institutions cannot afford to be outside of the transition path to low-carbon economies. Energy subsidies, emission standards, and carbon prices will all have a direct impact on the financial positions of these institutions’ clients, making climate risk an important element of any credit decision. Yet there are also significant opportunities for financial institutions to provide innovative financing products for energy efficiency upgrades, renewable power generation, green buildings, green transport, and climate-smart agriculture and architecture. And there is a growing community of investors seeking new climate and environment friendly opportunities.

English | 6 Pages - December - Note 27 | IFC, 2016 6| IFC