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The Gender Aspect of the E-Mobility Transition: An Innovative Collaboration in Kenya Highlights New Ways to Bring Women into the Sector
The transition to electric mobility (e-mobility) represents a massive shift for consumers, businesses and other stakeholders. But as Dana Gorodetsky at the William Davidson Institute argues, it also creates an opportunity to engage women as electric vehicle (EV) entrepreneurs, designers, producers and drivers — and to design mobility solutions with women's needs in mind. She explores how Kenya is leading the way in ensuring a just and inclusive e-mobility transition, highlighting two companies that are working to boost women’s involvement in the EV value chain.
- Categories
- Energy, Environment, Transportation
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Replacing Old Technologies or Creating New Markets?: The Pros and Cons of Two Paths to Impact for Productive Use of Energy
Productive use of energy (PUE) technologies have the potential to unlock higher incomes and reduce reliance on more costly, non-renewable energy sources in rural and low-income communities. Dan Waldron, Chris Emmott, Yash Vardhan Gaddhyan and Ruth Wairimu at Acumen discuss the advantages and disadvantages of two different paths to impact for PUE: replacing inefficient, fossil fuel-based incumbent technologies, vs. disrupting entire markets with innovative PUE approaches.
- Categories
- Energy, Environment, Investing, Technology, Transportation
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Design as a Catalyst for Impact: How a First-of-its-Kind Design Policy in Kerala Could Foster a New Approach to Public-Private Partnerships in India
The Indian state of Kerala recently approved a State Design Policy — the first of its kind in the country. As Manoshij Banerjee and Mohammed Shahid Abdulla explain, design policies aim to increase citizens' quality of life by providing guidance to help optimize the design of everything from infrastructure to government policy. They share examples of strategic design choices that have made a major impact on businesses, governments and the communities they serve, and explore how Kerala’s design policy could lead to new opportunities for public-private partnerships in India.
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- Technology, Transportation
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The Next Frontier in Inclusive Fintech: The Value of Client-Centric Impact Measurement
Fintech is projected to be a $1.5 trillion industry by 2030, and Latin America and the Caribbean is a crucial focal point for the sector. But Carla Grados-Villamar at 60 Decibels points out that while fintechs are boosting financial access in the region, this does not guarantee improved living standards. She discusses how 60 Decibels has helped Galgo, a Chile-based fintech that facilitates financial access through motorcycle loans, to better understand its customers' experiences — and explores how this learning process reveals the importance of client-centric impact measurement in the broader fintech sector.
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- Finance, Transportation
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Driving the EV Transition in LMICs: How Low- and Middle-Income Countries Can Accelerate the Adoption of Electric Vehicles
Amid mounting climate concerns, public health issues and economic challenges, the case for low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) to transition to electric vehicles (EVs) is compelling. Based on the strategies adopted by numerous countries, including many pioneer LMICs, Daphnée Benayoun, Kiran Willmot and Debashish Roychoudhury at Dalberg share four priority drivers that governments should consider to accelerate and manage their EV transition.
- Categories
- Energy, Environment, Technology, Transportation
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Making a Successful Business Pivot During the Energy Transition: Three Lessons from an Auto Supplier Diversifying into Renewables
As efforts to decarbonize the world’s energy systems accelerate, many industries and companies face both new challenges and tremendous opportunity — and the automotive industry is a highly visible proving ground for this shift. Diana Páez and Dana Gorodetsky at the William Davidson Institute explore how Bosal, a global automotive supplier, is leveraging its expertise with internal combustion engine-related products to expand into the renewable energy market, and share some lessons from its evolution that can be valuable to other companies affected by the energy transition.
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- Energy, Technology, Transportation
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Innovations in Last-Mile Delivery: How Automation Can Revolutionize the Industry in Africa
Last-mile delivery is the crucial link that connects businesses to customers in Africa’s rapidly growing economies. As Samuel Odeloye at Motions and Demilade Onajobi at RoadPreppers Technologies explain, it powers major industries like retail, e-commerce and manufacturing — but it's plagued by inefficiencies that are slowly killing the competitiveness of these businesses. They explore how Motions uses automation to address these issues — an approach they believe can transform last-mile delivery in Africa.
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- Technology, Telecommunications, Transportation
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How U.S. Businesses Can Compete with China in Emerging Markets: Transitioning from a ‘Death Economy’ to a ‘Life Economy’
For decades, American businesses working in emerging markets have prioritized profit maximization regardless of the social and environmental costs — an approach that economist and author John Perkins describes as the "death economy." But as China has supplanted America as the top investor and trading partner in many of these markets, Perkins attributes its success to its embrace of the ideals — if not always the practices — of sustainable development. He explores how China's promotion of a regenerative "life economy" has resonated in developing countries, and how U.S. businesses can respond.
- Categories
- Environment, Investing, Transportation
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