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Blockchain for Inclusion? Gates Foundation Strikes Tepid Tone at Money2020
Bitcoin and other blockchain applications may help expand access to financial services for the world's poor, but the technology is not the cure-all that some of the early rhetoric in the space made it out to be.
That’s the takeaway from a panel discussion Sunday at Money2020 in Las Vegas featuring representatives of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Omidyar Network, two of the most prominent philanthropic organizations focused on promoting financial inclusion.- Categories
- Finance
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Press release: Apparel Impact Institute Launches to Accelerate Environmental Impacts in Apparel and Footwear Industry
Despite widespread awareness of the environmental hazards within the apparel and footwear industry, few of the pilot projects designed to reduce impacts are operating at the scale needed to meet the critical environmental and social outcomes brands and consumers are seeking. The AII will identify promising projects that are working in limited geography, for example, or are targeting a narrow problem yet show potential for broader application. By applying the appropriate resources, the AII will help bring them to scale more quickly.
- Categories
- Environment, Impact Assessment
- Tags
- research
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SkyAlert: Millions of Mexicans turn to earthquake early warning app after deadly quakes kill 460
Since two massive earthquakes hit Mexico in September and claimed more than 460 lives, an early warning start-up called SkyAlert has doubled its users to 5.8 million, making it one of the country’s most downloaded apps.
- Categories
- Technology
- Region
- Latin America
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One in Six Global Deaths Linked to Pollution
“Pollution is much more than an environmental challenge—it is a profound and pervasive threat that affects many aspects of human health and wellbeing,” Philip Landrigan, a global health researcher with the Mount Sinai School of Medicine, says in a statement. The new report emerged from a commission Landrigan co-led for the medical journal The Lancet.
- Categories
- Environment, Health Care
- Tags
- public health
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Could this 10-year-old fix Pakistan’s waste problem?
"This is a situation you can find across all of Pakistan - these bags are not biodegradable and people carelessly discard them. They don't really think about recycling," Zymal says.
- Categories
- Uncategorized
- Region
- South Asia
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Off-Grid Solar Firm PEG Africa completes US$13.5 million fundraise
PEG Africa, the leading off-grid solar company in West Africa, is pleased to announce it has successfully raised US$13.5 million through a combination of debt and a Series B equity financing. The proceeds will be used to accelerate growth in Ghana and Ivory Coast, where PEG is already a sector leader, to reach 500,000 people.
- Categories
- Energy
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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Press release: Visa Launches Foundation With Inaugural Grant to Women’s World Banking
At the heart of the Visa Foundation is the belief that micro and small enterprises are the backbone of the global economy. In fact, small and medium enterprises account for more than 90 percent of enterprises worldwide, and contribute 50-60 percent of global employment. However, these segments struggle to access the financial tools, capital and training programs required to enable them to fully thrive. The Visa Foundation’s core mission is to support efforts to rectify this imbalance.
- Categories
- Uncategorized
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