NextBillion - A WDI Publication

AI’s Impact on the Environment Is Absolutely Horrifying, New Paper Finds

It’s reached the point that AI is giving the fossil fuel industry a substantial leg up, as a new paper published in the journal NPJ Climate Action details.

Source

Futurism (link opens in a new window)

Categories

Environment, Technology

Region

Global

Tags

artificial intelligence, climate change, corporations, data, decarbonization, human rights, regulations, research

Civil Rights Groups Urge a Halt to South Africa Data Centers Boom Amid Water and Power Fears

With South Africa positioning itself as Africa’s main data hub and U.S. technology companies like Amazon, Microsoft and Equinix increasingly setting up digital infrastructure in the country, civil society organizations have raised the alarm about the lack of transparency around the projects.

Source

Associated Press (link opens in a new window)

Categories

WASH

Region

Sub-Saharan Africa

Tags

artificial intelligence, data, human rights, waste, water

Press Release: World Bank Group Launches Initiative to Help Local Financial Institutions Expand Digital Payments in Emerging Markets

". . . the initiative is expected to increase competition and improve the quality and accessibility of payment services."

Source

IFC (link opens in a new window)

Region

Global

Tags

digital inclusion, digital payments, financial inclusion, fintech, global development, MSMEs

Equity and IFAD Launch $200 Million Climate Adaptation Finance Mechanism for 260,000 East African Farmers

The mechanism comes as climate-related shocks increasingly affect agricultural production, rural incomes and food security across East Africa, while climate finance remains difficult for small-scale producers to access.

Source

Africa Sustainability Matters (link opens in a new window)

Categories

Agriculture, Environment

Region

Sub-Saharan Africa

Tags

climate change, rural development, smallholder farmers, sustainable finance

Zankore Expands Southeast Asia’s AI Compute Infrastructure With NVIDIA

ZanKore is building an AI cloud platform to expand AI computing infrastructure from Indonesia across Southeast Asia and beyond.

Source

ZanKore (link opens in a new window)

Categories

Technology

Region

South Asia

Tags

artificial intelligence, data, infrastructure, innovation, startups

Mastercard Launches Wallet Pay to Scale Digital Wallets Worldwide

Harnessing the industry’s most advanced capabilities, Mastercard Wallet Pay solutions empower wallet providers to deliver frictionless experiences — from everyday spending to cross-border transfers – meeting the demands of a rapidly expanding digital economy.

Source

Mastercard (link opens in a new window)

Categories

Finance, Technology

Region

Global

Tags

digital inclusion, digital payments, financial inclusion, fintech, innovation, mobile finance, scale

An Important Update on ANDE’s Future and Sunsetting Operations

Danielle Baussan, Interim Executive Vice President for Policy Programs at the Aspen Institute has made the difficult decision to wind down ANDE’s operations and sunset the network by November 2026.

Source

Aspen Network of Development Entrepreneurs (link opens in a new window)

Categories

Education, Energy, Finance, Health Care, Investing, Social Enterprise, Technology

Region

Global

Tags

business development, global development, impact investing, impact measurement, innovation, research

Report: World Set to Cross 1.5°C Global Warming, but Can Still Limit, Adapt to and Return From Higher Temperatures

The report puts best-case scenario peak temperature rise at 1.8°C; others suggest over 2°C.

Source

UNEP (link opens in a new window)

Categories

Environment

Region

Sub-Saharan Africa

Tags

climate change, corporations, human rights, sustainable finance