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How Investors and Energy Providers Can Unleash Solar Growth in Uganda
The Ugandan solar market is a prime destination for local and international clean energy access investment. But many new investors are in the dark on critical issues, such as the maturity/development of local companies in the space, and the types of investments they need to propel their businesses forward. The United Nations Capital Development Fund and Challenges Uganda recently partnered to produce an in-depth market study designed to help Uganda’s fledgling solar industry take flight.
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Viewpoint: Africa Can “Entrepreneur” Its Way out of Bad Leadership and That’s Probably Our Best Shot
Rankings such as, World Governance Indicators, Corruption Perception Index, and the Global Competitiveness Report do a great job in contrasting the many failings of African governments with the successes of rich-country governments. But they don’t tell the whole story.
- Categories
- Uncategorized
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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What will Mark Suzman bring to new role as CEO of Gates Foundation?
In an email to staff, Desmond-Hellmann explained that she and Bill and Melinda Gates have spent recent months discussing the best person to replace her to lead the world’s largest private foundation. They selected 12-year foundation veteran Suzman, president of global policy and advocacy and CSO at the foundation, who will assume the role on Feb.1, 2020.
- Region
- North America
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Here’s How Countries Might Actually Reach the UN Sustainable Development Goals
Policymakers knew that aid alone would never be able to meet the financing needs of development. But the SDGs were accompanied by the optimistic “billions to trillions” vision, in which many believed that an abundance of commercially-viable SDG-related investments were ready and waiting for trillions in profitable private investment.
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Viewpoint: Europe Needs Its Own Development Bank
The European Union needs a development bank so that it can strengthen its capacity to respond to global and regional challenges – above all, to risks and opportunities in Africa. At a time of increasing uncertainty, growing international threats, and fundamental challenges to multilateralism, solid institutions are needed more than ever.
- Categories
- Finance
- Region
- Europe & Eurasia
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How Can We Stop Losing Our Minds?: Producing a Legacy From Development Projects, Not Just a Document
Have you ever run, funded or been part of a development project? Have you ever thought: “We should definitely share what we learned?” But then someone wrote a report and that was the end of that. Gavin Starks, the founder of dgen.net, argues that shouldn’t be the end, but the beginning. The power of an open approach to development has many benefits, he says. Done well, it changes the way people collaborate during projects — and helps them produce a legacy, not just a document.
- Categories
- Finance, Technology
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Press Release: VisionFund International Raises AUD20M Through Its First Bond in Australia to Help Fund Global Financial Inclusion Initiatives
Offered in Australia to eligible institutional and high net worth investors, the bond is known as a ‘Kangaroo bond’ as it is issued in Australia in Australian dollars by a non-Australian entity. The five-year bond is unsecured and unsubordinated and offers a fixed rate of five per cent per annum, paid semi-annually.
- Categories
- Investing
- Region
- Asia Pacific
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What Will Last Mile Distribution Look Like in 2025? Six Predictions for an Emerging Sector
From water purifiers to solar lights, the impact-oriented products can’t further development goals if they can't make it to last mile customers. Emma Colenbrader and Charlie Miller of the Global Distributors Collective explain how the organization's 140 member distributors have defied tough odds to get 13 million products and counting into the hands of last mile households. They share a first-of-its-kind report that aims to better understand the markets for these products, the customers being reached – and the business models that can reach them.
- Categories
- Energy, Telecommunications, Transportation