-
UN Announces New CEO Alliance to Fund Sustainability
It announced the Global Investors for Sustainable Development (GISD), a new alliance of chief executives coordinated by UNCTAD and the UN’s Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA), at the UN’s SDG Investment Fair in New York on April 15.
- Categories
- Investing
-
The Other ‘Shark Tank’: A High-Stakes Effort to Find Solutions to the Global Water Crisis
You've probably seen the TV show "Shark Tank," in which small-scale entrepreneurs compete for funding from a panel of wealthy investors. The Securing Water for Food Grand Challenge for Development took a similar approach – but the stakes were far higher: The goal was to generate solutions to water shortages that already affect over 2 billion people, before population growth escalates these shortages into a perpetual global crisis. Ku McMahan, team lead for the Challenge, discusses its unique approach and surprising impact.
- Categories
- Agriculture, Environment, WASH
-
Isolation Blamed for Depressing Social Entrepreneurs in Emerging Countries
There are more than 1,000 social entrepreneur accelerator programs globally, according to Conveners, a U.S.-organization that lists events and training programs for the sector that aim to tackle issues ranging from homeless to climate change.
- Categories
- Uncategorized
-
A Closer Look at The World’s Largest Unaddressed Disability: Leveraging Inclusive Business to Eradicate Poor Vision
Uncorrected poor vision affects some 2.5 billion people, costing the global economy $227 billion a year in lost productivity. Yet though 90% of these people live in developing countries, the problem ranks low on the global development agenda – even though it can often be fixed by a simple pair of glasses. Jayanth Bhuvaraghan at Essilor explores the issue, and discusses an innovative solution: the Eye Mitra program, which trains youth in emerging countries to become micro-entrepreneurs, providing primary vision care and selling low-cost eyeglasses in their communities.
- Categories
- Health Care, Social Enterprise
-
From Critic to Cheerleader — David Malpass’ First Week at the World Bank
Addressing staff — and then later members of the press — Malpass appeared at pains to show he has little appetite for the kind of organizational shake-up former president Jim Kim undertook early in his first term. Instead, Malpass littered his remarks with references to the bank’s “twin goals” and liberally praised staff and his leadership team.
- Categories
- Finance
-
Development-bank climate funds seek new dollars, as competition heats up
The $8.3-billion Climate Investment Funds (CIF), currently the world’s largest multilateral climate financing instrument, help developing states pursue low-carbon development that protects them better from wilder weather and rising seas.
- Categories
- Environment, Finance, Investing
-
Paycheck, Please: Why Jobs Are Better Than Charity
Those of us who “won the zip code lottery” by being born in a prosperous country often take for granted something that’s out of reach for many people around the world: a stable and satisfying job. Suzanne Skees explores how the Skees Family Foundation leverages the power of dignified, secure jobs to fight poverty – and highlights what they've learned from partner organizations about how to maximize the impact of job creation efforts.
- Categories
- Investing, Social Enterprise
-
World Changing Ideas 2019: 17 winning solutions that could save the planet
Fast Company is excited to announce the winners of the 2019 World Changing Ideas awards. World Changing Ideas, now in its third year, celebrates businesses, policies, and nonprofits that are poised help shift society to a more sustainable and more equitable future.
- Categories
- Technology