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Facebook, Visa among the stocks with high ESG marks — enough to outrun the S&P 500
Companies that improve their environmental, social and governance reputations outperform the S&P 500 — major technology and financial services firms among them.
- Categories
- Environment, Finance, Investing
- Tags
- ESG, sustainable business
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West Africa’s Cocoa Farmers Are Trapped by the Global Chocolate Industry
The chocolate industry is worth more than $80 billion a year. But some cocoa farmers in parts of West Africa are poorer now than they were in the 1970s or 1980s.
- Categories
- Agriculture
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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Exit Strategy: How Cashing Out Can Move Us Closer to Universal Energy Access
You might think that a lack of investment is the biggest problem facing off-grid energy companies. But as Leslie Labruto and Sarah Bieber at Acumen point out, in an industry that's seen over $1.4 billion invested since 2012, with only $50 million returned to investors, the lack of exits is an equally serious challenge. They discuss a new Acumen report that demonstrates how the shortage of exits is holding the sector back, and what can be done to address it.
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BlackRock ‘Breaks New Ground’ With Circular Economy Fund
The partnership with Ellen MacArthur Foundation aims to raise awareness of circular opportunity in financial sector.
- Categories
- Investing
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Blockchain Powered AgUnity Named Winner of BBVA Open Talent Sustainability 2019
Two pilot programmes from the start-up showed promising results in helping farmers tripe their income by supporting equipment lending and securing trading value.
- Categories
- Agriculture, Technology
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Mainstreaming Impact Finance: Major Momentum and Gaps in the Transformation of the Financial Industry
There are exciting signs of a new level of mainstream corporate interest in sustainable business and finance. But despite the significant progress made in the sector since the 1970s, challenges remain – from lack of transparency in impact measurement, to lack of clarity about what impact even means. AlphaMundi founder Tim Radjy explores why we need to transform the rules of business and shift our systems to sustainable alternatives – and how impact finance can help make that happen.
- Categories
- Investing
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Press Release: Impact Tech Venture OpenSC Raises $4 Million in Seed Funding
The venture, co-founded by WWF-Australia and BCG Digital Ventures, will use the funds to further develop its technology platform for driving sustainable and ethical supply chains.
- Categories
- Investing, Technology
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What Does ‘Selling Out’ Mean? Four Lessons on Navigating Trade-offs While Scaling Your Social Enterprise
“Selling out” is a common concern for social entrepreneurs, as they strive to balance their ideals with the needs of a growing business. But Amanda West at Mercy Corps Ventures raises an interesting question: Can one person’s “selling out” be another person’s logical business decision? She explores the inevitable compromises that occur when a social business scales up, and shares lessons learned by four prominent enterprises that have scaled their impact.
- Categories
- Social Enterprise