Support to smallholder tree farming relieves the pressure on natural forests in Africa

Anne Arvola

On my last two trips to Eastern Africa before the travel restrictions I felt my throat choking and a grip in my stomach when looking at the scenery below from the airplane. It was not because of the turbulence but the anxiety about the shrinking, degraded forest patches and the smoke coming from the fires […]

May 20, 2020

A virtual due diligence? Is that even possible?

Hanna Kauppinen

I have not done the math, but I am quite sure that my team of investment analysts do most of the traveling at Finnfund. In essence, we help investment managers in deal preparation and execution by developing financial projections, conducting market analyses, and gathering vital information on customers, industries, and operating environments. A crucial part […]

May 18, 2020

Sustainable cities need clean air – and investments to make it a reality

Kenneth Söderling

Sustainable development goal 11 aims to make cities inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable. It is not a matter of small scale, as more than half the world’s population lives in cities. By 2030, it is projected that 6 out of 10 people will be urban dwellers. One of the main problems in cities, is the […]

May 8, 2020

Woodland or forest?

Ilkka Norjamäki

Monoculture and plantation are terms that often are used when it comes to planting commercial forests. Indeed, planted forests are typically such of one or more species whose main purpose is to efficiently produce the raw material needed by the forest industry. Criticism towards planted forests is often related to issues of poor biodiversity, water […]

March 20, 2020

It pays to invest in women

Ulla Huotari

It makes me extremely happy to see gender investing gaining momentum as impact investing and development finance community is committing more funds to UNSDG#5: Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls. Gender lens investing clearly is the next big thing in impact investing. Investors are mobilising finance for businesses which promote gender equality […]

March 6, 2020

Coronavirus underscores the need to invest in resilience

Minna Kuusisto

More than 90,000 confirmed cases. A little more than 3,000 people dead and 50,000 people recovered. Thousands of cases in Europe, hundreds of infected in the U.S. And how many in Africa? The statistics says 26, out of which 17 in Algeria. But should we be worried? It is realistic to expect more cases in […]

Changing development finance market space

Karoliina Lindroos

JP Morgan announced in January 2020 that it is establishing a new Development Finance Institution. A new operator providing finance to underserved markets is welcome. More financial and human capital are needed to develop and deliver solutions for growing populations, increasing consumption, depleting natural resources and negative effects of climate change. Estimates of the annual […]

February 17, 2020