Finnfund blog
Finnfund blog consists of articles by our experts and guest stars on various themes around development finance, developing countries and sustainable investing aiming to find solutions to global challenges.
We are biodiversity
Biodiversity has risen to the current sustainability discussions alongside climate change mitigation and climate change adaptation. It is increasingly clear that biodiversity risks are material and relevant to businesses both in developing countries and in the developed world. In early 2021, The Economics of Biodiversity: The Das Gupta Review underlined our dependence on the natural […]
Read moreJanuary 12, 2022
Client protection in microfinancing is part of financial inclusion
Microcredit and microfinance refer to very small loans for individuals or micro-businesses. In some context, it refers to other services as well such as micro-insurance, micro-pensions, micro-leasing, and even micro-savings. More importantly, it is about providing access to formal financing and participation for people in need of money to set up or expand their businesses. […]
Read moreDecember 22, 2021
Learning to understand (and manage) climate risks
Floods, typhoons and tornados, forest fires, drought, and extreme heat. Extreme weather conditions have become part of our daily news. As the drastic effects of climate change become more evident, financiers, such as Finnfund, must learn to understand and live with the risks. Understanding the climate risks is particularly important because nearly all our portfolio […]
Read moreDecember 15, 2021
Even if you never stopped, it’s time for a restart
What a year it’s been – the global pandemic has not been easy for many – but, whilst my colleagues were stuck at working from home, I was fortunate enough to be expanding my network across the developing world through the MBA programme at Oxford’s Saïd Business School. With the world slowly opening up, it’s […]
Read moreNovember 24, 2021
CFO’s insight into Q3: Navigating through challenging times
The COVID-19 pandemic and the challenges in the global economy are not over yet. However, I am happy to see that at Finnfund we have been able to navigate through these challenging times. In Q3, our activities remained at high level: Since the beginning of the year 2021, Finnfund has made 22 new investment decisions, worth […]
Read moreNovember 12, 2021
Digital banking transformation is no longer an attractive option for banks but crucial for survival
Financial inclusion aims individuals and businesses to have access to useful and affordable financial products and services that meet their needs. As World Bank highlights, a transaction account is a first step towards broader financial inclusion. Once people have bank accounts, they are more likely to use other financial services, such as credit and insurance. […]
Read moreSeptember 29, 2021
Electric mobility is a question of health and it needs investments to develop
Earlier this year, I had the pleasure of moderating a panel discussion where investors gathered to discuss the risk profile of investing in charge points. Having worked with investments in developing countries for the past 20 years, it was refreshing to discuss with investors whose focus is elsewhere than the emerging markets. We discovered a […]
Read moreSeptember 14, 2021
CFO’s insight into H1: Keeping up the good work
The holiday season is over, nevertheless, I feel inspired when looking back over the past six months: 17 new investment decisions and 12 new investment agreements, a new statement on climate and energy, and a new global commitment to raise a further USD15 billion for gender-smart investments. And so forth. Despite the challenges caused by […]
Read moreSeptember 1, 2021
Capturing adaptation opportunities
By Anne Arvola and Juho Uusihakala, Finnfund; Mikko Halonen, Gaia Consulting Oy; and Linda Rosengren, Natural Resources Institute Finland The article has originally been published in The catalytic effects of DFI investment – gender equality, climate action and the harmonisation of impact standards by ODI. Abstract The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) definition of climate adaptation highlights […]
Read moreAugust 13, 2021
Discovering outcomes in gender-lens investing
By Juho Uusihakala, Finnfund; Ilona Mooney, Work Ahead; and Nilah Mitchell, 60 Decibels The article has originally been published in The catalytic effects of DFI investment – gender equality, climate action and the harmonisation of impact standards by ODI. Abstract Gender-lens investing has quickly become a priority for many development finance institutions (DFIs). The 2X […]
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