Description:

The ETF is actively managed and tracks the Asasina Social Justice Index. The index supports Adasina in its objective to act as a bridge between public financial markets and social justice movements, by bringing together public equities across all major asset classes, an screened for extractive harms and social justice criteria that directly impact underserved and underrepresented communities alongside traditional ESG criteria – with a particular focus on racial, gender, economic, and climate justice. As a Black and women-owned investment firm, Adasina’s experienced investment team is reflective of the communities most impacted by existing inequitable systems.

Size:

USD 126 M

Sponsors:

Adasina

Type:

ETF

Structure:
NAV: $15.12

Net expense ratio: 0.89%

Turnover %: 85%

Yield: 0.81%

Dividend: $0.10

Impact/Sector:

Investment criteria: racial justice, gender justice, economic justice, climate justice, movement aligned

SDGs:

Gender Equality (SDG 5), Reducing Inequalities (SDG 10), Climate Action (SDG 13)

Geography:

Global

GLIC-specific:


Y

Description:
Ada Ventures invests at pre-seed and seed stage into ‘overlooked founders’ and ventures in underserved markets. Ada operate on an ‘Open Venture’ thesis, that actively seeks out ventures by and for underserved founders and markets, such as women, LGBTQ+, BAME, and founders outside of London. The Fund focuses on businesses seeking positive impact on a global scale, particularly in health, consumer tech and sustainability.

Size:
USD 34 M

Investors:
British Business Bank

Sponsors:
Aida Ventures

Type:
Fund

Instrument:
Equity

Vintage:
2019

Impact/Sector:
Environment, Food, Consumer Technology, Healthcare, Aging, Education and Training, Femtech, Fintech

SDGs:
Good Health and Well-being, Quality Education, Gender Equality, Affordable and Clean Energy, Decent Work and Economic Growth, Reduced Inequalities, Sustainable Cities and Communities, Climate Action

Geography:
Europe

GLIC-specific:

N

GLI:
Y

Financial close:
Y

Description:

The fund supports and invests in startups offering tech-based impact solutions to contribute to the SDGs. The fund has a 17-year fund life, and will specifically target early stage and growth stage cleantech, agriculture technology and health technology businesses that are working on climate and gender innovations. The fund will contribute to multiple SDGs by applying climate (80% of investments) and gender (75% of investments) impact investment lens.

Size:

USD 60 M

Investors:

Clean Technology Fund, South Korea’s Ministry of Economy and Finance, Finland’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Nordic Development Fund

Sponsors:

ADB

Type:

Fund

Instrument:

Loans, grants, and technical assistance

Vintage:

2020

Impact/Sector:

The Fund will focus on clean technology, agricultural technology, inclusive financial technology, and health technology. ADB Ventures aims to mobilize at least $360 million private capital for early-stage companies through co-investments.

SDGs:

No Poverty (SDG 1), Zero Hunger (SDG 2), Good Health & Well-being (SDG 3), Gender Equality (SDG 5), Affordable and Clean Energy (SDG 7), Decent Work and Economic Growth (SDG 8), Reducing Inequalities (SDG 10), Climate Action (SDG 13), Life on Land (SDG 15)

Geography:

Southeast Asia and South Asia

GLIC-specific:
Y

Financial close:

Y

Description:

Through its Advancing Gender in the Environment (AGENT) partnership with the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), USAID is providing grants to organizations working to address gender-based violence in climate sectors through the Resilient, Inclusive, and Sustainable Environment (RISE) Challenge. Additionally, AGENT is supporting national governments to develop action plans, building on their national climate plans, to address climate-related gender inequality.

Size:

USD 3.3M

Investors:

USAID, SIDA and other partners

Sponsors:

International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN)

Type:

Project

Instrument:

Grants

Vintage:

2014

Impact/Sector:
Collaborating with host governments and cross-sector stakeholders, AGENT has developed several national climate change gender action plans (ccGAPs) with environmental and gender ministries. These ccGAPs support USAID missions in cross-sectoral environmental programming—particularly in biodiversity, agriculture, fisheries and forestry—while working with partners to ensure the ccGAP informs their collective work and enhances knowledge and training.

Geography:

Africa, Asia and Latin America

GLIC-specific:

Y

Description:

The Africa Climate Change Fund (ACCF) Secretariat has launched a scheme to support mechanisms for climate adaptation finance for women entrepreneurs and youth. The scheme, “YouthADAPT: Empowering Women and Youth for Entrepreneurship and Job Creation in Climate Adaptation and Resilience,” will develop innovative, transformative climate-resilient bankable projects aligned with African countries’ Nationally Determined Contributions.

Size:

USD 25M

Investors:

Government of Germany, Governments of Flanders, Belgium and Italy, Global Affairs Canada, Government of Quebec, Global Center on Adaptation

Sponsors:
African Development Bank

Type:

Fund

Vintage:

2014

Impact/Sector:

the ACCF Governing Committees have approved 26 grant projects for a total of USD $15.89 million. The Fund has completed 7 projects and 1 project cancelled. These approved projects are supporting over 26 African countries via country and multinational projects to strengthen their capacities to access international climate finance, Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) revisions, Long Term Strategies development, and implementation of small-scale adaptation projects to enhance their resilience to the impacts of climate change.

Geography:

Africa

GLIC-specific:

Y

Description:

The fund aims to increase economic opportunities for women in Africa’s agricultural and renewable energy value chains.

Size:

USD 50M

Investors:

UK

Sponsors:

AECF

Type:

Fund

Vintage:

2018

Geography:

Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Ethiopia and Sierra Leone

GLIC-specific:

Y

GLI:
Y

Financial close:
Y

Description:

Africa Go Green Fund for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Investment (Africa Go Green Fund, AGGF) invests mainly in energy efficiency activities in green housing, green transport and industrial energy efficiency sectors, as well as in green appliance businesses. In addition to energy efficiency, the fund invests in new solutions, enabling a higher share of clean energy in the energy system, such as battery storage and green hydrogen. Additional objectives include modernizing energy, industrial, transport and housing sectors, improving the competitiveness of companies and economies, creating jobs as well as improving gender equality and enhancing the concept of gender mainstreaming.

Size:

USD 200-250M

Investors:

International Finance Corporation (IFC), the African Development Bank (AfDB), the Nordic Development Fund (NDF), the Sustainable Energy Fund for Africa (SEFA), KfW, Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ)

Sponsors:

Lion’s Head Global Partners

Type:

Fund

Structure:
Private debt fund accompanied by a Technical Assistance (TA) Facility which provides small grants to selected investee companies and projects to provide tailored support to their business development activities and capacity-building.

Instrument:

-Senior debt

-Junior or subordinated debt (non-convertible)

-Mezzanine Debt

Vintage:

2021

Impact/Sector:

The main objective of the fund is climate change mitigation, and it is estimated to lead to a reduction of 3 million tons of CO2 equivalent during the lifetime of the fund. It will also have positive climate change adaptation and increased resilience co-benefits.

SDGs:

Gender Equality (SDG 5), Clean Water and Sanitation (SDG 6), Affordable and Clean Energy (SDG 7), Decent Work and Economic Growth (SDG 8), Reducing Inequalities (SDG 10), Climate Action (SDG 13)

Geography:

Pan-African focusing on West African countries

GLIC-specific:


Y

Financial close:

N

Description:
The AWF provides grants and expert technical assistance to implement innovative water projects and raise investment for water projects throughout Africa. The AWF is supporting knowledge management, capacity building and enabling environment projects that aim at mainstreaming climate change into the water sector. Committed to promoting social equity and economic integration, the AWF supports projects with components designed to deliver special benefits to women, youth and disadvantaged or marginalised communities.

Size:

EUR 184M

Investors:

17 bilateral and multilateral financial institutions, foundations and African governments (Algeria, Australia, Austria, Burkina Faso, Canada, Denmark, France, Nigeria, Norway, United Kingdom, Senegal, Spain, Sweden, AFDB, European Commission, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, The Nordic Development Fund).

Sponsors:

African Development Bank (AfDB)

Type:
Fund

Instrument:

Grants & Technical Assistance

Vintage:

2006

Impact/Sector:

Since its operationalization in 2006, the AWF has developed a grant portfolio of 117 projects in 52 countries, including the most vulnerable countries.

Geography:

Global

GLIC-specific:

Y

GLI:

Y

Financial close:

N

Description:

AFD developed an SDG Bond Framework for green, social, and sustainability bond issues and provides an example of how other bond frameworks, particularly green bond frameworks could integrate gender considerations into eligibility criteria. The bond framework requires new projects and loans to receive a neutral or positive grade in six sustainable development dimensions, which include gender equality alongside climate objectives. Projects are assessed based on the following criteria for gender equality:

- Access to services

- Control over resources and income

- Access to justice

- Combating gender-based violence

- Participation in economic, social, and political decision-making bodies

- Project governance considered with regards to gender.

Size:

EUR 2 B

Sponsors:

Issuer: Agence Française de Développement

Type:

Bond

Instrument:

SDG aligned bond - Maturity date 2027

Vintage:

2020

Impact/Sector:

Access to essential services, affordable basic infrastructure, affordable housing, energy efficiency, renewable energy, socio-economic advancement, and empowerment.

SDGs:
No Poverty (SDG 1), Gender Equality (SDG 5), Decent Work and Economic Growth (SDG 8), Reducing Inequalities (SDG 10), Climate Action (SDG 13)

Geography:

France

Description:

Takes a systems-level approach to finding high impact solutions in traditionally overlooked sectors. Invests in cross cutting, enabling technologies in areas including energy transition, alternative materials, agriculture & food systems and data & digitization.

Size:

USD 100M

Sponsors:

AiiM Partners

Type:

Fund

Instrument:

Equity

Vintage:

2019

Impact/Sector:

Clean Tech, Environment, Agriculture, Food, Renewable Energy, Consumer Products and Services, Consumer Technology, Femtech, Information and Communications Technology, Infrastructure, Manufacturing, Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene, Other

SDGs:

No Poverty, Zero Hunger, Good Health and Well-being, Gender Equality, Clean Water and Sanitation, Affordable and Clean Energy, Decent Work and Economic Growth, Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure, Reduced Inequalities, Sustainable Cities and Communities, Responsible Consumption and Production, Climate Action, Life Below Water, Life on Land

Geography:
Global

GLIC-specific:

Y

Financial close:
Y

Description:

Alante Capital is a venture capital fund investing in innovative technologies that address climate change and enable a resilient, sustainable future for apparel production and retail.

Size:
USD 30M

Sponsors:

Alante Capital

Type:

Fund

Instrument:

Equity

Vintage:

2019

Impact/Sector:

Clean Tech, Consumer Technology, Fashion, Manufacturing

SDGs:

Good Health and Well-being, Clean Water and Sanitation, Decent Work and Economic Growth, Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure, Sustainable Cities and Communities, Responsible Consumption and Production, Climate Action, Life Below Water, Life on Land, Partnerships for the Goals

Geography:

North America and Europe

GLIC-specific:

Y

Financial close:
Y

Description:

Alitheia’s Clean Energy Fund is a wholesale debt facility creating new markets for clean energy products for underserved areas/segments by providing distributor and consumer finance to over 30,000 entrepreneurs across Nigeria.

Size:


USD 20M

Investors:

Oando (anchor USD 123 million)

Sponsors:

Alitheia Capital

Type:

Fund

Instrument:

Debt

Vintage:

2011

Impact/Sector:

Direct - 30,000 entrepreneurs. Secondary - 5 million low-income households.

SDGs:

5 (Gender), 7 (Energy Access)

Geography:

Europe

GLIC-specific:

Y

Financial close:
Y

Description:

Alitheia IDF aims to invest 50% of its capital in women-owned or led businesses and mobilize $100 million to women-led businesses.

Size:

USD 100M

Investors:

FinDev Canada (USD 7.5 million), African Development Bank (USD 12.5 million)

Sponsors:

Alitheia Capital and IDF Capital

Type:

Fund

Instrument:

Equity

Vintage:

2021

Impact/Sector:

5,000 jobs for women in its portfolio's supply chain and enabling access to essential products and services for over 100,000 women.

SDGs:

5 (Gender)

Geography:

Europe

GLIC-specific:

Y

Financial close:
Y

Description:

Fenix International (now ENGIE Energy Access) is a vertically integrated energy company based in Uganda whose mission is to improve quality of life through inclusive energy and financial services such as pay-as-you-go solar home systems and upgrade products. As its first institutional debt investor in 2012, AlphaMundi supported Fenix to prioritise women as employees, in product design, and as customers. In 2018, ENGIE, the world’s largest independent electricity producer, acquired 100% of Fenix shares. Fenix’s story demonstrates how a focus on diversity can drive product innovation and business growth as well as positive impacts for both gender and climate. It is indicative of the crucial role that investors can play in providing support and guidance to leadership to maintain a focus on these outcomes.

Size:

USD 1M

Investors:

AlphaMundi Group

Sponsors:

Aida Ventures

Type:

Company (deal)

Instrument:

Debt

Vintage:

2012

Geography:

Uganda

GLIC-specific:
Y

Financial close:
Y

Description:

The Catalyzer Fund is a financing option specially designed for entrepreneurs and companies in the early stages with a clear purpose of social and/or environmental impact. This pioneering fund complements the offer of financial services in Guatemala.

Size:

USD 1M

Sponsors:

Alterna

Type:

Fund

Instrument:

Debt

Vintage:

2018

Impact/Sector:

Agriculture, Arts and culture, Consumer products and services, Education and training, Environment, Fashion, Financial services (excluding microfinance), Food, Future of work, Healthcare, Manufacturing, Renewable energy, Water, sanitation, and hygiene

SDGs:

Gender Equality, Decent Work and Economic Growth, Sustainable Cities and Communities, Climate Action

Geography:

Latin America, South America, Caribbean

GLIC-specific:

N

GLI:
Y

Financial close:
Y

Description:

Recognizing the need to amplify the voices of underrepresented women in National Adaptation Plan (NAP) processes, the NAP Global Network has partnered with Lensational, a social enterprise whose mission is to empower women from marginalised groups and communities using photography. The project is providing participatory photography and storytelling training to women affected by climate change in Ghana and Kenya. Through visual stories, the trainees will communicate their experiences and their visions of resilience to adaptation decision makers at the national level, facilitating dialogue on priorities for NAP processes to enable gender-responsive and locally led adaptation action.

Size:

USD 34M

Investors:

Global Affairs Canada (GAC)

Sponsors:

International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD)

Type:

Project

Instrument:

Equity

Vintage:

2021

Impact/Sector:

Climate impact
- NAP processes will drive investments in adaptation over the coming years and foster policy coherence across sectors
- Improved effectiveness and sustainability in adaptation planning processes via gender integration
- Locally led and gender-responsive adaptation action builds resilience for most impacted populations

Gender impact
- Women are empowered to share their experiences and priorities with decision makers at local and national levels
- Creation of new revenue sources for women via the sale of the trainees’ photographs on an online platform
- National policymakers gain understanding of and support women’s priorities in adaptation action

Scalability/replicability
- Builds on the Lensational’s tested approach of visual storytelling and education tools
- Replication in other countries has the potential to increase the number of gender-responsive NAP processes

SDGs:

4, 5, 10, 13, 16

Geography:

Kenya, Ghana

GLIC-specific:

Y

GLI:
Y

Description:

Aruwa is a Lagos-based, female-founded and led, earlystage growth equity and gender lens fund. Aruwa addresses a capital gap in the African market by providing growth equity to fast growing small to medium sized businesses that are typically too big for traditional venture capital and too small for traditional private equity. The Fund invests across sectors with a commitment to climate justice. An example of this is an investment in a company that creates solar enabled freezers for those without access to electricity. Aruwa has established a reputation for rigorous investment selection and active hands-on support of management teams on the ground, to improve Company operations and performance.

Size:

USD 20 M

Investors:

Visa Foundation, Mastercard Foundation Africa Growth Fund, Nyala Venture, Financial Sector Deepening Africa Investments, and leading family businesses from Africa, Europe and the United States

Sponsors:
Aruwa Capital Management

Type:

Fund

Instrument:

Equity

Vintage:

2019

Impact/Sector:

The Fund will invest $500k to $2.5m in women-focused small and growing businesses in Nigeria and Ghana, targeting investments in critical sectors such as healthcare, fintech, renewable energy, and essential consumer goods.

SDGs:
Gender Equality (SDG 5), Decent Work and Economic Growth (SDG 8), Reducing Inequalities (SDG 10), Climate Action (SDG 13)

Geography:

Nigeria and Ghana

GLI:

Y

Financial close:

Y

Description:

The ADM Capital Asia Climate-Smart Landscape Fund LP will enable $200 million in loans to local enterprises striving for climate-smart land management and emissions reduction. Additionally, the transaction will advance women’s participation in the sector increasing their income and improving their livelihoods. ACLF incorporates several blended finance instruments and provides medium to long-term small ticket size ($5-20 million) loans to SMEs engaged in sustainable agriculture, land regeneration, and forest protection in Indonesia.

Size:

USD 200M

Investors:

DFC and others

Sponsors:

ADM Capital

Type:

Fund

Structure:
Blended Finance: partial-credit guaranty of 50% (USD 100M) by DFC

Instrument:

Loans

Vintage:

2022

Impact/Sector:

The fund intends to provide long-term senior secured loans to SMEs focusing on opportunities across the agricultural commodity supply chain in Indonesia. It will target opportunities that emphasize land rehabilitation, forest restoration, and improving rural livelihoods, with a strong focus on gender. The fund also intends to fully integrate development impact into the investment process by setting definitive impact targets for the portfolio, including carbon emission deductions, higher jobs with a specific focus on women, and more land under sustainable practice.

SDGs:

Gender Equality (SDG 5), Decent Work and Economic Growth (SDG 8), Reducing Inequalities (SDG 10), Climate Action (SDG 13), Life on Land (SDG 15)

Geography:

Indonesia

GLIC-specific:


Y

GLI:

Y

Financial close:
N

Description:

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) announced in December 2020 a landmark investment of $200 million in Shenzhen Water Group (SZWG) to develop and promote climate and disaster-resilient smart urban water infrastructure in the People’s Republic of China, integrating gender mainstreaming to support inclusive economic growth. Climate resilience and improved conservation and management of water resources are essential in China to address the growing pressures from climate change, water extraction and pollution. With knowledge generation drawing on the learnings and experience of SZWG and broader best practices from across the industry, the project intends to integrate gender considerations into the climate-resilient water sector. Climate adaptation and resilience will be achieved by applying innovative smart water solutions to reduce energy consumption and water losses, improve operational efficiency, and enhance water quality and conservation. Through this collaboration, SZWG and ADB will share lessons learned and promote regional and global learning on climate-resilient and smart water infrastructure, and how it can be used to support increased resilience of women to climate change and disasters.

Size:

USD 200M

Investors:

Asian Development Bank (ADB)

Type:

Project

Instrument:

Equity

Vintage:

2020

Geography:

Asia

GLIC-specific:

Y

Financial close:
Y

Description:

Since 2007, Church World Service has supported isolated communities in Kenya through a programme called Asset Based Community Development Framework (ABCD) to address both gender inequalities and climate adaptation. It includes gender-power workshops, parental education promoting girls’ schooling, and the creation of locally-led water management committees. The programme also tackles women’s economic empowerment through revenue diversification: adolescent girls and young women are trained in beekeeping, entrepreneurship and leadership. Community-led solutions are created and maintained to improve food security and climate resilience for over 7,000 beneficiaries, and transform gender power relations.

Investors:

Buhler Family Foundation

Sponsors:

Church World Service (CWS)

Type:
Project

Vintage:

2007

Impact/Sector:

Climate impact
- 53 sand dams have been built, with water facilities benefitting
- 75% of farmers now grow drought tolerant crops

Gender impact
- Girls’ schooling is supported via self-managed village savings, reducing forced marriage and GBV
- Community allows a power shift that alleviates women’s workload
- Gender-power workshops for all community members

Scalability / replicability
- Consultations with the local community to inform project activities and desired outcomes
- Water management committees form a replicable model for climate resilience

SDGs:

2, 4, 5, 6, 13

Geography:

Kenya

GLIC-specific:

N

GLI:
Y

Description:
In close collaboration with local and international entities from both the public and private sectors, the programme seeks to help ASEAN harness the benefits from the deployment of low carbon energy by leveraging the UK’s extensive and proven expertise in green finance and energy efficiency. It seeks to support inclusive growth and poverty reduction through increased energy efficiency and adoption of low carbon energy through the use of green finance. Gender equality and social inclusion are mainstreamed in all support provided.

Size:

GPB 15M

Investors:

The UK government’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Type:

Programme

Instrument:

The programme offers bespoke support to each country through policy advice, capacity building, technical assistance and market development.

Impact/Sector:

The support provided by the Carbon Trust focuses on the following areas:

- Strengthening energy efficiency policy and regulations, mandates or targets, along with capacity building support

- Developing energy data collection processes and methodologies that can be used to strengthen analysis of industry energy data

- Scaling up energy efficiency investments by catalysing pilot projects, designing new products and opening up markets for energy service companies (ESCOs)

- Strengthening the business case for energy efficiency by promoting energy management systems and identifying energy savings opportunities for food and beverage companies

SDGs:

Gender Equality (SDG 5), Affordable and Clean Energy (SDG 7), Decent Work and Economic Growth (SDG 8), Reducing Inequalities (SDG 10), Climate Action (SDG 13)

Geography:

Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam

Financial close:

Y

Description:

The ACFP is designed to catalyze financing for private sector climate adaptation and mitigation projects in eligible countries in the Pacific and Southeast Asia. ACFP projects will also promote recovery from the COVID-19 (Coronavirus) pandemic, as well as gender equality and better economic opportunities for women and girls.

Size:

AUD 140M

Investors:

Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT)

Sponsors:

Asian Development Bank (ADB)

Type:

Fund

Instrument:

Debt (USD and local currency), equity, quasi-equity and mezzanine financing, guarantees/risk sharing, and technical assistance

Vintage:

2021

Impact/Sector:
Renewable energy, sustainable transport, energy efficiency, land-use and agribusiness, water supply and sanitation/wastewater treatment, solid waste management, blue carbon, agriculture and forestry, land use management, resilient infrastructure, marine and coastal ecosystem protection, healthcare, and disaster risk management.

SDGs:

Development goals include:

- Greenhouse gas emission reductions
- Individuals and communities better equipped to adapt to the impacts of climate change
- Gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls
- Private sector development
- Improved access to financing for greenfield construction and early-stage development
- Mobilization of public and private financing
- Creation of new job opportunities
- Improved energy security and clean energy capacity.

Geography:

Pacific and Southeast Asia

GLIC-specific:


N

GLI:

Y

Financial close:

N

Description:

AWE Funds is an early growth equity fund platform with the focused Gender Smart investment strategy of investing in innovative enterprises that promote gender equity by investing in women owned, led, and influenced businesses in India.

Size:

USD 50M

Sponsors:

AWE (Achieving Women Entrepreneurs) Funds

Type:

Fund

Instrument:

Equity

Vintage:

2019

Impact/Sector:

Agriculture, Clean tech, Education and training, Environment, Fashion, Femtech, Fintech, Food, Healthcare, Information and communications technology, Manufacturing, Renewable energy, Water, sanitation, and hygiene

SDGs:

Good Health and Well-being, Quality Education, Gender Equality, Clean Water and Sanitation, Affordable and Clean Energy, Reduced Inequalities, Responsible Consumption and Production, Climate Action, Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions, Partnerships for the Goals

Geography:

South Asia

GLIC-specific:

N

GLI:
Y

Description:

Women-run Babel fund invests in high-impact founders with the aim of solving some of humanity’s biggest challenges, Investing in companies that have the power to positively change consumer behaviors or current systems leveraging the power of biotech and deep tech.

Size:

USD 29M

Sponsors:

Babel Ventures

Type:

Fund

Instrument:

Equity

Vintage:

2017

Impact/Sector:

Environment, Food, Consumer Products and Services, Aging, Femtech, Other

SDGs:

Zero Hunger, Good Health and Well-being, Gender Equality, Responsible Consumption and Production, Climate Action

Geography:

North America

GLIC-specific:

N

GLI:
Y

Financial close:
Y

Description:

The BUILD Fund, is an innovative blended impact finance vehicle designed to support business opportunities that contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals in lower-income countries and primarily in Least Developed Countries. The BUILDER Technical Assistance (TA) Facility is managed at arm’s length by UNCDF, which will be closely involved in pipeline generation, portfolio building, and business advisory support to businesses.

Size:

USD 60M

Investors:

United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF), Nordic Development Fund (NDF),Government of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, GAC, Sida

Sponsors:

Bamboo Capital Partners

Type:

Fund

Structure:
Blended finance

Instrument:

The blended capital structure of the Fund is composed by different classes of shares, each providing a different risk-return profile and maturity, in order to accommodate a blend of different investor types, from concessional donors to commercial growth finance. The First-loss tranche will primarily serve to leverage more risk-averse investors in the senior tranches. The First-loss tranche will serve to mitigate and absorb losses incurring from the Fund’s portfolio investments.

Vintage:
2021

Impact/Sector:

The four sectors of investment are Green Economy and Renewable Energy, Food Security and Nutrition, Financial Inclusion and Innovation, and Local Infrastructure. BUILD’s blended finance structure incentivizes risk-averse private investors by protecting their capital through catalytic investments coming from institutional investors like NDF. The BUILD Fund further mitigates against risk through targeted technical assistance, e.g., in financial management and marketing strategies.

GLIC-specific:

N

GLI:

Y

Financial close:

Y

Description:

The 100% female-owned and women-founded fund operates as an early-stage venture fund investing in digital solutions to climate risk through solutions for the industries contributing the most to carbon emissions, including power, transportation, agriculture and buildings. As of March 2023, the has invested in nine startups, including three with executives based in Colorado. Those include Canopy, which provides software to help employees get to net-zero emissions while working from home, and Shifted Energy, a startup that enables electric water heaters to consume excess renewable energy. The third, StormSensor, provides insights on communities' water infrastructure and tracks risks for flooding in real time. More than 50% of senior management team are women.

Size:

USD 76 M

Investors:

Microsoft Climate Innovation Fund, Xcel Energy, Bank of America, NiSource, WovenEarth Ventures and the Office of the Illinois State Treasurer, as well as other energy companies and software entrepreneurs.

Type:

Fund

Instrument:

Private equity

Vintage:

2023

Impact/Sector:

Primary Impact Outcomes:

- Addressing climate change and environmental issues

- Conserving land, oceans, ecosystems and natural resources

- Increasing access to water and sanitation

Secondary Impact Outcomes:

- Addressing racial inequities

- Addressing gender inequities

SDGs:

Gender Equality (SDG 5), Affordable and Clean Energy (SDG 7), Decent Work and Economic Growth (SDG 8), Reducing Inequalities (SDG 10), Climate Action (SDG 13), Life Below Water (SDG 14), Life on Land (SDG 15)

Geography:

US, Europe

GLIC-specific:


Y

Financial close:

Y

Description:

Community Agriculture and Environmental Protection Association (CAEPA) Cameroon improves the livelihoods of women farmers in the Northwest by introducing new sustainable farming technologies and ensuring their equal access to land ownership. 500 families have been trained in enhancing soil quality, protecting water sources and developing sustainable cropping systems. They were supported to build their own “integrated farm plans”. 40 women’s groups have acquired skills to identify adapted tree species for reforestation; they planted 85,000 trees so far. Conducting research on laws and women’s rights, CAEPA also promotes equal land tenure rights and gender equality among rural communities.

Investors:

Global Fund for Women

Sponsors:

Community Agriculture and Environmental Protection Association (CAEPA)

Type:

Project

Instrument:
Equity

Vintage:
2019

Impact/Sector
Climate impact
- Community based development of integrated farm plans with agroecological principles
- Reforestation actions: over 85,000 trees planted
- Soil and water source protection

Gender impact
- Advocating for women’s land tenure rights and access to natural resources
- Capacity building for marginalized women and girls on farming, entrepreneurship and financial management
- Achieved cultural shifts regarding gender rights and the treatment of widows

Scalability/replicability
- Community-led organization starting with needs assessment prior to any programming
- “Education and Community” and “Infrastructure Delivery” components ensure a comprehensive approach
- Continuous evaluation during the project’s life cycle ensures sustainability

SDGs:

5, 8, 9, 13, 15

Geography:

Cameroon

GLIC-specific:
Y

GLI:

Y

Financial close:

Y

Description:

CIC invests to connect capital with the communities that need it most, demonstrating that private capital can be successfully invested in communities often overlooked and underserved by traditional finance in order to provide broad economic opportunity and protect our planet. Gender equity, racial justice, climate impact — these are not afterthoughts for us, they are inherent in our investment process and impact measurement and management procedures.

Size:

Target: USD 750M

Sponsors:

Calvert Impact Capital

Type:

Fund

Instrument:

Debt

Vintage:

1995

Impact/Sector:

No sector focus

SDGs:

No Poverty, Zero Hunger, Good Health and Well-being, Quality Education, Gender Equality, Clean Water and Sanitation, Affordable and Clean Energy, Reduced Inequalities, Sustainable Cities and Communities, Responsible Consumption and Production, Climate Action, Life Below Water, Life on Land

Geography:

Global

GLIC-specific:

Y

Financial close:
Perpetual Fund

Description:

The fund provides concessional financing (including low-interest or long-maturity loans) and technical assistance for private-sector-led climate mitigation and adaptation projects in developing Asian and Pacific countries, co-financed with the ADB’s resources. The funds aim to catalyse greater private investment in climate change efforts and have played a key role in helping support climate change projects that would not have happened without concessional finance to mitigate investment risks. The fund incorporated gender equality as a key result area. ADB has taken a proactive stance in the development of projects under consideration for concessional financing, seeking to ensure that the development of gender equality measures is a primary consideration of the deal teams, rather than a secondary focus once other aspects of the project design have been finalised. The process of designing gender equality elements begins in the initial meetings between the fund manager and the transaction teams.

Size:

USD 230M

Investors:

Government of Canada, Asian Development Bank

Type:

Fund

Instrument:

Concessional financing (including low-interest or long-maturity loans) and technical assistance

Vintage:

2013

Impact/Sector:

These projects may include but are not limited to: clean energy (including renewable energy, energy efficiency and cleaner fuel) in energy sector and non-energy sector including agriculture, urban infrastructure and sustainable transportation projects.

Geography:

Asia

GLIC-specific:

Y

GLI:

Y

Description:
Casa Grata is a decentralised and affordable youth-led solution that brings solar energy to dispersed and hard-to-reach rural households. The system includes a solar panel, light bulbs, a battery and a solar charge controller. This solution allows electronic devices to be charged and light bulbs to be plugged in, reducing school dropout rates, particularly among girls, and improving families’ livelihoods. Through the ‘Guardians of Light’ programme, rural women are trained as technicians to install, monitor and repair the systems, ensuring long-term sustainability in a difficult context of internal conflict.

Size:
USD 34M

Investors:

Allianz Foundation, Turkish Cooperation for Development

Sponsors:

Tierra Grata

Type:

Project

Impact/Sector:

Climate impact
- Reduce CO2 emissions by replacing candles or diesel lamps with solar photovoltaic systems
- Decentralised solar energy solution based on a community approach

Gender impact
- 36 rural women are members of the Guardians of the Light committee
- Through a Train-of-Trainer approach, rural women are trained in financial savings and technical skills
- Empowering women through meaningful participation in decision making

Scalability/replicability
- Payment system based on interest-free credit and adjusted to the user’s income ensures wide dissemination
- Communities empowered to follow their own development pathway
- Internal conflict victims and displaced communities return to the land and find some peace

SDGs:

5, 7, 8, 13, 16

Geography:

Colombia

GLIC-specific:

Y

GLI:

Y

Financial close:

Y

Description:

Designed to strengthen capacity and increase participation of early-career women in the national climate change processes of Cameroon, Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gabon, and the Republic of the Congo.

Size:

USD 150K

Investors:

USAID, SilvaCarbon Program

Sponsors:

U.S. Forest Service

Type:
Non-profit 


Impact/Sector:

Over 100 women have participated in a series of workshops about climate change science, greenhouse gas accounting, the social and economic impacts of the climate crisis, climate finance, and national and international climate policy.

Geography:

Central Africa

GLIC-specific:

Y

Description:

Movement-driven VC firm investing with a gender and diversity lens, primarily in seed-stage, enterprise SaaS businesses addressing climate, education and health. It tackles equity, diversity and inclusion first to have all voices at the table and can build better solutions.

Size:

USD 10M

Investors:

Bank of America, ImpactAssets and anchor investor ECMC, high net worth individuals and family foundations

Sponsors:

Chloe Capital

Type:

Fund

Instrument:

Convertible Note

Vintage:

2023

SDGs:

Gender Equality (SDG 5), Decent Work and Economic Growth (SDG 8), Reducing Inequalities (SDG 10), Climate Action (SDG 13)

Geography:

Primarily invests across the US and up to 30% of the fund can be invested globally

GLIC-specific:



Y

Financial close:

Y

Description:
The fund invests in companies across the plastic-recycling and waste-management value chains, as well as startups focused on early-stage disruptive innovation and technology aligned with Circulate Capital Disrupt, the firm's climate tech strategy, such as new delivery models, advanced recycling technologies, and new alternatives to single-use plastic.

Size:

USD 106M

Sponsors:

Circulate Capital

Type:

Fund

Instrument:

Debt & Equity

Vintage:

2019

Impact/Sector:

Environment, Infrastructure, Waste & Recycling

SDGs:

Clean Water and Sanitation, Decent Work and Economic Growth, Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure, Sustainable Cities and Communities, Responsible Consumption and Production, Climate Action

Geography:

Southeast Asia/Pacific, South Asia

GLIC-specific:
Y

Financial close:

Y

Description:

The CityAdapt project is working with women’s coffee cooperatives to implement nature-based solutions to restore vegetation and improve rainwater harvesting. The project is increasing access to water for consumption and agriculture, reducing soil erosion and preventing flooding and landslides that have previously devastated the city. It has improved crop yields, increased incomes and provided livelihood opportunities for young women which means they don’t have to leave the area in search of work.

Sponsors:

UN Environment Programme

Type:

Project

Vintage:

2017

Geography:

LATAM

GLIC-specific:

Y

Description:

The City of Minneapolis has issued green bonds to continue the construction of a certified green building that is aligned with the ICMA’s Green Bond Principles. The bond framework also outlines some social objectives, such as employee health, public art, and diversity. For the latter, the city “aims to achieve a diverse construction workforce comprised of 20% women and 32% minorities”. Furthermore, the bond framework states that as part of its project evaluation and selection process, all projects and related activities must comply with its environmental and social directives.

Size:

USD 114.42M

Sponsors:

Issuer: City of Minneapolis

Type:

Bond

Instrument:

Use-of-proceeds bond framework - Maturity date 2022 to 2046

Vintage:

2019

Impact/Sector:

Finance the construction of the city’s new Public Service Center.

SDGs:
Gender Equality (SDG 5), Decent Work and Economic Growth (SDG 8), Reducing Inequalities (SDG 10), Sustainable Cities & Communities (SDG 11), Climate Action (SDG 13)

Geography:

Minneapolis, USA

Financial close:

Y

Description:

USAID’s Clean Cities, Blue Ocean program halts ocean plastic pollution in rapidly urbanizing areas of Asia and Latin America that contribute to the estimated 8 million metric tons of plastic that flow into the ocean each year. As part of this program, USAID is investing in new business approaches led by women entrepreneurs that reduce single-use plastics, and they are supporting the economic advancement of women who work as informal waste collectors.

Size:

USD 53M

Investors:

USAID

Sponsors:

Tetra Tech (in collaboration with ICMA and the Manoff Group)

Type:

Project

Instrument:

TA and grants

Vintage:

2019

Impact/Sector:

As of October 2022, the program has:
- Secured over 51,060 metric tons of plastic and other materials (the equivalent of over 5.52 billion plastic bottles) from leaking into the environment.
- Recovered and diverted over 230 metric tons of plastic and other waste from landfills, while supporting local livelihoods and building circular economies.
- Trained over 2,220 individuals from local government, the informal waste sector, and local organizations to build local capacity for solid waste management planning and programs.
- Impacted over 8.3 million individuals who have experienced better air and water quality as a result of landfill remediation activities or have improved access to waste services as a result of new local businesses, organizations, and government partnerships.
- Awarded over $5.28 million in grants to local partners to implement effective, locally-led solutions.
- Formed partnerships with national and local governments; private sector partners, including Nestle Philippines, the Coca-Cola Foundation, and the Alliance to End Plastic Waste. The program’s partnerships have leveraged over $8.4 million in additional investments to strengthen local waste systems.

Geography:

Asia, the Pacific Islands, Latin America and the Caribbean

GLIC-specific:


Y

GLI:

Y

Financial close:

Y

Description:

The Clean Investment Funds (CIF), a set of financing instruments to support the transition towards climate-smart development in developing countries, has a Gender Action Plan that was approved in 2014.

Size:
USD 8.5B

Investors:

Government donors and the private sector

Type:

Multilateral

Instrument:

Concessional climate finance

Vintage:

2008

Impact/Sector:

Supported over 370 projects in 72 countries

Geography:

Low- and middle-income countries

GLIC-specific:
Y

Financial close:

N

Description:

Through ClimADAPT, local banks and microfinance institutions in Tajikistan enhance men and women’s access to climate resilience technologies, particularly in the agriculture sector. With support from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the Climate Investment Funds (CIF), women borrowers were encouraged to adopt climate resilience technologies through increased awarenessraising activities and the introduction of dedicated training for local banks.

Size:

USD 10 M

Investors:

Pilot Program for Climate Resilience (PPCR) of the Climate Investment Funds, the government of the United Kingdom and the multi-donor EBRD Early Transition Countries Fund

Sponsors:

European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD)

Type:

Credit Line Program

Instrument:

Debt and Technical Assistance

Vintage:

2016

Impact/Sector:

ClimADAPT enhanced the gender capacity of local banking staff to better cater to the needs of women customers. Local banks showed flexibility in adapting their collateral requirements for accessing loans and repayment plan terms to meet women’s needs, by accepting the use of jewellery, shop inventories and commercial assets as collateral. Communications materials helped attract more potential women borrowers. About 30 per cent of ClimADAPT borrowers were women, holding 19 per cent of the total amount of loans disbursed (higher than the national average of women borrowers). The overall value of loans accessed by women borrowers showed an increase of five percentage points between 2017 and 2018, rising from 14 per cent to 19 per cent of total loans by the PFIs. This growth was attributed to increased efforts from partner financial institutions (PFIs) to build their gender capacity internally, as well as reach out more actively to women borrowers.

From the launch of CLIMADAPT up to the end of September 2018, partner financial institutions financed over 3,400 sub-projects, with a total value of US$ 9.8 million.

• The CLIMADAPT portfolio comprises larger assisted investments (in greenhouses and cold-storage facilities, which together account for 18 per cent of the total value of disbursed sub-loans) and smaller projects based on the list of eligible technologies (windows, irrigation systems, insulation materials and others, which constitute 82 per cent of the value of disbursed sub-loans).

• Of the sub-projects financed to date, 62 per cent have been aimed at the adoption of energy-efficient and renewable-energy technologies, 36 per cent at promoting water efficiency and 2 per cent at adopting sustainable land-management practices.

• As of June 2018, 29 per cent of CLIMADAPT clients were women, holding 19 per cent of the total amount of loan disbursed.

• In 2017, CLIMADAPT trained over 250 farmers and businesses in the Khatlon and Sughd regions through 7 technology workshops on drip irrigation, equipment modernisation, solar technologies, cold storage and zero-tillage technology.

SDGs:

Gender Equality (SDG 5), Decent Work and Economic Growth (SDG 8), Industry, Innovation & Infrastructure (SDG 9), Reducing Inequalities (SDG 10), Sustainable Cities & Communities (SDG 11), Climate Action (SDG 13)

Geography:

Tajikistan

GLIC-specific:
Y

Financial close:

Y

Description:

The CCEEF works to build powerful organizations in communities of color, low-income communities, and communities impacted by climate change. The Fund develops strategies and collaborations, aligns resources, and makes grants, to build grassroots power and win on climate change and clean energy.

Investors:

New Venture Fund

Sponsors:

Democracy Alliance, a network of influential liberal donors and operatives

Type:

Fund

Instrument:

Grants

Vintage:

2016

Geography:

US

GLIC-specific:

Y

Description:

Through its Climate Finance Development Accelerator (CFDA), USAID announces the creation of its new Climate Gender Equity Fund, which will leverage private sector funding to scale climate finance that advances gender-equitable climate action. Launched through a five-year partnership with Amazon, with initial seed funding of $6 million, the fund will leverage public and private sector investment to increase access to climate finance for women-led climate organizations, and businesses that advance gender-equitable climate solutions in least developed countries.

Size:

USD 6M

Investors:

USAID

Sponsors:

USAID

GLIC-specific:

Y

Description:

The CJRF works to empower women, youth, and indigenous peoples on the front lines of climate change to create and share their own solutions for resilience. With a focus on East Africa, the Bay of Bengal, and the Arctic, the organization funds advocacy, coalition building, and outreach initiatives to ensure that community voices shape policy solutions, particularly in the areas of water access, food security and sovereignty, sustainable livelihoods, and climate-related migration and relocation.

Size:

USD 20.9M

Investors:

Oak Foundation, The Kendeda Fund, and Robert Bosch Foundation.

Sponsors:

New Venture Fund (NVF)

Type:

Fund

Instrument:

Grants

Vintage:

2016

Impact/Sector:

Water access, food security and sovereignty, sustainable livelihoods, migration and relocation, climate-induced loss and damage

Geography:

East Africa, the Bay of Bengal, and the Arctic

GLIC-specific:


Y

GLI:

Y

Financial close:

Y

Description:

The CLIMA Fund is a pathway for funders to directly support Indigenous, women, and youth-led work building climate resilience and mitigating climate chaos.

Sponsors:

Global Greengrants Fund, Grassroots International, Thousand Currents, and Urgent Action Fund for Women’s Human Rights

Type:

Fund

Instrument:

Grants

Vintage:

2016

Impact/Sector:

Thus far, the fund has given 18k grants, reached 168 countries.

Geography:

Global

GLIC-specific:

Y

Description:

The Climate Pledge Fund is Amazon’s venture capital program that invests in companies pioneering decarbonizing technologies and solutions. Amazon is allocating $50 million from its Climate Pledge Fund to invest in women-founded and women-led climate tech companies, as well as incubators and accelerators that prioritize women-led entities.

Size:

Total fund: USD 2B. Share dedicated to invest in GLIC: USD 50M

Investors:

Amazon

Sponsors:

Amazon

Type:

Fund

Vintage:

2021

Impact/Sector:

- Transportation and logistics
- Energy generation, storage, and utilization
- Buildings
- Manufacturing and materials
- Circular economy
- Food and agriculture

Geography:

Global

GLIC-specific:


Y

GLI:

Y

Description:

The transaction was the first bond with social impact issued by a multinational aligned with the new "Social Bonds Principles” as set out in June 2017 by the International Capital Market Association. Funds raised will be used to finance and refinance projects that include positive social impacts, such as research and development in Danone’s medical nutrition division, support to farmers in the implementation of responsible practices or enhancement of the Danone employees health care coverage in the world. Thematic focus:

• Socio-economic development of local communities, mainly in developing countries

• Socio-economic development of small-scale farmers in developing countries

• Progress towards gender equality in developing countries

• Socio-economic development of rural communities

• Promotion of healthy environment

Size:

EUR 300M

Sponsors:

Issuer: Danone

Type:

Bond

Structure:
The bond issue consists of a euro-denominated senior note with a 7-year maturity and offering a 1.00% coupon, due March 2025. The bond will be listed on Euronext Paris.

Vintage:

2018

Impact/Sector:

Proceeds are allocated to projects promoting positive social impact on Danone’s stakeholders, including:

• Research and Innovation for Advanced Medical Nutrition,

• Social inclusiveness,

• Responsible farming and agriculture,

• Entrepreneurship financing,

• Quality healthcare and parental support.

SDGs:

No Poverty (SDG 1), Zero Hunger (SDG 2), Gender Equality (SDG 5), Climate Action (SDG 13)

Geography:

Global

GLIC-specific:
N

GLI:

Y

Financial close:

Y

Description:

The David Rockefeller Fund’s Climate program supports efforts to support and sustain bold, science-based leadership on equitable climate solutions with a particular interest in supporting non-profits run by, serving, and building power for the communities of color who have been the most disproportionately affected by the climate crisis, and in investing in under-funded constituencies and geographic areas. This includes organizing efforts to: address intersecting climate, gender, and racial justice inequities; defend voting rights; and accelerate and expand movements to keep coal, oil and gas in the ground and shift whole regions to affordable clean energy.

Type:

Fund/Project

Vintage:

2010

Geography:

USA

GLIC-specific:



Y

GLI:

Y

Description:

This financing will enable the bank to support projects with a climate co-benefit and to promote the inclusion of women, two of Team Europe's priority themes. This new line of credit will also enable Sudameris to finance green/climate projects led by Paraguayan companies. The bank also confirms its commitment to the inclusion of women: 50% of the amount allocated by Proparco and DEG will be directed to the financing of gender inclusion, to promote the development of this clientele. The loans will have to meet at least one of the 2X Challenge criteria (for entrepreneurship, leadership and employment, for women). Finally, 10% of this loan will be reserved exclusively for SMEs.

Size:

USD 110M

Investors:

DEG, FMO, Proparco

Type:

Line of Credit

Instrument:

Senior loan

Vintage:

2022

SDGs:

SDG 5 (Gender Equality), SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth) and SDG 13 (Measures to Combat Climate Change)

Geography:

Paraguay

GLIC-specific:


Y

GLI:

Y

Financial close:

Y

Description:

The fund will invest through a gender lens in clean energy, e-commerce and e-logistics, health tech, edtech and fintech companies and projects in Nepal. Dolma says it aims to boost inclusive and sustainable economic growth in Nepal and catalyze more private equity investments.

Size:

USD 72M

Investors:

British International Investment, FMO, Swedfund, the International Finance Corp, the U.S. International Development Finance Corp and the Japan International Cooperation Agency.

Sponsors:

Dolma Fund Management

Instrument:

Equity

Vintage:

2021

Impact/Sector:
Approximately 40 percent of Nepali firms report a lack capital as a major business constraint, with financing options dominated by banks requiring relatively high interest rates and collateral requirements. The Fund is expected to address these firms’ lack of growth capital, demonstrate the value of the private equity model in Nepal, and bolster otherwise weak levels of FDI. Fund investments are also expected to result in substantial permanent employment growth and to address Nepal’s low levels of permanent paid employment. These types of jobs have accounted for a small fraction of newly created jobs in Nepal during the last decade.

SDGs:

Gender Equality (SDG 5), Affordable and Clean Energy (SDG 7), Decent Work and Economic Growth (SDG 8), Reducing Inequalities (SDG 10), Climate Action (SDG 13)

Geography:

Nepal

GLIC-specific:


Y

Description:

Under EBRD Green Cities, the Bank is working to accelerate the transition to low-carbon cities while promoting women and men’s equal opportunities in the infrastructure sector. A notable set of investments are the engagements with Tbilisi in Georgia. EBRD is supporting the implementation of Tbilisi’s Green City Action Plan (GCAP), which identified urgent action needed to address the city’s priority environmental challenges, one of which is air quality, through an engagement with the Tbilisi Transport Company (TTC). In 2016, the EBRD collaborated with TTC to finance the purchase of low-emissions buses, with a project extension granted in 2019. In 2020 EBRD signed a new project with the Green Climate Fund (GCF) to invest in the modernisation of the Tbilisi metro system, consisting of a €75 million sovereign loan, with €65 million provided by the EBRD and €10 million by GCF. The collaboration between EBRD and Tbilisi is an example of how a gender lens can be brought to green investments, and in particular how women’s employment and skills development can be integrated into green infrastructure investment approaches and processes.

Size:

EUR 75M

Investors:

EBRD & GCF

Sponsors:

EBRD

Type:

Project

Vintage:

2016

Geography:

Georgia

GLIC-specific:
Y

Description:

A women-led fund investing in Latin American businesses that protect fragile environments, create jobs, and empower women in rural areas.

Size:

USD 12.5M

Sponsors:

FinDev Canada

Type:

Fund

Instrument:

Debt & Equity

Vintage:

2019

Impact/Sector:

Agriculture, agroforestry, and ecotourism. With the support of EcoEnterprises III, businesses are projected to support as many as 6,000 jobs and up to 20,000 local suppliers. The increased business activities in rural areas will in turn improve local economic opportunities and the conservation of ecosystems and natural resources on which rural SMEs and communities depend.

Geography:

Colombia, Peru, Costa Rica, Mexico, Nicaragua and Bolivia.

Description:

A fast-growing producer of environmentally friendly natural colorants for the food and personal care industries. Founded by Sandra Zapata, the Colombian company is actively expanding its supply network to include more women.

Investors:

EcoEnterprises

Type:

Company

GLIC-specific:

Y

Description:

The fund is focuses on increasing funding to underrepresented founders working on solutions to accelerate the transition to a more sustainable and clean energy future. It will also make investments in companies that are led by underrepresented entrepreneurs, are empowering diverse talent, and/or are creating economic opportunity for distressed or disadvantaged communities.

Sponsors:

Energy Impact Partners (EIP)

Type:

Fund

Instrument:

Venture Capital

Vintage:

2021

Geography:

North America

Description:

Since 2016, UEWCA has enhanced the climate resilience and livelihoods of over 49,000 women in rural communities of Ethiopia, with an integrated approach. Their capacities have been strengthened in climate mitigation and adaptation techniques, environmental protection strategies and income diversification. By implementing integrated agroecology -crop and livestock-, efficient stoves and watershed management, women have developed climate resilient, long-term sustainable development models. Knowledge of existing climate change policies have been raised, building institutional capacities of local governments and 12 civil society organizations.

Investors:

ActionAid, Plan International, Governments of Australia, Canada and The Netherlands, Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA)

Sponsors:

Union of Ethiopian Women and Children Associations (UEWCA)

Type:

Project

Vintage:

2021

Impact/Sector:

Climate impact
- Awareness raising campaigns to local communities on sustainable resource management
- Use of drought tolerant seeds and small-scale irrigation to increase agricultural production
- Mainstreaming climate resilient economic development

Gender impact
- Rural women have acquired new technical skills on integrated agroecological practices
- Economic empowerment of 49,000 women and vulnerable community groups

Scalability/replicability
- Development of knowledge management system for informing best practices to policy makers
- Replicable agricultural practices for drought prone areas

SDGs:

2, 5, 8, 13, 15

Geography:


Ethiopia

GLIC-specific:

Y

GLI:

Y

Description:

Enbridge is a North American energy infrastructure company. In 2021, the company issued sustainability-linked bonds. The framework outlines three distinct KPIs related to greenhouse gas reduction, increasing ethnic and racial diversity, and gender empowerment. The KPI relating to ethnic diversity and gender empowerment are core aspects of the company’s diversity and inclusion strategy. In particular, the company has prioritised board diversity and seeks to establish and maintain diversity and inclusion on the board, executive leadership and senior management levels, with an ambition of achieving at least 40% women on the Board by 2025. The non-achievement of this aim will trigger a variation in the financial and structural characteristics of the bond.

Size:

USD 1.5B

Investors:
British Business Bank

Sponsors:
Issuer: Enbridge Inc

Type:

Bond

Structure:
As part of a larger US$1.5 billion financing, the Company issued a US$1 billion 12-year term senior note which is consistent with our recently published SLB Framework, incorporating emissions and inclusion goals into the financing terms. The SLB carries a coupon of 2.5%. Enbridge also closed a 30-year US$500 million term senior note issuance with a coupon of 3.4%.

Instrument:

Sustainability-linked bond - Maturity 10.5 years

Vintage:

2021

SDGs:

No Poverty (SDG 1), Gender Equality (SDG 5), Affordable and Clean Energy (SDG 7), Decent Work and Economic Growth (SDG 8), Reducing Inequalities (SDG 10), Climate Action (SDG 13)

Geography:

Canada

GLIC-specific:



Y

Financial close:

Y

Description:

The SEED project implements a holistic and gender-responsive approach to energy transition in Jordan, providing technical training to women and empowering local communities to adapt to climate change and advocate for climate solutions. Women energy ambassadors learn to install solar water heaters and photovoltaic systems, thereby challenging gender-stereotypes in the male-dominated sector of energy efficiency and renewable energy (EE&RE). SEED also facilitates women’s participation in the labour force thanks to individual coaching, innovation grants, and employment opportunities. The SEED team conducts awareness-raising and national advocacy activities to scale-up the project’s impacts.

Investors:

Global Affairs Canada, Jordan Ministry of Energy & Mineral Resources

Sponsors:

Cowater International Inc.

Type:

Project

Vintage:

2021

Impact/Sector:

Climate impact
- Strengthening local technical skills for the EE&RE sector, thus bringing Jordan closer to achieving national climate goals
- Energy savings in private households and public institutes thanks to the installation of 1500 solar PV systems and 1700 solar water heater systems
- Social justice in climate adaptation through the use of EE&RE solutions in areas of poverty

Gender impact
- Challenging gender norms in a male-dominated sector
- Economic empowerment and enhanced participation in the labour force for women
- Capacity building of female organisations’ leaders, who take on inspirational roles within their communities

Scalability / replicability
- Holistic incentive program providing capacity-building, coaching, and financial support to innovators in disadvantaged communities
- Revolving fund to ensure financial sustainability of the project
- Willingness to scale up the solution’s outcomes in the local roadmap to national sustainability and climate change initiatives

SDGs:

4, 5, 7, 8, 13

Geography:

Jordan

GLIC-specific:

Y

GLI:

Y

Description:
EEGF offers catalytic financing and technical assistance to early and growth-stage companies that increase access to clean, safe, dependable, and affordable energy for off-grid households and businesses in Sub-Saharan Africa while improving gender inclusion.

Size:

USD 106M

Investors:

Nordic Development Fund, FinDev Canada, DFC, Shell Foundation, UK Aid, FMO

Sponsors:

Tripe Jump and Persistent

Type:

Fund

Structure:
Blended Finance by Shell Foundation

Instrument:

Patient, flexible capital, with a focus on mezzanine instruments, combined with technical assistance. Also debt and equity.

Vintage:

2019

Impact/Sector:

EEGF’s primary objective is to increase the access to energy for off-grid households and businesses. This includes not just the number of people with such access, but also the depth of access that is provided. Further targets include emissions reductions, gender equity[1] targets, job creation and additional investment catalyzed. EEGF has an associated Technical Assistance facility and, in addition, Triple Jump and Persistent provide hands-on ‘engine room support’ to the management teams of portfolio companies. The fund supports their responsible growth and enhances the impact of their operations, as well as catalyzing cooperation and innovation in the sector more broadly.

Geography:

sub-Saharan Africa

GLIC-specific:


Y

GLI:

Y

Financial close:

N

Description:

Rural distribution start-up Frontier Markets (FM), based in Jaipur and founded in 2011 by Ajaita Shah, connects rural households in India to critical products and services. The business started as a clean energy access firm, providing lighting and appliance solutions to rural residents, and has evolved to provide access to a range of life-changing products and services sold by a network of women entrepreneurs called Sahelis. In July 2020 FM announced that it had raised $2.25 million in a pre-series A financing with ENGIE Rassembleurs d’Energies, The Rise Fund, The Singh Family Trusts, Teja Ventures and affiliates of Beyond Capital Fund.

Size:

USD 2.25M

Investors:

ENGIE Rassembleurs d’Energies, The Rise Fund, The Singh Family Trusts, Teja Ventures and affiliates of Beyond Capital Fund

Type:

Company (deal)

Instrument:

Equity

Vintage:

2020

Impact/Sector:

Today the company has 10,000 rural women entrepreneurs serving 450,000 customers, and by 2026 plans to grow to 1 million rural women entrepreneurs serving 100 million consumers with products and services related to agriculture, insurance and environment to drive economic empowerment in India.

Geography:

India

GLIC-specific:

Y

Financial close:

Y

Description:

A grant from The Adaptation Fund promotes sustainable agriculture, gender equity and environmental protection in Cinquea and Tejutepeque, two communities in El Salvador. This grant supports a programme that works with small producers participating in the project to improve their food and income security through sustainable agriculture practices. Gender equality and climate change adaptation are both identified as priorities of this programme.

Size:

USD 7.8M

Investors:

The Adaptation Fund

Sponsors:

El Salvador’s Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Agriculture and UNDP

Type:

Project

Instrument:

Grant

Vintage:

2021

Impact/Sector:

Restoration activities include the rehabilitatiation of sensitive ecosystems, agroforestry and silvopastoral systems that will be executed by the communities and local associations through the support of the Fund for Environmental Investment of the Americas (FIAES). Further, technical assistance and support will be provided by the Ministry of Environment and Ministry of Agriculture to diversify income-generating activities, improve knowledge on local hydrology and climate change, and address unsustainable practices through informed territorial planning and inclusive governance.

Geography:

El Salvador

GLIC-specific:

N

GLI:

Y

Description:

The USAID Enterprises for Development, Growth, and Empowerment (EDGE) Fund is a first-of-its-kind fund designed to unleash private sector impact on global development challenges. Rather than focus solely on using government dollars to leverage greater private sector investment—the scope of most traditional development finance—the EDGE fund, working with Congress, will be used to launch new partnerships that unleash business capabilities and influence commercial operations in the service of advancing development objectives. The fund will help USAID and partners generate sustainable, high-impact public-private partnerships to tackle the climate crisis, deliver gender equality, drive economic growth, and address other key priorities.

Size:

USD 50M

Investors:

US government

Sponsors:

USAID

Type:

Fund

Vintage:

2023

Impact/Sector:

The following list of planned activities are among the first projects slated to receive resources through the EDGE Fund:

- Green Guarantee Company: Along with the UK Government, the Green Climate Fund, and Prosper Africa, we plan to provide seed funding for the world’s first credit guarantor dedicated to climate solutions in the developing world, systematically de-risk and effectively unlock scale-level private investments in climate solutions through the power of global capital markets. Starting with some of the largest emerging economies such as Brazil and India to economies such as Rwanda and Tanzania, and small island developing states such as Trinidad and Tobago, we are helping to issue green bonds and loans in emerging and frontier markets, and equipping borrowers to acquire climate resilient infrastructure.

- Global Alliance for Trade Facilitation: Anticipate providing additional resources to facilitate trade in burgeoning democracies like Zambia, Malawi, Ecuador, and the Dominican Republic to address multiple challenges around corruption, economic growth, and market expansion.

- Barbados Blue-Green Bank: With USAID funding and seed funding available from the EDGE Fund, along with co-funding from the Government of Barbados and the Green Climate Fund, we plan to establish a regional financing vehicle to finance projects that will help with climate change mitigation and adaptation, including resilient housing, renewable energy, green transportation, and water conservation.

- Madre de Dios Sustainable Landscapes Initiative: In Peru, will be supporting ecotourism and shoring up our commitment to locally relevant and sustainable economic growth avenues. With partners Inkaterra Peru and the Smithsonian Center for Conservation and Sustainability, along with Peruvian businesses, we are raising private capital to develop a 200,000 acre sustainable biodiversity corridor in an area facing some of the highest levels of deforestation and illegal gold mining in the Amazon.

- Countering Transnational Corruption Grand Challenge: Plan to double the size of USAID’s initial investment in the Countering Transnational Corruption Grand Challenge to help co-invest in game-changing tools, technology, and approaches that prevent corrupt actors from siphoning off critical resources that should be used for the public good.

SDGs:
Gender Equality (SDG 5), Affordable and Clean Energy (SDG 7), Decent Work and Economic Growth (SDG 8), Reducing Inequalities (SDG 10), Climate Action (SDG 13)

Geography:

Global

GLIC-specific:


Y

Financial close:
N

Description:

Swedish private-equity firm EQT’s sustainability-linked credit facility requires that any company receiving EQT investment achieve at least 40 percent female board representation within 24 months of the time of acquisition, and that 85 percent of total electricity purchased must come from renewable sources within 30 months. A failure to meet any of these KPIs will automatically increase the interest rate the lender charges for the credit facility.

Size:

EUR 2.3 – 5B

Investors:

A syndicate of leading global financial institutions, including BNP Paribas and SEB acting as Sustainability Coordinators and BNP Paribas as Agent and Sustainability Agent.

Sponsors:

EQT

Type:

Credit Facility

Instrument:

Sustainability-linked credit facility

Vintage:

2020

Impact/Sector:
The bridge financing facility will be coupled with a pricing mechanism designed to accelerate the portfolio companies’ ESG performance. The pricing mechanisms are directly linked to EQT’s firm wide elevated societal targets around diversity and climate as well as EQT’s proven governance model and strong commitment to transparency. The pricing mechanism for the SCF is designed to incentivize the performance of portfolio companies in the areas of i) gender equality on the board of directors and ii) renewable energy transition, supported by iii) a fundamental sustainability governance platform.

SDGs:

No Poverty (SDG 1), Gender Equality (SDG 5), Decent Work and Economic Growth (SDG 8), Reducing Inequalities (SDG 10), Climate Action (SDG 13)

Geography:

Sweden

Description:

The overall objective of the proposed project is to foster sustained economic development, mainstream gender, reduce poverty and enhance food security through strengthening the adaptive capacity of vulnerable communities to better respond to climate change. The specific goal is to enhance the resilience of communities and the sustainability of livelihoods in rural and urban areas threatened by climate change, for both women and men. The project is intended to introduce new dimensions of gender-responsive climate smart urbanization programs as this region covers major industrialized towns, and is a mining industry hub.

Size:

USD 930 K

Investors:

African Development Bank

Sponsors:

Government of Zambia

Type:

Project

Instrument:

Grant

Vintage:

2021

Impact/Sector:

Expected Outcomes:

(i) Delivery of gender-responsive technical studies for the scaling up of climate resilience to the three new provinces, including assessment of climate change integration into sub-national development planning, gender-responsive household survey data covering climate vulnerability and socioeconomic assessments, sectoral analyses, gap assessments and of climate-health linkages .

(ii) Gender-responsive framework for inclusive stakeholder engagement in climate resilience activities

(iii) Enhanced capacity of national and regional stakeholders to plan, manage and implement genderresponsive climate change adaptation measures.

Number of people supported by the PPCR to cope with the effects of climate change. Target: 150,000

SDGs:

Gender Equality (SDG 5), Reducing Inequalities (SDG 10), Climate Action (SDG 13), Life on Land (SDG 15)

Geography:

Zambia

GLIC-specific:


Y

Financial close:

Y

Description:

The Green Climate Fund (GCF) gave a grant to the African Development Bank’s Affirmative Finance Action for Women in Africa (AFAWA) program for a climate action project to support women-led farmers’ associations and micro, small and medium enterprises in Ghana’s agricultural sector. The AFAWA Ghana project is designed to provide affordable and innovative financial products and services for women to adopt technologies and practices that will enhance the resilience of agro-ecosystems and agricultural production.

Size:

USD 20M

Investors:

Green Climate Fund (GCF)

Sponsors:

African Development Bank’s Affirmative Finance Action for Women in Africa (AFAWA)

Type:

Fund

Instrument:
Concessional finance

Vintage:

2019

Impact/Sector:

An estimated total carbon emission reduction of over 3 million tons.

Geography:

Ghana

GLIC-specific:
Y

GLI:

Y

Financial close:

N

Description:

The Swedish International Development Agency (Sida), sustainable Swiss investment house responsAbility and Danske Bank are joining forces for this social bond that bundles loans to innovative companies in capital-scarce regions which operate in the financial inclusion, healthcare and WASH (water, sanitation, hygiene) sectors, and that have a measurable, positive social impact. In addition to investments targeting health, it targets those in financial inclusion, climate-smart agriculture, access to clean and affordable energy, clean water, and sanitation. In 2022, responsAbility joined the 2XCollaborative, a global industry body that convenes the entire spectrum of investors to promote gender lens investing and responsAbility has also developed a gender-smart investing Technical Assistance Facility.

Size:

USD 177.5M

Investors:

Alecta and AFA Insurance

Sponsors:

responsAbility, Sida, Danske Bank

Type:

Blended finance social bond

Structure:
Blended Finance - SIDA issued a guarantee, committing to cover up to 25% of any overall loss for the

Instrument:

Loans

Vintage:

2021

Impact/Sector:

Progress on the SDGs cannot succeed without spirited mobilization of private capital. But this often is a challenge because many investors are risk averse. By creating a structure that fosters the mobilization of private capital, this bond helps to effectively address those issues that need urgent attention. In addition, this bond sheds light on how return-oriented private capital can be used to achieve social impact.

SDGs:

1, 2, 3, 6, 7

Geography:

Emerging markets

GLIC-specific:


Y

GLI:

Y

Financial close:

Y

Description:

The project aims to restore degraded forest reserves by establishing a large scale sustainable commercial forest plantation (11,700 ha) composed of local tree species (10%) and teak (90%) in collaboration with the Government of Ghana (GoG). A 50 year renewable land lease accompanied by tripartite Benet Sharing Agreements (BSA) between the GoG, local communities and the project company has been signed for a total area of 14,000 ha of degraded forest land. The project addresses gender considerations throughout the project cycle.

Size:

USD 24M

Investors:

CIF, AfDB

Sponsors:

FORM Ghana Ltd

Type:

Project

Vintage:

2022

Impact/Sector:

The project aligns with the Ghana Country Strategy Paper (2012-2016) which emphasizes mainstreaming environment and climate change adaptation to initiate transformational change towards low-carbon and climate-resilient development by enhancing forest carbon stocks, securing integrity of forests/woodland resources and improving livelihoods of forest fringe communities.

Results:

- 11,700 ha covered by sustainably managed forest plantations

- Over 2,000 ha of degraded land restored and transformed into commercial forestry plantations

- Almost 1,100 green jobs created 40% of all jobs created earmarked for women

SDGs:

Gender Equality (SDG 5), Reducing Inequalities (SDG 10), Climate Action (SDG 13), Life on Land (SDG 15)

Geography:

Ghana

GLIC-specific:


Y

Financial close:

Y

Description:

In the world’s first gender equality loan, Turkish company Polat Energy received a $44 million loan from Garanti BBVA bank in 2019 to finance the construction of Turkey’s largest wind farm. Polat Energy’s performance will be annually assessed based on a series of gender criteria, and improvements will enhance the terms of the loan. At 48 MW, the wind farm Soma 4 will be the largest in Turkey, contributing substantially to climate mitigation through emissions reductions in the energy sector. In addition to rewarding Polat Energy for improving its gender equality, the gender loan seeks to encourage other sustainable infrastructure companies to adopt gender-inclusive practices and serve as an example to other financial institutions.

Size:

USD 44M

Investors:

Garanti BBVA

Type:
Company (deal)

Instrument:

Debt

Vintage:

2019

Geography:

Turkey

GLIC-specific:

Y

Financial close:

Y

Description:

USAID is dedicating more than $21 million to gender-responsive climate action from the Gender Equity and Equality Action (GEEA) Fund, surpassing its $14 million COP26 commitment. This includes a suite of commitments in support of gender and climate change, including scaling women’s access to green jobs, in partnership with the Department of Energy, advancing women’s economic security through promoting women’s land rights

Size:
USD 21M

Investors:

USAID

Sponsors:

USAID

Type:

Fund

Vintage:

2022

Impact/Sector:

Support of gender and climate change, including scaling women’s access to green jobs, in partnership with the Department of Energy, advancing women’s economic security through promoting women’s land rights

GLIC-specific:

Y

Financial close:

N

Description:

The GJCS Awards program aims at showcasing, amplifying and scaling gender-responsive transformative climate initiatives. These locally-driven solutions promote democracy, making gender equality and women’s rights central to just climate action. Jointly with civil society and UN climate technology networks, we provide mentoring and support to bring these good practices to scale.

Size:

The three best projects (out of a 150) each receive a prize of €5000 euros.

Type:

Project

Instrument:

Equity

Vintage:

2015

GLIC-specific:

Y

Description:
The project is designed to provide gender-equal climate entrepreneurial training for women entrepreneurs. It will enable five EIT Climate-KIC partners in the Global South to implement pilot initiatives that support women entrepreneurs from September 2022 to May 2023. These organisations will carry out a holistic transformation of their entrepreneurship programmes by conducting a needs assessment to understand how to better serve and support female leaders. EIT Climate-KIC aims to provide equal opportunities for all genders throughout its programmes with the goal of triggering a systematic change on gender across the climate innovation sector.

Sponsors:
Climate-KIC

Type:
Project

Instrument:
Grants

Vintage:
2022

Impact/Sector:
Examples of expected results:

- Number of female entrepreneurs engaged directly over the course of the project (both existing and new)(overall number and as a % of the total).

- Percentage increase in female entrepreneur enrolment year on year from 2021 to 2022 to 2023 in all

programmes managed via partners (if data exists for 2021).

- Positive rating including a positive net promotion score (NPS) on how female participants perceived the

experience of engagement with CKIC programmes and/or partner programmes.

- A year-on-year % improvement in female entrepreneur engagement for all active partners over the next three years.

- Development of 1 case study per partner (written or video) to share.

SDGs:
Gender Equality (SDG 5), Decent Work and Economic Growth (SDG 8), Reducing Inequalities (SDG 10), Climate Action (SDG 13)

Geography:
Kenya, Mozambique, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Vietnam, and Colombia

GLIC-specific:

Y

Description:

The program works to support the development of innovative climate finance initiatives in which gender is a core element. As part of this initiative, Convergence manages and awards design stage grant funding to practitioners for the development and launch of blended finance solutions focused on climate change and gender equality in developing countries. In so doing, Canada’s contributions facilitate the launch of and mobilise, private, public, and philanthropic investment capital for financing gender-responsive climate finance solutions in developing countries. The key objective of the Design Window is to build a pipeline of gender-responsive climate finance solutions aimed at achieving environmental, social, economic and developmental co-benefits for vulnerable communities and groups, including women and girls, that are disproportionately affected by climate change and poverty.

Size:

USD 5M

Investors:

Government of Canada

Sponsors:

Convergence

Type:

Project

Structure:
Blended finance

Instrument:

Grants

Vintage:

2023

Impact/Sector:

Potential sectors and sub-sectors could include the following:

Climate Change Mitigation:
- Low-carbon transportation
- Renewable energy generation (on-grid and off-grid)
- Energy efficiency
- Agriculture, forestry and land use
- Natural resource management
- Energy transmission, storage, and distribution

Climate Change Adaptation:
- Sustainable/climate smart agriculture or aquaculture
- Climate-related insurance and disaster resilience
- Nature-based infrastructure
- Ecosystem-based adaptation
- Waste and wastewater management

SDGs:

5,13,17

Geography:

Emerging markets

GLIC-specific:

Y

GLI:

Y

Financial close:
N

Description:

The project enables two thousand grassroots women and their families to implement effective climate adaptation practices and strengthen their voice and leadership to influence related public plans and policies. The exchange of good local practices will be fostered among women in the region, thus increasing their resilience to climate change and variability.

Size:

CHF 1M

Investors:

Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC)

Sponsors:

Guatemala Foundation; Community Platform, Committee and Networks of Honduras (WAGUCHA by its Spanish acronym); Las Brumas Women's Cooperatives Union in Nicaragua; Salvadoran Association for the Promotion of Women and Alliance of Costa Rican Women

Type:

Project

Vintage:

2019

Impact/Sector:


Expected results:
- 2,000 women trained in CCA, Conflict Sensitive Project Management (CSPM) and gender-based violence (GBV)
- 1,000 families apply new CCA practices (soil and water conservation works, diversification of productive activities, risk mapping, protection of water sources, etc.)
- In 40 additional communities practices are replicated through the resilience fund
- 2 grassroots women’s organizations certified to the green climate fund
- 40 Local dialogue spaces to identify and prevent conflicts in use
- Women and their families affected by GBV receive psychosocial, medical and legal support
- A regional platform and 5 national platforms “communities of practice” set in place

SDGs:
Climate change and environment, Gender


Geography:

Central America

GLIC-specific:

Y

GLI:

Y

Description:

The project, implemented by WECF Germany & ARUWE, promotes affordable and decentralized renewable energy solutions with a gender perspective. Implemented technologies include biogas, briquettes (replacing firewood), off-grid photovoltaic systems and solar pumps for farming and household needs. 50 women and girls have benefitted from a “Female Energy Ambassadors” training with technical and practical information about renewable energies, their economic and ecological advantages and productive use. With this training, women are empowered to transfer their expertise within their communities. WECF and ARUWE also developed gender just funding mechanisms in cooperation with local banks.

Investors:

Bayerische Staatskanzlei (Bavarian government)

Sponsors:

WECF Germany & ARUWE

Type:

Project

Vintage:

2021

Impact/Sector:

Climate Impact
- Promoting renewable energy through off-grid solar technologies
-Promoting clean cooking solutions that reduce firewood emissions
- Technical training of local populations in solar and briquetting technologies

Gender impact
- Women and girls are empowered to develop technical and leadership skills
- Reduced health hazards by using clean cooking technologies
- Access to finance for women through a gender just funding mechanism

Scalability/replicability
- The cooperatives model ensure sustainability of the project
- Multiplying effect of the “energy ambassadors” concept
- Improved sustainability of agricultural value chain through productive use of renewable energy

SDGs:

3, 4, 5, 7, 13

Geography:

Uganda

GLIC-specific:

Y

GLI:

Y

Description:
Gro Intelligence harnesses global data collection and AI insights to provide crucial tools, solutions and analytics to decision-makers and businesses faced with escalating challenges in the food, agriculture, and climate sectors. Led by its female founder and CEO, Sara Menker, Gro has a nearly gender-equal and diverse workforce in Nairobi and New York driving rapid collation, aggregation and modelling of complex and divergent data. Gro currently integrates over 40,000 data sets with over 650 trillion data points. By centralising and analysing this data Gro is making it useful and providing insights for practical implementation. In doing so, the Gro Platform is addressing critical global challenges and getting data into the hands of customers (including farmers many of whom are women) to drive business performance and growth. In January 2021, Gro Intelligence announced that it had raised $85 million in a round of Series B funding, which will be used to accelerate the growth and global adoption of the Gro Platform.

Size:

USD 85M

Type:

Company (deal)

Instrument:

Equity

GLIC-specific:

Y

Financial close:

Y

Description:

This project aims to provide expertise in institutional development, social/gender assessment and capacity building, climate change financing, and monitoring and evaluation. It also aims to enable the desired impact, to improve the livelihoods of women in urban and peri-urban areas in Developing Member Country pilot sites through their improved access to low-carbon technology, and carbon revenue financing.

Size:

USD 2.7 M

Investors:

Nordic Development Fund

Sponsors:

ADB

Type:

Technical Assistance (TA)

Instrument:

TA

Vintage:

2013

Impact/Sector:

This TA will enhance the quality of gender mainstreaming and develop models and tools that will offer mechanisms for women to benefit from carbon finance and mitigation activities. Three pilot (anchor) projects on cookstoves, biogas/biochar and waste management will provide the frameworks within which this TA can strengthen the capacities of women’s groups to consider and demand technologies that bring them maximum benefits, using various tools of carbon and climate change finance.

SDGs:

Gender Equality (SDG 5), Decent Work and Economic Growth (SDG 8), Reducing Inequalities (SDG 10), Climate Action (SDG 13)

Geography:
Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam

GLIC-specific:


Y

Description:
The H-REFF focuses on strengthening renewable energy capabilities by providing financing for renewable energy projects in Central America. H-REFF provides financing to projects that utilize solar, wind, biomass, biogas, and energy efficient technologies. H-REFF will finance a dozen small-scale renewable energy project while creating thousands of new jobs in the region. Deetken incorporates gender considerations and metrics at every step of the investment process to assess, monitor, and advance companies’ gender business practices.

Size:
USD 33M

Investors:
Deetken Impact

Type:
Fund

Vintage:
Geography

Geography:
Honduras, Guatemala, El Salvador, and Nicaragua

GLIC-specific:

Y

GLI:
Y

Financial close:
Y

Description:

IB Private Debt Fund is an open-ended global private debt fund of funds. The fund invests in funds and direct loans with diferent return and impact profiles. It focuses on capital preservation and combines investments that generate positive returns together with meaningful, intentional and measurable social impact. Considers itself a gender lens investing fund with 85% of their committed investments meeting one or more of their stated gender lens criteria.

Size:

Target USD 150 - 200M

Sponsors:

Impact Bridge

Type:

Fund of funds

Instrument:

Debt

Vintage:

2019

SDGs:

No Poverty, Zero Hunger, Good Health and Well-being, Quality Education, Gender Equality, Clean Water and Sanitation, Decent Work and Economic Growth, Reduced Inequalities, Responsible Consumption and Production, Climate Action, Life on Land

Geography:

Global

GLIC-specific:
N

GLI:

Y

Financial close:
Open ended

Description:

The fund is an impact investing fund that invests €5-20m tickets in fast-growing impactful companies. Its mission is to contribute to a society that is more inclusive and sustainable by combining the vision of impact investing with the financial rigour and business-building capability of private equity. It supports companies that offer innovative solutions to work towards inclusive, green and resilient development. It maps and tracks the Non-adjusted gender gap in compensation and the diversity on boards of directors (gender ratio) in investee companies. The fund invests in companies during their growth stage in 3 focus sectors: Healthcare, Education & Employment, and Environment.

Size:

Aim: to reach a Fund size of €120-150M (raised €51.2M in the First Closing).

Sponsors:

KOIS Invest

Type:

Fund

Instrument:

Private Equity

Vintage:

2022

Impact/Sector:

The targeted companies will offer solutions to the three areas of needs identified in their Theory of Change: (i) structural unemployment, (ii) bad health and (iii) climate crisis and environmental degradation. As such, all the companies the fund will invest in will promote social and environmental characteristics.

The fund focuses on access to affordable, effective healthcare; improvement of life opportunities through education and skill development; and protection of the environment (transition to a low carbon economy including waste management, renewable energy, eco-friendly agriculture and food production solutions, circular economy), where it has observed that the need to tackle recognised problems, combined with government budget limitations and insufficient delivery in Western Europe, has created a substantial base of forward-looking companies developing new solutions to endemic social and environmental problems.

SDGs:

Good Health & Well-being (SDG 3), Quality Education (SDG 4), Gender Equality (SDG 5), Affordable and Clean Energy (SDG 7), Decent Work and Economic Growth (SDG 8), Reducing Inequalities (SDG 10), Climate Action (SDG 13)

Geography:

Western Europe with a focus on France and BeNeLux

GLIC-specific:


Y

Financial close:

N

Description:

Inclusive Action for Climate Change is a funding opportunity from the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs that uses the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) Agenda to address the twin themes of women’s participation and climate crisis adaptation. The project seeks to strengthen the capacity of women-led organizations in Bangladesh, Maldives, and Nepal to participate in political discussions regarding national and local policies on climate change; advance the role of women in community resolution of conflicts arising from climate change and its effects; and assist women-led organizations to advocate for and achieve gender equity and equality in climate change adaptation efforts.

Size:

USD 1.5M

Investors:

U.S. Department of State

Sponsors:

Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs

Type:

Non-profit

Vintage:

2022

Geography:

South Asia

GLIC-specific:

Y

Description:

IWEF is a purpose-driven venture capital fund, which supports women founders, and disruptive solutions to improve livelihoods for women in Indonesia.

Size:

USD 20M

Sponsors:

Moonshot Ventures

Type:

Fund

Instrument:

Equity

Vintage:

2019

SDGs:
We map across all SDGs, as we regard the issue of women’s empowerment to be cross-cutting.

Geography:

Southeast Asia/Pacific

GLIC-specific:

N

GLI:

Y

Description:

The aim of the fund is to protect vulnerable people and micro-entrepreneurs from the effects of climate change and to improve access to climate risk insurance across the developing world, particularly for female smallholder farmers. In addition to this, it offers a technical assistance and premium support facility. The fund seeks to integrate gender-inclusive practices across its portfolio value chains and products by encouraging collection of sex-disaggregated data, provision of educational tools and resources, and by offering gender-responsive Climate Risk Insurance (CRI) schemes which recognise women and men’s differentiated vulnerability to climate risks.

Size:

USD 100M

Investors:

KfW, EIB

Sponsors:

Blue Orchard

Type:

Fund

Instrument:

Debt & Equity

Vintage:

2015

Impact/Sector:

The IIF has already made six investments across emerging markets, helping to protect more than 20 million poor and vulnerable people from the effects of climate change, and has the potential to reach between 100 and 145 million beneficiaries by December 2025.

Geography:

Emerging markets

GLIC-specific:

Y

Financial close:

Y

Description:

Through Canada’s long-term infrastructure plan “Investing in Canada”, the Government of Canada committed over $180 billion over 12 years for infrastructure – from public transit to trading ports, broadband networks to energy systems, community services to natural spaces. The plan also includes green investments, identified projects using the Gender-based Analysis Plus framework, which allows to measure gender-differentiated impacts, including for investments in climate-resilient infrastructure.

Size:

Target: CAD 180B

Investors:

Government of Canada

Type:

Infrastructure Plan

Vintage:

2016

Impact/Sector:

To promote economic growth and jobs, support resilience and a low-carbon economy, and build inclusive communities, the Investing in Canada Plan delivers investments across five streams:

Public Transit:

Investments to build new urban transit networks and service extensions that will transform the way Canadians live, move and work. Learn more about the public transit investment stream.

Green:

Investments to ensure access to safe water, clean air, and greener communities where Canadians can watch their children play and grow. Learn more about the green investment stream.

Social:

Investments to provide adequate and affordable housing and child care as well as cultural and recreational centers that will ensure Canada's communities continue to be great places to call home. Learn more about the social investment stream.

Trade and Transportation:

Provide safe, sustainable and efficient transportation systems that will bring global markets closer to Canada to help Canadian businesses compete, grow and create more middle-class jobs. Learn more about the trade and transportation investment stream.

Rural and Northern Communities:

Investments to grow local economies, improve social inclusiveness and better safeguard the health and environment of rural and northern communities. Learn more about the rural and northern communities investment stream.

SDGs:

Gender Equality (SDG 5), Affordable and Clean Energy (SDG 7), Decent Work and Economic Growth (SDG 8), Industry, Innovation & Infrastructure (SDG 9), Reducing Inequalities (SDG 10), Sustsinable Cities and Communities (SDG 11), Climate Action (SDG 13)

Geography:

Canada

Financial close:

N

Description:

The IIW-SS is a gender equality and economic inclusion programme that responds to the continuing poverty, food insecurity, and climate vulnerability that these small-scale farmers in South Sudan face. The programme aims to economically empower women through the groundnut, sesame, sorghum, shea nut and honey value chains. The programme invests in women-focused businesses and women’s entrepreneur associations to create climate smart, gender sensitive value chain opportunities for rural women and youth from poor and food insecure households.

Size:
CAD
 12M

Investors:

Global Affairs Canada (GAC)

Sponsors:

Africa Enterprise Challenge Fund (AECF)

Type:

Project

Instrument:
Grants & TA

Vintage:

2021

Impact/Sector:

The primary beneficiaries are women in the agricultural value chains of focus. The programme aims to directly benefit 6,000 smallholder farmer households (36,000 persons), 80% being women.

The beneficiaries are categorized into two levels:

Category I – Private sector businesses and women enterprise associations /groups/cooperatives will receive investment grants and technical assistance to implement innovative business models addressing development challenges while ensuring commercial viability.

Category II – Women benefiting from the private sector businesses and women enterprise associations/groups/cooperatives supported in category one above, as employees, product distributors or smallholder suppliers of agricultural raw materials.

Geography:

Central Equatoria and Eastern Equatoria states of South Sudan

GLIC-specific:
Y

GLI:

Y

Financial close:

Y

Description:

The project seeks to contribute to economic empowerment of women enterprises, their suppliers, and producers along key supply chains where women are discriminated against in the Blue Economy in Kenya. One of the objectives is to provide incentives for sustainable widespread adoption of climate-smart practices in Kenya’s blue economy.

Size:

CAD 9.7M

Investors:

Global Affairs Canada (GAC)

Sponsors:

Africa Enterprise Challenge Fund (AECF)

Type:

Project

Instrument:

Grants & TA

Vintage:

NA

Impact/Sector:

Business models must demonstrate how they deliver and sustain social impact in their target markets. Specifically, this means the number of households served by the product, service or a combination of both, improvements in women’s income, inclusivity of women, stimulation of market growth, and engagement of women and young womenowned micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in the respective value chains or sectors of Kenya’s Blue Economy.

Geography:

Kenya

GLIC-specific:

Y

GLI:

Y

Financial close:
N

Description:
The fund provides seed and growth investments to early-stage tech and tech-enabled startups that (1) enable Africans to improve their access to essential goods and services such as healthcare, education or financial services, (2) enable African SMEs to improve their access to market & capital, or (3) create sustainable jobs at scale, with a focus on women & youth.

Size:

USD 66M

Investors:

Proparco, Burda Principal Investments, Muller Medien & asset management veterans join anchor investors EIB, AfDB & Boost Africa

Sponsors:

Janngo

Type:

Fund

Instrument:

Equity

Vintage:

2019

SDGs:

No Poverty, Zero Hunger, Good Health and Well-being, Quality Education, Gender Equality, Clean Water and Sanitation, Affordable and Clean Energy, Decent Work and Economic Growth, Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure, Reduced Inequalities, Sustainable Cities and Communities, Responsible Consumption and Production, Climate Action, Life Below Water, Life on Land, Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions, Partnerships for the Goals

Geography:

sub-Saharan Africa (SSA)

GLIC-specific:

N

GLI:

Y

Description:

Juhudi Kilimo is a leading Kenyan microfinance institution, which provides rural farmers with green energy financing. They support their clients by, among others, providing agribusiness working capital; loans for farming inputs; asset finance, and green energy financing products for biogas and solar water pump solutions. Impact investor BlueOrchard provided its first debt financing to Juhudi in 2021 to help them further support their clients in the micro and SME segments. Juhudi also provides business management, technical and financial literacy training to rural smallholder farmers and micro entrepreneurs. Since women typically have limited or no access to collateral, the institution offers the majority of their loans through a ‘group lending’ methodology. The products offered aim to improve women’s lives by saving them time and effort completing tasks they typically carry out due to societal gender norms: duties of family care, water and fuel collection.

Investors:

BlueOrchard

Type:

Transaction

Instrument:

Debt

Vintage:

Year of transaction: 2021

Impact/Sector:

Juhudi Kilimo has offered loans for, for instance, the financing of water tanks for clean and safe water, reducing the burden on women to collect water for their families; energy saving cook-stoves, reducing the time women spend on collecting firewood (one of the main sources of deforestation in Africa); and solar lighting solutions, which help to reduce kerosene usage and support children’s education. As of 2022, Juhudi Kilimo is one of Kenya’s leading microfinance institutions, serving more than 49,000 households through 48 branches across the country. Their client base consists mainly of women (68%) living in rural areas of Kenya.

SDGs:

Gender Equality (SDG 5), Clean Water & Sanitation (SDG 6), Affordable and Clean Energy (SDG 7), Decent Work and Economic Growth (SDG 8), Reducing Inequalities (SDG 10), Climate Action (SDG 13)

Geography:

Kenya

GLIC-specific:


Y

Financial close:

Y

Description:
The project looks to promote female economic empowerment in Afghanistan through improved electricity access.

Type:

Project

Description:

Kinnevik is a Swedish investment company with investments in disruptive digital technology spread across four sectors – healthcare, food, consumer and financial services. In 2021, the company issued sustainability-linked bonds intended to address environmental and social concerns. One of the KPIs seeks to allocate at least 10% of new capital invested by Kinnevik into female-founded or led companies. A company qualifies as “female-founded” if at the time of investment:

- At least 50% of the active founding team members are women, or

- At least one-third of the founding team active in the company are women and serve in the most senior positions, or

- A women co-founder also serves as CEO or Chairman of the board.

Size:

EUR 180M (SEK 2B)

Instrument:
Sustainability-linked bond - Maturity 5 years

Type:

Bond

Structure:

The dual tranche SEK 2.0bn sustainability-linked bonds comprise a SEK 1.5bn tranche with a final maturity of five years and a SEK 0.5bn tranche with a final maturity of seven years. Both tranches are issued with a floating rate coupon based on three-month STIBOR plus 0.70 percent for the shorter tenor, and plus 0.90 percent for the longer tenor. The final redemption price of the sustainability-linked bonds depends on Kinnevik’s ability to meet the annual sustainability performance targets the company has set for its sustainability work.

Vintage:

2021

SDGs:
No Poverty (SDG 1), Gender Equality (SDG 5), Decent Work and Economic Growth (SDG 8), Reducing Inequalities (SDG 10), Climate Action (SDG 13)

Geography:

Sweden

GLI:

Y

Financial close:

Y

Description:

Family foundation KL Felicitas (KLF) has made gender, climate and social justice considerations central to its portfolio since its inception. The Foundation magnifies its potential for impact through finding intersectional investments that create solutions toward multiple issues. They complement their investment strategy with grant funding, advice, advocacy, and ecosystem building through co-creating accelerators and nonprofit organisations.

Size:

USD 10 M

Investors:

Small family offices and large institutional investors

Type:

Foundation

Instrument:

Grants, Technical Assistance

Impact/Sector:
As of 2020, clean energy investments in the portfolio have supported offsets of over 5 million tons of carbon dioxide annually and produced almost 15 million MWh of clean power. With respect to economic development, the portfolio investment created almost 250,000 jobs in developing countries and created over 122,000 affordable rental units. Investments in the portfolio targeting financial inclusion have served over 12 million active borrowers through microfinance, 50% of which were female. Investments in the portfolio targeting environmental impacts cumulatively protected 215,376 acres of land and stored over 4 million tons of carbon in forestlands.

SDGs:

No Poverty (SDG 1), Zero Hunger (SDG 2), Gender Equality (SDG 5), Clean Water & Sanitation (SDG 6), Decent Work and Economic Growth (SDG 8), Reducing Inequalities (SDG 10), Sustainable Cities & Communities (SDG 11), Climate Action (SDG 13)

Geography:

Global

GLIC-specific:


Y

Description:

LadyAgri is a non-profit association supporting women agri-entrepreneurs and agri-businesses that are at least 51 per cent woman-owned, womanled, and in a value chain traditionally dominated by women producers. Gender-smart agribusinesses that are not women-led but want to include, value and strengthen women in their agri-supply chains as suppliers, employees, or who want to grow their female agri-customer client base, are also supported. Lady-Agri also applies a climate lens to its activities. It helps agri-entrepreneurs see the importance of social impact, climate resilience, environmental protection, and strive for a circular economy in their use of resources. The aim is to help agribusinesses demonstrate ‘best practices’ in line with the fundamental principles of the EU ‘Green Deal’ supported by the African Union. LadyAgri aims to ensure the LadyAgri Quality label is recognised under African-EU trade agreements and the African Continental Free Trade Agreement – as these trade agreements must work for women

Investors:

FMO and other Belgian and multilateral institutions

Sponsors:

Hilary Barry

Type:

Fund

Instrument:

LadyAgri impact investment hub is built on 3 pillars.

Pillar 1: Technical Assistance: Technical assistance, coaching, mentoring of Women agri-entrepreneurs so they may grow their agri-businesses, access new markets and reach bankable status.

Pillar 2: Agri-Finance: Linking Women and Gender smart agri-businesses with the finance community, social impact funds, through which women agri-entrepreneurs can develop and upscale their businesses.

Pillar 3: agri-technology & B2B partnership: Agri-business B2B partnerships, engaging the private sector in the drive to bring new agri-equipment, food processing technology, packaging to the agri-value and food supply chains improving quality and guaranteeing market access.

Vintage:

2021

Impact/Sector:

Of the invested businesses, 75 percent are women-led and 25 percent have strong gender-smart inclusive business models (including women employees, farmers, processors, distributors, customers). LadyAgri also works with policy makers, the FAO and donors as well as local banks, development finance institutions and social impact investors to measure their ‘real appetite’ to invest in women in agri-business and in food supply chains. Impact snapshot:

- Representing a total of 131,926 SME employees, cooperative members, women's economic groups

- 236 financial, agri, value-chain, training and gender experts across Africa and SIDS countries

SDGs:

Gender Equality (SDG 5), Decent Work and Economic Growth (SDG 8), Reducing Inequalities (SDG 10), Climate Action (SDG 13)

Geography:

Africa and Small Island Developing States

GLIC-specific:
Y 


Description:

The fund is an impact investment fund created to invest in projects that reduce or reverse land degradation. The fund will promote gender equality and social inclusion from project design through to implementation on the ground.

Size:

USD 300M

Investors:

United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD),The governments of France, Luxembourg, Norway, and the Rockefeller Foundation

Sponsors:

Mirova

Type:

Fund

Instrument:

Mezzanine

Vintage:

2018

Impact/Sector:

The LDN Fund plans to transition 500,000 hectares of land to SLM practices, and demonstrate the economic viability of this transition to the global investment community. By reducing and reversing land degradation, the LDN Fund will significantly increase above-and-below-ground carbon storage. It is estimated that fund projects will result in the storage of an additional 35 million tons of CO2 equivalent. Adopting
SLM practices can also reduce emissions, and increase climate resilience.

Fund projects should create or support 100,000 jobs, predominantly in rural areas of developing countries, helping to lift people out of poverty. In addition, the fund will promote gender equality and social inclusion from project design through to implementation on the ground.

SDGs:

Land degradation neutrality, Climate change mitigation, Climate change adaption, Improved livelihoods, Equality and inclusion, Improved biodiversity.

Geography:

Global

GLIC-specific:

N

GLI:

Y

Financial close:
N

Description:

This two-year project has built the capacities of local women’s groups in Nigeria to advocate for gender responsive climate finance and actively engage in the Green Climate Fund’s evaluation processes. By training women on the fundamentals of climate finance and the GCF mechanism, the project facilitates women’s groups collaboration with Nigeria’s National Designated Authority, Direct Access Entities, and GCF Readiness Support programs. It has contributed to the development of “No objection” procedures for endorsing projects presented on behalf of Nigeria by international accredited entities and opened up opportunities for local women to benefit from climate finance.

Investors:

Green Climate Fund (GCF)

Sponsors:

Centre for 21st Century Issues (C21st)

Type:

Project

Vintage:

2021

Impact/Sector:

Climate impact
- Provides inputs into Nigeria’s National Adaptation Communication document adopted recently and Nigeria’s GCF readiness Support programs
- Women-led climate adaptation solutions and gender responsive Technology Needs Assessments are now considered in Nigeria’s readiness support programs

Gender impact
- 165 women and 81 men trained on understanding the GCF and its readiness processes
- Women CSOs recognized as observers in the GCF’s funding mechanism and their climate solutions can benefit from climate finance flows

Scalability/replicability
- Women’s Community of Practice on climate finance and GCF with 55 organizations
- Access to and collaboration with other local women in different spaces across Nigeria and Africa
- Link to global governance processes and global CSO networks

SDGs:

4, 5, 9, 13, 17

Geography:
Nigeria 


GLIC-specific:

Y

GLI:

Y

Description:

Mākhers Studio is a green manufacturing and design-build firm that specialises in constructing customised modular spaces, or ‘Plug In Pods™’ using recycled steel shipping containers and renewable materials. To date, Mākhers has raised US$525,000 in pre-seed funding through zero-interest debt funding from Coralus (formerly SheEO). This mix of investments has been critical in helping the organisation build its manufacturing facility and grow. Mākhers employs local veterans, women from ethnic minorities, LGBTQ tradesmen and women contractors to help them build their Pods, creating new jobs and building skills for underserved members of the community and a gender lens has been applied at every stage of the company’s decision-making. Mākhers is black-female owned and its founder has been intentional about looking for predominantly female-owned and led investors.

Size:

USD 525K

Investors:

Coralus (formerly SheEO)

Type:

Company

Instrument:

Zero interest debt

Impact/Sector:
Built from recycled steel shipping containers via localised supply chains, Mākhers’ Plug In Pods™ have a far lower carbon footprint than conventional building solutions. This is significant given that the building operations and construction industry account for nearly 40% of global energy-related CO2 emissions. Since inception, Mākhers has successfully recycled 40 tonnes of steel with each project and supported underserved residents with greener, safe and affordable housing.

SDGs:

Gender Equality (SDG 5), Decent Work and Economic Growth (SDG 8), Industry, Innovation & Infrastructure (SDG 9), Reducing Inequalities (SDG 10), Sustainable Cities & Communities (SDG 11), Climate Action (SDG 13)

Geography:

United States

GLIC-specific:


Y

Financial close:

Y

Description:

The guarantee provided by Sida and USAID is intended to increase Bank of Africa’s lending to the agricultural sector and to women entrepreneurs in all sectors in Mali. The total guarantee will provide the bank a loan facility of USD 6 million to promote micro-, small-, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) in the agricultural sector. This initiative encourages private banks to invest in microfinance institutions and MSMEs in the agricultural sector and women-owned businesses by sharing the risk with the banks through the use of a guarantee. The guarantee has been complemented by technical assistance to support borrowers in financial and business expertise as well as in product development.

Size:

USD 6M

Investors:

Sida & USAID

Sponsors:

USAID’s Development Credit Authority (DCA)

Type:

Guarantee

Instrument:
Loan Portfolio Co-Guarantee with two private banks

Vintage:

2014

Structure:
The bank will cover 50% of the risk, while Sida’s and USAID’s share of the guarantee covers 25% each with a ceiling of USD 3M.

Geography:

Mali

GLIC-specific:

N

GLI:

Y

Financial close:

Y

Description:

FFSWE was designed as a technical assistance project to support the Mali Agriculture and Women Entrepreneurs Guarantee by facilitating outreach, provision of technical expertise, financial intermediation and risk mitigation, to increase the uptake of loans in intervention areas. It has two core objectives and related target groups: 1) To expand access to credit to actors in a variety of value chains in the agriculture sector (except cotton) as well as to women entrepreneurs and associations through building their capacity to become credit worthy borrowers; 2) To strengthen guaranteed backed partner Banks’, BICIM and BOA, capacity and willingness to lend to the agriculture sector, to women entrepreneurs and associations, and to Microfinance Institutions (MFIs) who lend to these two groups throughout the existence of the Guarantee.

Size:

USD 2.9M

Investors:

Sida and USAID

Sponsors:

Volunteers for Economic Growth Alliance (VEGA) in partnership with International Executive Service Corps (IESC)

Type:

Project

Instrument:

Technical Assistance (TA)

Vintage:

2015

Impact/Sector:

Through FFSWE’s loan facilitation services, the DCA utilization rate reached 33.3%, with the participation of two DCA partner banks, Bank of Africa (BOA) and La Banque Internationale pour le Commerce et l’Industrie (BICIM du Mali).
- Supported $611,642 in agriculture-related financing
- Facilitated $614,028 in agricultural and rural loans
- Facilitated $112,435 in loans to 100 female loan takers
- Supported 309 MSMEs in obtaining loans under the DCA guarantee, 100% to new clients, 63% of whom were women
- Increased DCA utilization from 24.6% in Year 3 to 33.3% in Year 4
- Facilitated $1,431,518 in approved loans
- Supported 303 enterprises in receiving loans from non-DCA enterprises (32.3% were to women)
- Demonstrated a 90% acceptance rate of loan applications facilitated by the program
- Provided program assistance to 4,477 MSMEs
- Trained 178 PFI staff members (14 % were women) at 24 financial institutions
- Supported MSMEs in applying for $1,943,582 in loans, of those $287,282 were for women MSMEs
- Supported MSMEs in creating 179 new jobs (61 of the new jobs were for women), which resulted in a collective increase of $863,064 in their annual sales

Geography:
Mali

GLIC-specific:

N

GLI:

Y

Financial close:

Y

Description:

The Matriarch Revolutionary Fund is an Indigenous-owned integrated capital investment fund managed by and for Indigenous women across the United States. The fund invests in Native women entrepreneurs by providing access to patient capital in ways that align with the fund’s five Rs: relational, rooted, restorative, regenerative and revolutionary. Current investees include Itality Plant Based Foods, a woman-owned restaurant that provides sustainable plant-based, locally sourced food to underserved communities. Owner Tina Archuleta understands the challenges of living in a food desert and has been determined to increase food sovereignty while addressing nutritional deficiencies and disease caused by a modern food diet and an inefficient food supply chain system to rural and tribal communities.

Size:

Target size USD 10 M, with USD 1 M in loan loss reserves

Investors:

The fund is in the process of fundraising from institutional investors

Sponsors:

The Future is Indigenous Women

Type:

Fund

Instrument:

Debt and grants

Vintage:

2023

Impact/Sector:

Currently, Native women are overlooked by traditional investments for many reasons, most of which are invisibility, exclusion, and assumptions that they are too risky for investment. Through this impact investment fund, the MRF will prove that there is another way to measure a borrower’s investability that does not rely on extractive practices, such as the 5 C’s of Credit. Instead, the MRF will apply a new underwriting framework co-created by Native Women Lead and Roanhorse Consulting – the 5 R’s of Rematriation: Relational, Rooted, Restorative, Regenerative, and Revolutionary.

SDGs:

Gender Equality (SDG 5), Reducing Inequalities (SDG 10), Climate Action (SDG 13)

Geography:

United States

GLIC-specific:



Y

Financial close:

N

Description:

Todos Juntos works since 2016 with indigenous women in Guatemala to improve their nutrition and environment. Supported by university researchers, the association trained 100 women in 4 communities, to set up mealworm farms that ensure an affordable and sustainable source of protein. Rural women are empowered as “ambassadors” of mealworm farming through a Train-of-Trainers program. They initiated a catalog of local food sources to preserve indigenous knowledge and improve food sovereignty, incl. dietary recommendations. The catalog “Bienes Forestales” is disseminated in local Mayan language and will be used to transfer ancestral knowledge to children and set up gardens of local plants.

Size:

USD 34M

Investors:
Individual donors & foundations

Sponsors:

Associacion Todos Juntos

Type:

Project

Vintage:

2016

Impact/Sector:

Climate impact
- Sustainable protein production with reduced water use in a drought prone region
- Saving GHG emissions via reduced use of land and inputs
- Biodiversity and climate protection through ancestral knowledge

Gender impact
- Alleviates women’s workload for food production
- Train-of-Trainers model with local “ambassadors” of mealworm farming
- Income generation for women via local sales

Scalability/replicability
- Program replicated in 3 departments of Guatemala
- Open source approach and international partnerships with Universities and Foundations

SDGs:
2, 3, 5, 12, 13

Geography:

Guatemala

GLIC-specific:

Y

GLI:

Y

Financial close:

Y

Description:

Our team seeks to catalyze systemic impact and change in the venture ecosystem - from the onboarding of diverse LPs, to the funding of diverse GPs, to investing in women and underrepresented founders and inspiring them to employ a diverse employee and supplier base. MiLA Capital advocates for gender and racial diversity in our portfolio companies. Our outbound recruitment efforts target groups grossly underrepresented in venture - women, Latinx, Black and LGBTQIA founders.

Size:

USD 10M

Sponsors:

MiLA Capital

Type:

Fund

Instrument:

Debt & Equity

Vintage:

2015

Impact/Sector:

Clean Tech, Environment, Agriculture, Food, Renewable Energy, Consumer Technology, Healthcare, Femtech, Infrastructure, Manufacturing, Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene

SDGs:

Good Health and Well-being, Gender Equality, Clean Water and Sanitation, Affordable and Clean Energy, Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure, Reduced Inequalities, Sustainable Cities and Communities, Responsible Consumption and Production, Climate Action, Life Below Water

Geography:

Global

GLIC-specific:

Y

Financial close:

Y

Description:

Millicom is a leading provider of fixed and mobile services dedicated to emerging markets in Latin America and Africa. Millicom’s approach to environmental sustainability includes the reduction of energy consumption by integrating efficiencies in its decision-making process for capex, spectrum acquisition and smart architecture. Through the combination of these factors, Millicom strives to expand and improve coverage and connectivity for its customers, reduce energy consumption and reduce environmental impacts to land and biodiversity. Millicom provides services and training specifically aimed at integrating women into the digital ecosystem. Byaccelerating digital inclusion and closing this gender gap, Millicom helps women catalyze socioeconomic progress in their families and communities.

Size:

USD 215K (SEK 2,250M)

Sponsors:

Issuer: Millicom International Cellular S.A. (“Millicom”)

Type:

Bond

Structure:
The Bond, due in 2027, was significantly oversubscribed and carries a floating coupon priced at 3m Stibor+300bps. The Bond was issued on January 20, 2022 and listed on the Nasdaq Stockholm sustainable bond list.

Instrument:

Sustainability-linked bond

Vintage:

2022

Impact/Sector:

Millicom plans to use the net proceeds of the Bond in accordance with its Sustainability Bond Framework, which features both environmental and social project categories such as energy efficiency, and the expansion of its fixed and mobile networks.This is aligned with the Millicom’s Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) approach to improving lives, strengthening communities, reducing its environmental impact, managing climate risks and governing the business with integrity. The investments are aimed at increasing the efficiency and reducing the consumption of energy throughout Millicom’s operations by around 20% or more to mitigate the company’s environmental impact.

SDGs:
Gender Equality (SDG 5), Affordable and Clean Energy (SDG 7), Industry, Innovation & Infrastructure (SDG 9), Climate Action (SDG 13)

Geography:

Latin America and Africa

GLIC-specific:


Y

Financial close:

Y

Description:
CDC (now BII) invested into Miro Forestry, and has subsequently made loans of US$ 2 million alongside Finnish DFI Finnfund, the European Investment Bank, and other investors. Miro is a sustainable forestry and timber business with plantations in Ghana and Sierra Leone. The company has prioritised improving women’s access to jobs through targets, mentorship and upskilling and is orestry Stewardship Council (FSC®) certified, which verifies that its forests are responsibly managed. The investment was used to expand its operations beyond the previously 1,700 hectares (equivalent to 2,300,000 trees) of eucalyptus and teak trees to a total of 8,700 hectares (approx. 11,300,000 trees).

Size:

USD 15 M

Investors:

CDC (now BII)

Sponsors:

Miro Forestry

Type:

Transaction

Instrument:

Equity

Vintage:

2015

Impact/Sector:

Miro’s latest business plan anticipates tripling its workforce, employing more than 4,500 people after 2030. The focus on women’s empowerment followed a strategic decision by the company to address the issue of high absentee levels and attrition rates by focusing on its female employees. At its Ghana site, Miro set a target to increase the number of women in the workforce from 26 per cent to 40 per cent within two years. This included an upskilling programme for women which aimed to provide equal opportunities for training, and increase the hiring of women by providing unconscious bias training to senior management.

SDGs:
Gender Equality (SDG 5), Decent Work and Economic Growth (SDG 8), Reducing Inequalities (SDG 10), Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure (SDG 9), Climate Action (SDG 13), Life on Land (SDG 15)

Geography:

Ghana, Sierra Leone

GLIC-specific:
Y


Financial close:

Y

Description:

A loan portfolio guarantee was established between Socremo, Sida and USAID in order to increase lending to Mozambican privately owned micro and small enterprises operating in informal and formal sectors located in rural and urban areas focusing in women-owned businesses. The expected outcome is that Socremo will continue to lend to SMEs and women-owned enterprises after the end of the guarantee.

Size:

USD 4.5M

Investors:

Sida & USAID

Sponsors:

Socremo

Type:

Guarantee

Instrument:

Guarantee

Structure:
Sida is providing risk coverage of 45% with a guarantee framework with a maximum of USD 4.5 million. Socremo and USAID cover 50% and 5% respectively.

Vintage:

2014

Impact/Sector:

The project supported the bank in the establishment of a loan guarantee portfolio of up to US$10M, enabling 4,000 MSEs in Mozambique to get access to credit. The loan guarantee programme (LGP) made it possible for Socremo to develop a new set of products with less stringent collateral requirements and expand into new areas. It also enabled smaller enterprises to qualify for loans and build their credit history.

Geography:

Mozambique

GLIC-specific:

N

GLI:

Y

Financial close:

Y

Description:

We are working to increase diversity, inclusion, and impact in early-stage investing and our entrepreneurial ecosystem through our innovative learning-by-doing progressive fund model. Our current global fund has 99 women investors, 25 of them women of color, which is led by an experienced investment committee of ten women. 100% of our portfolio companies are led by women and people of color.

Size:

USD 20M

Sponsors:
Next Wave Impact

Type:

Fund

Instrument:

Equity

Vintage:

2019

Impact/Sector:

Clean Tech, Environment, Agriculture, Food, Renewable Energy, Consumer Products and Services, Healthcare, Aging, Education and Training, Femtech, Fintech, Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene

SDGs:

Zero Hunger, Good Health and Well-being, Quality Education, Gender Equality, Clean Water and Sanitation, Affordable and Clean Energy, Decent Work and Economic Growth, Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure, Reduced Inequalities, Sustainable Cities and Communities, Responsible Consumption and Production, Climate Action

Geography:

North America

GLIC-specific:

N

GLI:

Y

Financial close:
N

Description:

Nia Impact Capital invests at the intersection of social justice and environmental sustainability, building a portfolio of forward-thinking companies poised to play a key role in the transition to an inclusive, just, and sustainable economy. Both a gender lens and a commitment to racial equity are applied across the investment decision-making process, and the firm is spearheaded by a women-led team of investors. The Nia Global Solutions Equity Portfolio invests in publicly traded companies, with a focus on small- to mid-cap-sized companies. It is an actively managed portfolio where all companies have women in positions of leadership, all investments are fossil-fuel-free and soda-, tobacco-, and weapons-free by design, and are committed to both financial success as well as positive social and environmental outcomes. They have an active shareholder engagement approach on gender and social issues, and more.

Size:

USD 120M

Sponsors:

Nia Impact Capital

Type:

Fund

Instrument:

Equity

Vintage:

2015

Impact/Sector:

All companies offer innovative solutions to the needs of a warmer, more populous and resource constrained planet.

Geography:

Global

GLIC-specific:
Y

Description:

The partnership expands access to capital for distributed renewable energy (DRE). The blended finance solution is underpinned by a machine-learning powered platform that better assesses end-users’ ability to pay for energy services. The solution aims to attract female borrowers and works with companies that prioritize the hiring of women. Together, the partners co-fund early-stage African energy companies, with USADF providing grant funding and Nithio providing loans.

Size:

USADF has committed US$635,000 in grants and Nithio has committed US$1,750,000 in senior secured loans Investors:
British Business Bank

Investors:
Nithio-USADF

Sponsors:

Nithio-USADF

Type:

Blended finance facility

Instrument:

Grants & loans

Impact/Sector:

Proponents estimate that 700,000 households could achieve energy access by 2025 through this instrument, avoiding 90,000 metric tons of carbon emissions per year by 2025, based solely on kerosene replacement. Proponents estimate they will provide energy access to 5.4 million new customers by 2030.

By 2025, the proponents estimate that 80,000 systems will replace diesel generators, reducing carbon emissions and pollution-related illness as well as powering small- and medium-sized enterprises, health, education, and other civil services. Nithio can finance both solar products for the home and productive use, including solar water heaters and clean cooking, further reducing fuel-based emissions.

This would also create nearly 25,000 jobs, enabling end users to earn USD 60 million in additional income and provide 1 billion extra hours of study time for young students, along with many other health, education, and resilience benefits. 

Geography:

Africa

GLIC-specific:

Y

GLI:
Y

Financial close:

N

Description:

The NDF is the joint Nordic international finance institution (IFI) focusing on the nexus between climate change and development in lower-income countries and countries in fragile situations. All NDF-supported activities must be gender-responsive. This guideline means that the needs, priorities, power structures, status and relationships between genders are considered and gender gaps systematically addressed. Furthermore, NDF-supported activities strive to be gender-transformative aiming at the underlying causes of gender inequalities: power dynamics, structures, stereotypes and systems.

Investors:

Capital is provided from the development cooperation budgets of the five Nordic countries (Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Iceland, Finland)

Sponsors:
Established by an intergovernmental treaty between Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden in 1988

Type:

Fund

Vintage:

1989

Impact/Sector:
Climate change and development

Geography:

Low- and middle-income countries

GLIC-specific:

Y

Description:
The fund invests in public market companies that invest in women. The Fund employs a factor-based investment approach intended to closely correspond to or exceed the performance of the Impax Global Women’s Leadership Index (Women’s Index). The Fund invests in the approximately 400 companies comprising the Women’s Index, overweighting those with the most favourable gender leadership characteristics, seeking to capture the increased investment returns its managers believe gender-diverse leadership will deliver over time. The Fund is also fossil fuel free and meets key ESG standards, meaning it is not invested in securities of companies that are significantly involved in the extraction and/or refining of fossil fuels within the energy sector.

Size:

USD 748M

Sponsors:

Impax Asset Management

Type:

Mutual Fund

Vintage:

1993

Geography:

Global

GLIC-specific:

N

GLI:

Y

Financial close:

N

Description:

The fund is the first broadly diversified mutual fund that invests in the highest-rated companies in the world for advancing women. In addition to the Fund’s strong gender profile, the investment strategy has led to sustainability characteristics that compare favorably to a traditional benchmark and peers. These results reinforce the large and growing body of literature about the positive impact women in leadership have on company sustainability, including climate change solutions.

Size:

USD 770M

Sponsors:

PaxWorld

Type:

Mutual Fund

Vintage:

2020

SDGs:

No Poverty (SDG 1), Gender Equality (SDG 5), Decent Work and Economic Growth (SDG 8), Reducing Inequalities (SDG 10), Climate Action (SDG 13)

Description:

Women are among the most vulnerable social groups in the Niger Basin because they have limited access to social and economic power. The programme’s objective is to improve the resilience of populations and ecosystems in the nine Niger Basin countries. This will be achieved through sustainable natural resources and ecosystem management. The programme aims to: (i) reduce the silting process of the Niger River, (ii) improve the adaptability of populations to climate change, (iii) protect biodiversity, and (iv) restore soil fertility. This programme will contribute to the achievement of the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) of the Niger Basin countries, many of which include agricultural adaptation as a priority sector for action. As part of the Gender Action Plan, some of the measures that are planned are gender impact analyses to identify gender-specific needs and measures related to floods, droughts, and other extreme climate changes in the basin and the promotion of women’s representation in community level action committees.

Size:

USD 209M

Investors:

AfDB, EU, GEF, GCF, CIF, country beneficiaries

Type:

Project

Instrument:
Equity

Vintage:

2022

Impact/Sector:

Investing in the agricultural sector under the PIDACC, will not only address hunger and malnutrition but other challenges including poverty; water and energy use; climate change; and unsustainable production and consumption. The project will also: Support 10,000 women to adopt agro-meteorological data use, Sensitize 500,000 women on climate change adaptation techniques, Enact Land certification/titling policy resulting in the provision of access to restored land for 9,000 women, and Identify and disseminate good practices and extension packages for gender-responsive Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA).

Results:

- Enhanced climate resilient landscapes: 40,000 ha forestry; 26,000 ha —agroforestry; 10,000 ha of dune stabilization; 110,000 ha of degraded land restoration and mechanical and biological management of 45,000 m3 of ravines

- An estimated 62,500 households (500,000 population) will benefit from last mile early warning systems against climate extremes of floods and droughts.

SDGs:

No Poverty (SDG 1), Zero Hunger (SDG 2), Gender Equality (SDG 5), Clean Water & Sanitation (SDG 6), Decent Work and Economic Growth (SDG 8), Reducing Inequalities (SDG 10), Sustainable Consumption & Production (SDG 12), Climate Action (SDG 13), Life on Land (SDG 15)

Geography:

Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Cameroon and Chad

GLIC-specific:



Y

Financial close:

Y

Description:

Proparco has allocated financing to FBN, which is engaged in a process to integrate climate issues in its operations, as well as an internal policy for women. Proparco’s financing will support FBN’s Pro-Climate credit activity for its SME and corporate clients.

Size:

USD 75M

Investors:

Proparco

Type:

Transaction

Instrument:

Loan

Vintage:

2022

Impact/Sector:

This is one of Proparco’s first Pro-Climate projects and aims to provide FBN with the resources to integrate climate issues into its strategy and operations. In addition, with 31% of women in the management team, 38% of women in the bank’s total headcount and the implementation of a variety of initiatives and programs to support the inclusion and promotion of women in the company, 30% of the project has qualified for the 2X Challenge, a global initiative to reduce gender inequalities. Finally, the operation will mobilize USD 57.5 million of private finance (ratio of 1.15).

SDGs:
SDG 8 (“Decent work and economic growth”) and SDG 5 (“Gender equality”)

Geography:

Nigeria

GLIC-specific:


Y

GLI:

Y

Financial close:

Y

Description:
The project aims to exploit South Africa’s abundant and favourable proven solar resources, through Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) technologies, which is ideally suited to play a signicant role in the country’s transition to alternative renewable energy sources and reduce long-term dependence on coal as the major source of energy. The project consists of the design, construction, operation, and maintenance of a 100 MW CSP plant with a molten salt central tower with storage and is located in the Northern Cape, South Africa. The project applies specific gender metrics (read more under 'Impact').

Size:
USD 602M (ZAR 11.05B)

Investors:

AfDB, Government of South Africa

Sponsors:

ACWA Power SolarReserve Redstone Solar Thermal Power Plant (RF) Proprietary Limited

Type:

Project

Vintage:

2022

Impact/Sector:

Based on the expected plant output of 466 GWh per year, the project is expected to save about 500,000 tons of CO2 emissions per year by substituting for coal, a significant environmental benefit.1,460 permanent jobs and 2,178 temporary construction jobs (75% during construction phase and 89.04% during operation) will be created as a result of the project, including use of local content, participation of women employed, procurement from SMEs, and 26% shareholding by local communities. Procurement from women owned vendors shall not be less than 3% of the total amount of procurement spend, and 5% during operation period. The project will also support on-the job artisan training as well as technical training and at least 50% will be women -some of whom will be temporarily attached to the Noor III project for experience.

Results:

- Increase of 466 GWH of power supply capacity per year

- Reduction of 500,000 tons of CO₂ emissions per year by substituting coal

SDGs:

No Poverty (SDG 1), Gender Equality (SDG 5), Affordable and Clean Energy (SDG 7), Decent Work and Economic Growth (SDG 8), Reducing Inequalities (SDG 10), Climate Action (SDG 13)

Geography:

South Africa

GLIC-specific:


Y

Financial close:

Y

Description:

The Regenerative Seascapes for People, Climate, and Nature project will be implemented in coastal and marine regions of the West Indian Ocean. The project has three major objectives. The 3-year project aims to conduct an international cooperation project to reduce the physical and socio-economic vulnerability of East African coastal communities to the devastating effects of the climate crisis. The project has three major objectives. The effort to address two of them, improving biodiversity conservation and implementing sustainable and effective management of marine protected areas, will be led by IUCN, which has world-recognized technical expertise in this area. Mission inclusion will be responsible for the third objective: economic empowerment of women in the blue economy, i.e., sustainable use of marine and coastal resources. Building on its years of experience and achievement in gender equality, Mission inclusion will work with local partners to build the skills of women and girls in blue entrepreneurship and strengthen the voice of women’s organizations and networks to ensure that their rights are better protected.

Size:

USD 30 M

Investors:

Global Affairs Canada

Sponsors:

Mission inclusion and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)

Type:

Project

Vintage:

2023

Impact/Sector:

The project will directly benefit 350,000 people, including 225,000 women and 12,500 people in vulnerable and marginalized situations.

SDGs:

Gender Equality (SDG 5), Reducing Inequalities (SDG 10), Climate Action (SDG 13), Life Below Water (SDG 14), Life on Land (SDG 15)

Geography:

Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique, Madagascar and the Comoros

GLIC-specific:
Y


Financial close:

Y

Description:

The private debt fund addresses the lack of access to clean power globally with a strong focus on Sub-Saharan Africa and South and Southeast Asia. It is set up as a blended finance structure offering different risk tranches and has received commitments from a number of prominent public and private investors. It seeks to impact women’s employment across at least 50 percent of portfolio companies.

Size:

USD 200M

Investors:

Launched in partnership with AHL Venture Partners, Ashden Trust, Bank of America, Calvert Impact Capital, Clean Technology Fund, EIB, Facebook, FMO, Good Energies Foundation, the government of Luxembourg, IFC, Norfund, OeEB, Shell Foundation, Snowball, the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs SECO and UK DFID, among others.

Sponsors:

responsAbility

Type:

Fund

Instrument:

Debt

Vintage:

2015

Geography:

Global

GLIC-specific:


Y

Financial close:

Y

Description:

Rising Tide Europe movement strives to create opportunities for women to thrive in their professional and personal lives and increase the number of women decision-makers across industries. We do this by promoting financial knowledge and independence and increasing women’s access to an important asset class through a portfolio of early-stage companies. 100% of committed investments meet one or more of their stated gender lens criteria.

Size:

USD 2M

Sponsors:

GoBeyond Ventures-Rising TIde Europe

Type:

Fund

Instrument:

Equity

Vintage:

2018

SDGs:

Good Health and Well-being, Quality Education, Gender Equality, Clean Water and Sanitation, Affordable and Clean Energy, Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure, Sustainable Cities and Communities, Responsible Consumption and Production, Climate Action

Geography:

Europe

GLIC-specific:

N

GLI:

Y

Financial close:

Y

Description:

The project trains women and youth in the set-up and management of roof farming alternatives for urban areas, such as hydroponics and aquaponics. Women are empowered to produce nutritious and safe organic food for their family, using minimum water and space, while earning new income. This ideal solution for highly dense urban areas is supported by a mobile application that enables knowledge sharing and monitoring. This effectively addresses any challenge faced by users in the farming process.

Investors:

Race to Zero Award

Sponsors:

PowerShift Nepal

Type:

Project

Impact/Sector:

Climate impact
- Greening urban spaces reduces air pollution
- Safe, affordable and organic food security for urban families
- The farming methods use less water and limited space

Gender impact
- Contributes to gender equality through training and knowledge sharing for women
- Women’s economic empowerment via the sales of farming production

Scalability/replicability
- The project has a good scope of being propagated to all urban areas in Nepal
- Simple and affordable method easy to scale up and expand
- Digital tool enhances access to support and broad dissemination

SDGs:

2, 5, 11, 13, 15

Geography:

Nepal

GLIC-specific:

Y

GLI:

Y

Financial close:

Y

Description:

Root Capital is a nonprofit financial institution that provides finance to agricultural businesses in Africa and Latin America. The Savannah Fruits Company is a Ghanaian company that produces shea butter for export and improves livelihoods for rural women by providing a stable, well-paying market outlet for raw shea nuts. Root Capital’s trade finance loans remove cash flow barriers and allow the company to source the butter in larger volumes, enabling the business to grow, incorporate more women suppliers, and pay their suppliers a premium over the market price.

The focus and aim of the transaction:

- Root Capital loans to SFC enable the business to expand operations and eliminate bottlenecks in payments to producers

- Improve women’s incomes and working conditions through shea butter processing at the village level; close gap between producers and international markets

- Reduce deforestation and desertification through promotion of shea nut cultivation and harvesting

Size:

USD 230K

Investors:

Root Capital

Type:

Transaction

Instrument:

Debt

Vintage:

2007

Impact/Sector:

Trade finance loans from Root Capital provide cash flow to purchase the shea butter from the women suppliers. Since this enables Savannah to pay for the purchase of the shea butter by borrowing against the value of future sales, the company can purchase larger volumes and be more responsive to market demand. In the year prior to its first loan from Root Capital, the company generated USD $82,000 in sales and purchased shea butter from village groups representing 300 women. The following year, with access to trade finance from Root Capital, Savannah could purchase more shea butter and sales increased more than six times.

SDGs:

Gender Equality (SDG 5), Decent Work and Economic Growth (SDG 8), Reducing Inequalities (SDG 10), Sustainable Consumption & Production (SDG 12), Climate Action (SDG 13), Life on Land (SDG 15)

Geography:

Ghana

GLIC-specific:


Y

Financial close:

Y

Description:

To overcome the problem of a strained water infrastructure, the Government of Rwanda (GoR) decided to partner with the private sector to diversify and improve water supply for the nation’s fast growing capital city through a public-private partnership (PPP). Metito Utilities Limited won the tender for the development, financing, construction and operation of a 40,000m3 /day Bulk Water Production Facility (“BWPF”). The BWPF will comprise of a well field, a water treatment plant, 3 pumping stations, 14.5km of pipelines and 3 storage reservoirs. Availability of safe and clean drinking water will have an overall positive impact on the health of the local population. Women, children and vulnerable (poorer) members of local communities benefit greatly from the availability of clean drinking water.

Size:

USD 20M Senior Secured Facility. USD 3.35M Junior Secured Facility.

Investors:

The Government of Rwanda (“GoR”), together with the Rwandan Water & Sanitation Corporation (“WASAC”), DevCo (funded by the UK’s Department for International Development (DFID), the Austrian Development Agency, the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Swedish International Development Agency, and IFC).

Sponsors:

Metito Utilities Limited

Type:

Project

Structure:

Kigali Water Limited (“KWL”) will sell potable water to WASAC, under a 27-year Public Private Partnership Agreement (“PPP Agreement”). The 27-year term includes a 24-month construction period. The Government of Rwanda (GoR) is also a signatory to the PPP agreement. In addition, the GoR also provides a Government Guarantee in relation to all financial obligations of WASAC under the PPP Agreement as well as other assistance and assurances in relation to the development of the projects (such as permits, land lease, direct agreements with lenders etc). WASAC will pay a Billable Water Supply Charge (“BWSC”) in consideration for the water supplied by KWL. The BWSC comprises of the following elements:

- The Fixed Capacity Charge (covers the cost of senior and junior debt and equity);

- The Fixed Operating and Maintenance Charge (covers fixed O&M costs);

- Variable Operating and Maintenance Charge (covers variable O&M costs);

- Electricity Charge (covering the costs of electricity consumed, pass through item).

The PPP Agreement provides that KWL will receive capacity payments based on plant availability and not on its actual dispatch by WASAC.

Vintage:

2015

Impact/Sector:

- The new project will increase water supply in Kigali by 40% of Kigali.
- The overall support will result in improved quality of service and access to water supply for over one million people.

SDGs:
Good health and Well-being (SDG 3), Gender Equality (SDG 5), Clean Water and Sanitation (SDG 6), Climate Action (SDG 13), Life on Land (SDG 15)

Geography:

Rwanda

Description:

The company decentralises and downsizes fertilizer production, making it possible for fertilizer to be produced in rural villages using locally available resources and labour. This approach drastically reduces fertilizer cost while offering farmers a high-quality product tailored to their soils, helping farmers to increase their yields and their incomes. The fertilizer produced is also carbon negative, as it sequesters carbon into the soil it is used on.

Type:
Company

GLIC-specific:

Y

Description:

Schneider Electric launched the first sustainability-linked bond with performance targets related to not only carbon footprint and gender diversity but also to the training of disadvantaged people in energy management.

Size:

USD 650M

Sponsors:
Schneider Electric

Type:

Bond

Structure:
Sustainability-linked convertible bond. Maturity date 2026.

Vintage:

2020

Impact/Sector:

The company selected three key performance indicators relating to sustainability:

- Climate: helping customers avoid 800 megatons of CO2 emissions.

- Equality: gender diversity among new hires (50%) frontline management (40%) and leadership teams (30%).

- Generations: training one million people in energy management.

In 2021, the average score based on these indicators was 3/10 and the target is 9/10. If Schneider Electric does not meet these targets by December 31st 2025, the company will pay a 0.5% premium on conversion or redemption.

SDGs:

Gender Equality (SDG 5), Affordable and Clean Energy (SDG 7), Decent Work and Economic Growth (SDG 8), Reducing Inequalities (SDG 10), Climate Action (SDG 13)

Geography:

France

GLIC-specific:


Y

GLI:

Y

Description:

Sistema.bio is a social enterprise that provides access to innovative biodigester technology, training and financing to address the challenges of poverty, food security, and climate change. AlphaMundi Foundation provided a business first, gender-smart technical assistance pilot to assess sales, loan collection, and repayment processes in Kenya using gender disaggregated data to determine core challenges and opportunities. Strategies included providing better transportation options for female sales agents, teaming up sales agents to learn from one another, and setting up data collection system to disaggregate loan performance by gender. AlphaMundi Foundation’s gender-smart TA enabled Sistema.bio to increase female participation within the company.

Size:

USD 22K

Investors:
British Business Bank

Sponsors:

AlphaMundi Foundation

Type:

TA

Structure:
In-kind advisory

Instrument:

TA

Vintage:

2019

Impact/Sector:

Doubled the size of their female sales team and increased female particiation in other roles. Have also made efforts to re-structure their sales tools to enhance sales results, particularly among female agents.

Geography:

Kenya

GLIC-specific:
Y


GLI:

Y

Financial close:

Y

Description:

The SRF is a blended investment fund and supporting venture studio that deploys synchronized investments and technical assistance across entire agricultural value chains of high-value, climate-smart crops to support smallholder farmers. The SRF will support SMEs that commit to its eligibility requirements of gender equality. Investments will be derisked and accelerated via support and capacity-building from the One Acre Fund.

Size:
Target: USD 55-110M

Investors:

The Dutch, German, Swedish, and UK governments, the Rockefeller Foundation.

Sponsors:

One Acre Fund

Type:

Blended finance facility

Structure:
Blended finance

Instrument:

Grants, equity, working capital, mezzanine debt, & senior debt

Vintage:

2021

Impact/Sector:

Improved value chains will expand smallholder access to quality inputs, training, processing, and market opportunities for high-value and climate-resilient crops. These crops restore nutrients into depleted soils and enable farmers to achieve sustainable yields and profits, bolstering their resilience to climate change. Further, the millions of new trees planted via the SRF will sequester CO2, helping to mitigate climate change.

SDGs:

1, 2, 5, 12, 13

Geography:

Africa

GLIC-specific:
Y

GLI:

Y

Financial close:

N

Description:

SoGal Ventures is a women-led, next-gen venture capital firm investing in very early startups in North America and Asia. We focus on world-class women & diverse entrepreneurs building billion-dollar businesses that change how we live, work, and stay healthy.

Size:

USD 15M

Sponsors:

SoGal Ventures

Type:

Fund

Instrument:

Equity

Vintage:

2017

Impact/Sector:

Arts and Culture, Media and Entertainment, Environment, Food, Financial Services (excluding Microfinance), Consumer Products and Services, Consumer Technology, Healthcare, Aging, Femtech, Fintech, Fashion, Information and Communications Technology, Microfinance

SDGs:

Good Health and Well-being, Gender Equality, Decent Work and Economic Growth, Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure, Reduced Inequalities, Sustainable Cities and Communities, Responsible Consumption and Production, Climate Action, Partnerships for the Goals

Geography:

North America, Global

GLIC-specific:

N

GLI:

Y

Description:

The Solar and Energy Loan Fund (SELF) is a certified community development financial institution, providing small, low-cost loans to homeowners in underserved communities to make their properties more energy efficient and climate resilient. It also provides larger financing for affordable housing landlords and developers. SELF’s fund for affordable and sustainable housing development seeks to advance the inclusion of female and BIPOC developers in the industry, and to invest in projects that preserve affordability and cultural community identity. SELF’s impact focus is rooted in serving underserved communities, building climate resilience and reducing destructive environmental impacts.

Investors:

SELF currently has 24 public, private, and philanthropic funders, including female-led faith based organisations, bank CRA, and female-led impact investors.

Type:

Fund

Instrument:

Debt

Impact/Sector:

Since its inception, SELF has financed $28.3m in over 2,400 unsecured loans to homeowners. In 2022, SELF served 435 clients with 868 contractors affiliated with the programme. Of this group, 73% were lowto-moderate income, 51% were women. 29% people of colour and 14.1% people with disabilities. These clients saved an average of $297 on energy bills throughout the year, simultaneously serving both people and the planet. This focus goes hand-in-hand with SELF’s environmental impact priorities: SELF also looks to reduce CO2 emissions (701 metric tons in 2021). SELF generated $1.24m in wages last year by supporting green skills and employment through its network of contractors.

SDGs:

Gender Equality (SDG 5), Decent Work and Economic Growth (SDG 8), Industry, Innovation & Infrastructure (SDG 9), Reducing Inequalities (SDG 10), Sustainable Cities & Communities (SDG 11), Climate Action (SDG 13)

Geography:

United States

GLIC-specific:


Y

Description:

Solar Sister is an innovative social enterprise with the mission to achieve sustainable, scalable impact at the nexus of women's empowerment, energy poverty and climate change. It empowers women with economic opportunity and clean energy. It combines the breakthrough potential of portable solar technology with a women driven direct sales network to bring light, hope and opportunity to a range of communities without reliable electricity access. Through a micro-consignment model, Solar Sister entrepreneurs get a 'business in a bag', a start-up kit of inventory, training and marketing support to bring clean energy directly to their customer's doorsteps. Palmetto, a leader in residential solar and energy services, has made a transformational $5 million multi-year commitment to support Solar Sister’s core operation of training and supporting women to deliver clean energy directly to homes in rural African communities.

Size:

USD 5 M

Investors:

Palmetto

Type:

Transaction

Instrument:

Grant

Vintage:

2021

Impact/Sector:
Solar Sister started by training ten women entrepreneurs in Uganda in 2009. To date, the activity has created micro-businesses for 171 Solar Sister entrepreneurs in Uganda, Rwanda and South Sudan, bringing the benefits of solar power to more than 31,000 Africans. Solar Sister's goal is to make women an integral part of the clean energy value chain in Africa. Every dollar invested in a Solar Sister entrepreneur generates over USD 48 in economic benefits in the first year alone, through earned income for the entrepreneur and the cash savings of her customers. For example, a solar lantern costing USD 18 brings USD 163 cumulative savings over a five-year period by displacing kerosene usage. Another USD 45 solar lantern plus mobile phone charger brings USD 225 in cumulative savings in displaced kerosene usage and mobile charging fees over the same period. At one-tenth the cost of solar home systems, customers benefit from increased savings, extended working hours, better indoor air quality and extended study time for children.

SDGs:

Gender Equality (SDG 5), Affordable and Clean Energy (SDG 7), Decent Work and Economic Growth (SDG 8), Reducing Inequalities (SDG 10), Climate Action (SDG 13)

Geography:

Uganda, Rwanda and South Sudan

GLIC-specific:


Y

Financial close:

Y

Description:

The Special Climate Change Fund (SCCF) was established under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in 2001 to fi nance activities, programs, and measures relating to climate change . The SCCF was established with four different funding windows: Adaptation, Transfer of technologies, Energy, transport, industry, agriculture, forestry, and waste management, and Economic diversification for fossil fuel dependent countries. This includes the consideration of gender dimensions, and how these will support the achievement of global environment benefits (GEF Trust Fund) or adaptation benefits.

Size:

USD 375M

Investors:

The contributing countries are: Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom and United States.

Sponsors:

Global Environment Facility (GEF)

Instrument:

Grants

Vintage:

2001

Impact/Sector:

SCCF’s top funding priority is supporting adaptation actions of developing countries. In addition to that, but to a much lesser extent, SCCF also funds technology transfer and mitigation in selected sectors.

As part of GEF Programming Strategy, the three strategic objectives for the SCCF are:

- Reduce vulnerability and increase resilience through innovation and technology transfer for climate change adaptation

- Mainstream climate change adaptation and resilience for systematic impact

- Foster enabling conditions for effective and integrated climate change adaptation.

SDGs:

No Poverty (SDG 1), Zero Hunger (SDG 2), Gender Equality (SDG 5), Clean Water and Sanitation (SDG 6), Affordable and Clean Energy (SDG 7), Decent Work and Economic Growth (SDG 8), Reducing Inequalities (SDG 10), Climate Action (SDG 13), Life on Land (SDG 15)

Geography:
Global but the needs of the most vulnerable countries in Africa, Asia, and the Small Island Developing States (SIDS) are to be prioritised.

GLIC-specific:


Y

Description:

An innovative blended finance facility for SunCulture, a Kenya-based company providing affordable solar-powered irrigation solutions to smallholder farmers, presents a case for how this financing approach can mitigate risks brought about by COVID-19, attract private investment and bolster development impact. The article below will explore how an innovative facility has helped SunCulture navigate the pandemic, and how blended finance can be leveraged to help SMEs and other businesses recover from the crisis and contribute to the SDGs.

To mitigate risk and help SunCulture restart its PAYGrow portfolio, AlphaMundi Foundation and Financial Sector Deepening (FSD) Kenya structured an innovative blended finance facility with support from the Powering Agriculture: An Energy Grand Challenge for Development program. The program, a multi-government partnership between the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency and the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit, was designed to accelerate the development and deployment of clean energy solutions for increasing agricultural productivity and/or value in developing countries.

The US $200,000 facility, which includes $100,000 from AlphaMundi Foundation and $100,000 from FSD Kenya, is structured as a Second Loss Guarantee Facility that provides a financial cushion for the expected increase in customers who default on their PAYGrow payments. Operationally, the Facility covers cash flow shortfalls from the total SunCulture PAYGrow portfolio of existing loans and new loans. For SunCulture, this means less risk in the portfolio and enough confidence to restart their PAYGrow loans. For clients, this means access to payment deferrals and other options in the short term, along with improved food security and sustainable incomes during the ongoing COVID-19 crisis.

Size:

USD 34M

Investors:

United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA) and the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit GIZ), AlphaMundi Foundation and Financial Sector Deepening (FSD) Kenya

Type:

Second Loss Guarantee

GLIC-specific:

Y

GLI:
Y

Description:
The SustainVC series of impact investment funds back entrepreneurs that share a vision of a sustainable, more equitable, and healthier world. Investments across various sectors and industries in the following impact areas:

- CLIMATE & SUSTAINABILITY

Energy & Environment, Transportation Efficiency, Sustainable Agriculture & Food Systems

- EQUALITY & EMPOWERMENT

Work Force Development, Accessibility Technology, Financial Mobility & Inclusion

- HEALTH & EDUCATION

Healthcare & Medical Technology, Personal Wellness, Education Technology

Size:

USD 27M

Sponsors:


SustainVC

Type:

Fund

Instrument:

Equity

Vintage:

2019

Impact/Sector:

Clean Tech, Environment, Agriculture, Food, Renewable Energy, Financial Services (excluding Microfinance), Consumer Products and Services, Consumer Technology, Healthcare, Aging, Housing, Education and Training, Femtech, Fintech,Fashion, Information and Communications Technology, Infrastructure, Manufacturing, Microfinance, Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene

SDGs:

No Poverty, Zero Hunger, Good Health and Well-being, Quality Education, Gender Equality, Clean Water and Sanitation, Affordable and Clean Energy, Decent Work and Economic Growth, Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure, Reduced Inequalities, Sustainable Cities and Communities, Responsible Consumption and Production, Climate Action, Life Below Water, Life on Land, Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions, Partnerships for the Goals

Geography:

North America

GLIC-specific:

Y

Description:

The Rural Prosperity Bond is a specialized debt instrument employed by the World Resources Institute to help scale-up land restoration efforts. The combination of the instrument with WRI’s Land Accelerator, delivers a holistic package of financing and capacity-building for restoration enterprises that are too small for commercial banks and too large for microfinance. The bond could connect SMEs to more than 800,000 farmers, the majority of whom are women.

Investors:
British Business Bank

Sponsors:
Aida Ventures

Type:

Bond

Instrument:

Concessional debt

Vintage:

2020

Impact/Sector:

In total, the Rural Prosperity Bond can benefit over 840,000 smallholder farmers. Farmers will have access to quality seeds, organic fertilizers and pesticides coupled with training on appropriate use. Both the adoption of climate-smart agricultural practices (increasing yields and resistance to droughts) and the preservation of natural ecosystems improve smallholder farmers’ resilience to climate change (Makate et al., 2019; Harvey et al., 2014). Some farmers will be integrated in outgrower schemes thus having better access to markets to sell their produce at fairer prices. Strengthening market linkages and producer organizations is believed to be essential to competitiveness (World Bank, 2008) and increase both SMEs and SHFs’ resilience to external economic shocks

Geography:

For pilot phase: Kenya, Ethiopia, Rwanda. In the future: Africa, South Asia and Latin America

GLIC-specific:
Y


GLI:

Y

Financial close:

N

Description:
In 2011, the GEF adopted a Policy on Gender Mainstreaming which requires all existing GEF agencies (mostly MDBs and UN agencies) to be assessed for their compliance with the GEF gender mainstreaming mandate. It also makes the gender capacity of new implementing agencies a criterion for GEF accreditation and requires all implementing agencies to demonstrate their efforts to analyse gender considerations in GEF projects. Implementing agencies must establish policies, strategies or action plans that promote gender equality and satisfy minimum requirements on gender mainstreaming. Key among these are the use of genderdisaggregated indicators for monitoring and measures to avoid or mitigate adverse gender impacts of projects. There is also the requirement for GEF implementing agencies to have gender experts who can monitor and provide support for the implementation of these minimum requirements.

Size:

To date (June 2022), the GEF has provided more than $22 billion in grants and blended finance and mobilized another $120 billion in co-financing for more than 5,000 national and regional projects, plus 27,000 community ventures through its Small Grants Programme.

Investors:

Contributions from 40 donor countries

Sponsors:

International partnership of 183 countries, international institutions, civil society organizations and the private sector

Type:
Multilateral 


Instrument:
Grants & blended finance

Vintage:

1992

Impact/Sector:

1035 Projects in 162 Countries

Geography:

Global

GLIC-specific:

Y

Description:

The Rallying Cry is a small and growing international not-for-profit initiative that connects the international finance and development sectors. It is led by a collective of women business leaders and climate, gender, and development finance professionals and institutions. The Rallying Cry exists to occupy the spaces between investor silos, identify and bridge the gaps, and convene voices for change. We are building a platform to amplify the collective wisdom, creativity and resourcefulness of women business leaders, to inspire global change and drive real climate action.

Investors:

FMO and Building Prospects (with support from the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs) and the radical generosity of our Special Advisors.

Sponsors:

The initiative was founded and is led by Carey Bohjanen in collaboration and partnership with Tamsin Jones, Khetsiwe Dlamini and Sophie Lambin. Our delivery team is comprised of a committed collective of independent individuals, consultants and content partners from across the globe.

Type:

Project

Vintage:
2020

Impact/Sector:

- Ensure women from the global south and on the frontlines of climate change are represented in international dialogues and decision-making
- Shift the narrative away from women as victims of climate change to agents of solution-driven change, locally and globally
- Catalyse investment to grow and scale climate-and gender-smart enterprises across agricultural value chains in Africa
- Support the development of financial instruments that are tailored to the needs of women entrepreneurs

Geography:

Africa (pilot countries of Kenya and Zambia)

GLIC-specific:


Y

Description:

Tridi Oasis is a female founded, owned and managed company in Jakarta, Indonesia, which recycles common plastic (PET) bottles into recycled PET flakes (rPET) to be transformed into sustainable packaging and textiles. In April 2020 it was announced that Tridi Oasis would be one of two companies sharing a $6 million investment from Circulate Capital, with 50% of the loan guaranteed by the US International Development Finance Corp (DFC) in line with its 2X Challenge commitments to finance women entrepreneurs, and in collaboration with USAID. In the long term, Tridi Oasis plans to expand its activities, strengthen the business model and replicate it in other locations to scale environmental and social impact.

Size:

USD 6M

Investors:

Circulate Capital, with 50% of the loan guaranteed by the US International Development Finance Corp (DFC)

Type:

Company (deal)

Instrument:

Debt

Vintage:

2020

Impact/Sector:

Recycling around 60 million bottles each year, Tridi Oasis creates sustainable jobs for communities along the value chain, and builds environmental resilience by reducing waste accumulation in landfills, waterways or oceans.

GLIC-specific:

Y

Financial close:

Y

Description:

True Wealth Ventures is focused on investing in more women leaders who have proven to financially outperform in high growth markets of environmental and human health where women are making the vast majority of purchase decisions. We exclusively invest in companies that are both women-led and whose core value proposition is improving environmental and/or human health.

Size:

USD 19.1M

Sponsors:

True Wealth Ventures

Type:

Fund

Instrument:

Equity

Vintage:

2016

Impact/Sector:

Clean Tech, Environment, Agriculture, Food, Renewable Energy, Consumer Products and Services, Consumer Technology, Healthcare, Aging, Femtech, Manufacturing, Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene, Other

SDGs:

Zero Hunger, Good Health and Well-being, Gender Equality, Clean Water and Sanitation, Affordable and Clean Energy, Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure, Reduced Inequalities, Sustainable Cities and Communities, Responsible Consumption and Production, Climate Action, Life Below Water, Life on Land

Geography:

North America

GLIC-specific:

Y

Financial close:

Y

Description:

The fund is filling an unmet need for early-stage capital for Ireland’s social enterprises. The women-led fund is investing in tech ventures addressing climate change, biodiversity loss, sustainable food systems, plastic consumption, social inequality, and healthcare. The fund’s early portfolio includes Inclusio, a woman-led Irish HR tech company that helps companies boost workforce diversity and inclusion and track business culture improvements. MagGrow is an Irish company that helps farmers with precision crop spraying to curb overuse of pesticides and other agricultural chemicals.

Size:

USD 50 M

Sponsors:

Faye Walsh Drouillard

Type:

Fund

Structure:
Venture Capital: Seed up to pre-Series A. Ticket size €250-750K.

Instrument:

Equity

Vintage:

2021

Impact/Sector:

Target investments: B2B tech-enabled solutions across sustainable production and consumption - including agtech, foodtech, circular economy and renewable energy solutions. For inclusive services, the fund looks at health equity - remote diagnostics, wellness and femtech solutions and inclusive fintech, edtech and future of work solutions.

SDGs:

No Poverty (SDG 1), Gender Equality (SDG 5), Clean Water and Sanitation (SDG 6), Affordable and Clean Energy (SDG 7), Responsible Consumption and Production (SDG 12), Climate Action (SDG 13)

Geography:

Ireland and the broader continent

GLIC-specific:


Y

Financial close:

N

Description:

We are leaders in the field of mission-aligned investing. Our portfolio is fully divested from fossil fuels and invested in transformative social and environmental change, delivering both positive impact and excellent returns. Advancing women’s rights and gender justice is one of Wallace Global Fund’s central goals, which we promote through our grantmaking and our investments.

Sponsors:

RBC Wealth Management

Type:

Fund

Instrument:
Grants

Vintage:
1995

Geography:

Global

GLIC-specific:


Y

Financial close:

N

Description:

WaterEquity's Global Access Fund will address the global water and sanitation crisis in emerging markets by providing capital to financial institutions for water and sanitation microloans. These microloans enable low-income consumers to install water and sanitation solutions, such as water connections and toilets, within their own homes. Investments will target sustainable returns with high credit quality and are organized around financial inclusion, gender-lens investing, and access to safe water or sanitation.

Size:

USD 150M

Investors:

DFC and other impact investors and foundations

Sponsors:

WaterEquity

Type:

Fund

Instrument:

Equity

Vintage:

2022

Impact/Sector:

This Project is expected to have a highly developmental impact by expanding access to water and sanitation services and products in countries in Asia, Latin America, and Africa. The Fund estimates reaching over 5 million low-income clients, of which 60% are expected to be women. The Fund will leverage the Water.org WaterCredit program, which provides technical assistance to financial institutions for water and sanitation loan product development, market assessments, community mobilization, education, training, and capacity building.

SDGs:

No Poverty (SDG 1), Zero Hunger (SDG 2), Good Health & Well-being (SDG 3), Gender Equality (SDG 5), Clean Water & Sanitation (SDG 6), Decent Work and Economic Growth (SDG 8), Reducing Inequalities (SDG 10), Climate Action (SDG 13), Life on Land (SDG 15)

Geography:

Cambodia, Ecuador, Guatemala, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Mexico, Nigeria, Peru, and Uganda

GLIC-specific:



Y

Financial close:

Y

Description:

The West Africa Bright Future Fund is a pioneering and innovative investment fund designed to bring investment to where it is most needed. Risks inherent to investment in fragile markets are mitigated to crowd-in capital that will meet the financing gap for growing SMEs with significant job creation potential. Sectors accessible to women and youth are prioritised: Agriculture, Clean Energy, and Waste Management. A climate lens is applied to champion businesses contributing to the fight against environmental degradation and climate change.

Size:

EUR 27M

Sponsors:

Cordaid Investment Management (CIM)

Type:

Fund

Structure:
Blended Finance - The fund has attracted €3m in committed investable first loss from the USAID West Africa Trade and Investment Hub, the National Postcode Lottery, and private donations. Additionally, the US DFC has committed a Regional Portfolio Guarantee that covers 50% of the financial risk of a further €24m of investment.

Instrument:

Loans, grants, TA

Vintage:

2015

Impact/Sector:

- Outcomes and impact: Job creation, increased income, sustainable economic development, sustainable livelihoods.
- Focussing on sectors that are most accessible and impactful for women and youth: Agriculture, Clean energy, Waste management.
- Creating impact over various cross-cutting themes: women empowerment, youth employment, climate change.
- The Fund will create, improve and support over 25,000 jobs for women and youth during its tenor.
- The Fund has committed to the 2X Challenge Financing for Women, and impact reporting is subject to third party audit for transparency

SDGs:
5, 7, 8, 10, 12, 13

Geography:

Mali, Sierra Leone, Guinea and Burkina Faso

GLIC-specific:


Y

GLI:

Y

Financial close:

Y

Description:
The WCI Fund is a blended finance platform that accepts catalytic capital from donors and investors to create social and financial value through initiatives that simultaneously benefit women and address climate change. The WCI Fund provides grants, loans and expertise to women-led organizations and enterprises engaged in climate change initiatives that create self-sustaining revenue and builds capacities of women’s organizations and enterprises to become profitable social enterprises that provide goods and services for climate change adaptation and mitigation.

Type:

Fund

Instrument:

Grants, loans and technical assistance

Impact/Sector:

Renewable energy, water, waste and resource recovery, and sustainable agriculture, and forest management

SDGs:

5, 13

Geography:

Africa, Asia, and Latin America

Financial close:
N

Description:

The project has both gender equality and climate change mitigation as dedicated (principle) objectives, in Morocco that bolsters the recognition of the role of women in energy transition. This programme strengthens the place of women in the renewable energy sector through the creation of two women’s energy co-operatives and support for organised women’s co-operatives towards sustainable production and management methods, as well as through their involvement in advocacy and local policy-making.

Investors:

Ecological Transition Agency (ADEME) and the French Development Agency (AFD)

Sponsors:

WECF and local partners, the Association for Renewable Energy and Sustainable Development (AERDD), the Mohammed VI Foundation for the Research and Conservation of Argan Trees (FMVIRSA), Gesti-y Disseny (GEDI) and the Moroccan Network for Social and Solidarity Economy (REMESS)

Type:
Project

Vintage:

2020

Impact/Sector:
The objectives of these trainings are multiple: they aim to take into account the environment and the climate as well as the integration of women in economic, social and political development in the country. As sustainable alternatives, these cookers contribute to the involvement and recognition of women in the energy transition.

Geography:

Morocco

GLIC-specific:

Y

GLI:

Y

Description:

The programme combines programmatic action and policy advocacy and reform to address the structural barriers limiting women’s participation in agriculture value chains, with a focus on improving women’s access to land, finance, skills and technology for climate resilience, as well as women’s access to markets.

Type:

Project

Sponsors:
Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO), World Food Programme (WFP), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF), government partners at the national and regional level, financial institutions, civil society organizations, and women producer associations and cooperatives as the cornerstone of the programme

Impact/Sector:

• Improve economic opportunities for more than 500,000 women in over 15 countries in West and Central Africa.

• Build communities’ resilience to cope with and adapt to climate change and strengthen economic stability in critical regions, such as the Sahel, affected by environmental degradation, conflict and migration.

• Unlock bottlenecks for women’s participation in rural value chains, through policy reform and implementation of measures to improve women’s land rights, promote institutional strengthening of women cooperatives and micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), and provide access to finance and markets through technology-enabled solutions including for export.

• Maximize development impact by targeting high-value and/or value chains that are critical for food security.

• Minimize risk and guarantee impact through interventions focused on achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), with UN Women’s technical expertise for design and quality assurance, in partnership with UN agencies to leverage implementing capacity, and with the backup of the UN system at the country level.

Geography:

West and Central Africa

Description:

Root Capital invests in agricultural enterprises with a gender lens to drive climate resilience. It’s now partnering with Value for Women in pilot programmes to enhance climate resilience of women in agroforestry cooperatives in Central America. These interventions map climate vulnerability and resilience alongside gender-based vulnerabilities. Loans are provided to grow businesses and cooperatives that create jobs and opportunities for women, while Gender Equity Grants help businesses identify and implement policies and practices that enhance women’s inclusion. Root Capital supplements these with crucial non-financial services, including training for women leaders, managers, employees and farmers in key financial and climate-smart agricultural skills to boost gender-inclusive economic growth alongside climate adaptation and resilience.

Sponsors:

Root Capital

Type:

Fund

Instrument:

Loans & grants

Impact/Sector:

- $80.5M in loans to gender-inclusive and women-led businesses in 2021.
- 1338 women who received training to build their professional skills in 2021.
- 844 additional jobs for women supported by Root Capital in 2021.
- 554K women farmers reached since 2012.

Geography:

Rural communities

GLIC-specific:

Y

Description:

This project brings useful responses to specific gendered impacts of the COVID pandemic, which left many women in urban slums without a job while increasing their household responsibilities. AWAK trained 700 urban women in slums to convert former domestic dumping sites into vegetable gardens, using organic compost to enrich the soil and biomass waste to produce biochar. The project provides women with sustainable sources of livelihood, including from vegetable sales, and promotes table funding as well as access to formal banking. It builds a holistic recovery program, with beneficiaries training more women, economic empowerment reducing domestic violence, and access to education for children.

Investors:

Compassion International, SIANI, HiveOnline, UAF – Africa

Sponsors:

Association of Women in Agriculture (AWAK)

Type:

Project

Vintage:

2021

Impact/Sector:

Climate impact
- Reducing methane emissions by converting dumping grounds into green spaces
- Promoting organic farming, including organic compost
- Re-greening of urban areas

Gender impact
- Economic empowerment for women who sell vegetables, briquettes and soap
- Women gain technical and business skills and transfer knowledge to other women
- Promoting women’s leadership in the community

Scalability/replicability
- Systemic approach to solve climate and covid crisis
- Women as demonstrators and leaders for the community
- Objective to reach 10,000 households countrywide

SDGs:

5,8,11,13,15

Geography:

Kenya

GLIC-specific:
Y

GLI:

Y

Description:

Frequent cyclones in the Indian state of West Bengal damage mangroves, destroy agricultural land and affect soil fertility. In this context, inland and mangrove afforestation, as well as efforts to increase community resilience are crucial. This project, carried out by indigenous women, aims to train beneficiaries in the preparation of seedlings and the planting of mangroves. This protects the area from soil erosion and reduces the intensity of climate disasters. Women are also empowered economically through an organic farming and vermicomposting programme, which provides a sustainable source of income and ensures food security for local communities.

Investors:

Gender CC Women for Climate Justice, supported by the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Natural Conservation and Nuclear Safety

Sponsors:

All India Women's Conference Calcutta

Type:

Project

Vintage:

2021

Impact/Sector:

Climate impact
- Resilience to climate disasters: mangroves reduce the impact of frequent cyclones
- Mangrove plantation improves climate mitigation efforts through CO2 absorption
- Organic waste management with vermicomposting contributes to climate mitigation and sustainable local farming

Gender impact
- Women’s economic empowerment through capacity-building and income-generation
- Indigenous women from vulnerable communities take on local leadership roles

Scalability/replicability
- Easy-to-replicate concept using local knowledge with little financial cost
- Training of Trainers model ensures the sustainability of the project
- Improving food security and nutrition

SDGs:

2,5,8,13,15

Geography:

India

GLIC-specific:

Y

GLI:

Y

Description:
The WLB™ Series is an innovative, multi-country, and multi-sector listed gender bond series aiming to empower underserved women globally. The Bond brings together a diverse range of public and private sector partners to help financially empower women-focused enterprises across target sectors in achieving impact targets. The bond is designed to unlock capital for Impact Enterprises (IEs) and Microfinance Institutions (MFIs) that are part of the sustainable livelihoods spectrum for women in South-East Asia.

Size:

USD 50M

Investors:

Rockefeller Foundation, Impact Investment Exchange Asia (IIX)

Type:

Bond

Instrument:

Debt security

Impact/Sector:

The fund will empower ~300,000 low income women and girls with access to credit, to market linkages, and to affordable goods and services. This will, in turn, help them transition from subsistence to sustainable livelihoods and redefine the dominant narrative from viewing women as victims to recognizing them as solutions to development, change and progress.

SDGs:

The WLB™ Series bond issuances advance 15 out of the 17 UN SDGs.

Geography:

Southeast Asia

GLIC-specific:

Y

GLI:

Y

Financial close:

Y

Description:
The Women’s World Banking Capital Partners II Fund (WWBCPII) mobilized ~$50 million in commercial capital on the back of $20 million in concessional first-loss equity to expand financial inclusion for low-income women. Together with an accompanying TAF, WWBCPII leverages a robust and publicly accessible gender strategy to ensure that the gender equity implications of its investing activities are maximized. To date, the Fund has reached over 150 thousand women.

Description:

Sida has, together with USAID, provided a USD 40 million loan portfolio guarantee to the Standard Chartered Bank Zimbabwe.The target group for the loans is MSMEs in the agriculture sector and microfinance institutions. The loan portfolio will primarily target women-owned enterprises, youth-owned enterprises (aged 18–35), and enterprises for which the majority of their workforce is youth aged.

Size:

USD 40M

Investors:

Sida & USAID

Sponsors:

Standard Chartered Bank Zimbabwe

Type:

Guarantee

Instrument:

Guarantee

Vintage:

2015

Structure:
Half the risk will be covered by Sida and USAID with 35% and 15% respectively, and the rest will be covered by the bank.

Geography:

Zimbabwe

GLIC-specific:

N

GLI:

Y