Inclusive Business Newsletter

March 2018
World Business Council
for Sustainable Development

Here is a brief collection of inclusive business-related news, updates and insights. Feel free to send us your news anytime!

Featured stories

Financial inclusion in Egypt

State of Impact Measurement and Management Practices

Investing for impact on global health

News from WBCSD and its member companies

LafargeHolcim launches start-up Accelerator

The LH Accelerator is an intensive 6-month program dedicated to accelerating the growth of innovative companies in the construction industry. Led by three major groups - LafargeHolcim, CCCC and Sika - the program offers access to a high level technical, market and entrepreneurial expertise. Read more here.

News from around the world

Inclusive business a “radical triple win” for Myanmar

Business leaders, policy experts and development agencies came together in Yangon on 15 March to explore best practices in Myanmar. They worked to advocate for inclusive business in order to secure better jobs and better lives for the bottom 40 percent of income earners in the country.

Financial inclusion in Egypt

According to experts, Egypt now has all the hallmarks of a market ready to make a big jump in access to financial services: a young population, an enthusiastic embrace of social media, and more mobile subscriptions (110 million) than its population. This blog by Sarah Willis, MetLife Foundation, and Mayada El-Zoghbi, CGAP, analyzes this convergence of positive factors, and highlights four criteria that will ensure financial services reach low-income populations.

Tools and Reports

Investing for impact on global health

Official development assistance is no longer the dominant source of capital in many developing countries, yet it remains vital to support their advancement. USAID’s “Investing for Impact” report examines trends in development finance and highlights ways in which USAID is leveraging private investment and applying non-traditional approaches to finance the achievement of goals in global health.

Impact measurement insights for enterprises and investors

A new case study authored by WDI’s Performance Measurement Initiative (PMI) gives advice to impact investors and investees on new and emerging ways to strengthen their impact measurement practices. The case study also presents five valuable lessons learnt from field experience.

State of impact measurement and management practices

The Global Impact Investing Network’s (GIIN) first comprehensive survey of the state of impact measurement and management unveils how the industry has developed and sheds light on various approaches. The survey also exposes challenges and identify areas for improvement, encouraging investors to deepen their impact practice and improve their ability to generate positive social and environmental change.

The African Century

ONE’s report The African Century presents evidence on the risks and opportunities of the current demographic development in Africa. It calls for a new partnership with Africa which doubles investments in education, employment and empowerment to support a program of economic and policy reform across the continent.

Workshop and Trainings

Executive Education Program on Inclusive business (16-19 Oct 2018, Paris, France)

Hystra, HEC Business School and Ashoka are holding an Executive Education Program on inclusive business and value creation that provides a unique and comprehensive package to prepare corporate executives in charge of designing, launching or scaling inclusive business projects. Designed for corporate executives, it also welcomes social entrepreneurs, executives from large NGOs, international aid agencies and impact investors. Its format is based on experiential learning and immersion, cutting-edge academic content, insights from pioneers in the field and peer-to-peer learning, condensed into an intensive 3.5-day session.