CD Insights

The Asia Financial Institution Forum, AFIFORUM, celebrated its 5th anniversary in Bangkok in January, bringing together the largest global network of financial institutions and their investors, to discuss the future of Asia’s financial industry. Front of mind for all stakeholders was both sustainability and inclusivity.

In this AFIFORUM special of the CD Insights podcast, you will hear from a range of organisations helping to close the funding gap for social, gender and climate-related projects. You’ll hear how they’re overcoming various geopolitical issues and regulatory challenges through a host of unique loan products and bonds. And you’ll hear how funding is empowering vulnerable female entrepreneurs, whilst highlighting the interconnectedness of gender and climate financing.

On the line up we have:

Borja Gutierrez, co-founders of AFIFOURM

Steven Ying, Managing Partner at High Impact Capital Advisors, Hong Kong

Rafiqul Islam, Managing Director & CEO of Green Delta Capital Limited

Shahzad Iqbal, Chief Financial Officer of Kashf Foundation

Bram Spann, Program Manager Asia at the Rabobank Foundation

Nishant Kumar, Managing Director, Asia GuarantCo

Your hosts are:

Elle Leontiev and Ollie Guillou

Visit our Insights platform to find out more www.cardanodevelopment.com/insights

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The Asia Financial Institution Forum, AFIFORUM, recently took place in Bangkok. The event brings together many different stakeholders to discuss solutions to developing impact investing and sustainable finance in Asia.

In this episode we hear from some of the brightest minds from the conference, as they discuss Asia’s many diverse financing and development needs. We find out what China’s post-pandemic reopening means for the growth of the region. We learn how data is driving better performance across sustainability-linked projects. And we hear about an exciting new asset class - orange bonds - a solution to financing gender equality. 

On the line up we have:

Steven Ying, Managing Partner at High Impact Capital Advisors, Hong Kong

Anthony Watanabe, Chief Sustainability Officer at Indorama Ventures

Ruoyun Yang, Head of Asia at Lendable

Eleanor Keppelman, Director, Investments at U.S. International Development Finance Corporation

Boo Hock Khoo, co-founder of the Green Guarantee Company

Your hosts are:

Borja Gutierrez and Ollie Guillou

Visit our Insights platform to find out more www.cardanodevelopment.com/insights

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As the need for climate action rapidly grows we need to address the obstacles to investing in climate solutions in emerging markets. Blended finance can vastly increase the amount of money we have to spend on tackling climate change - but it needs to be scaled up.

The UN-convened Net Zero Asset Owners Alliance has released a report called ‘Scaling Blended Finance for Climate Change’. In light of this, we explore the value and impact of blended finance. We discuss the barriers and perceptions that make mobilising finance into emerging and developing economies difficult. We learn about the types of financial instruments that can be used to de-risk investments. And we hear about the latest investor trends targeting positive climate outcomes.

On the line up we have:

Michael Klaster, Portfolio Director Legal and General Capital 

Joost Zuidberg, CEO of Cardano Development

Louis LaPaz, Developer, Cardano Development

Bertrand Ketchassi, Investment Manager at InfraCo Africa 

Dr Nnamdi Igbokwe, Ph.D., Director, Knowledge and Thought Leadership at Convergence

Ivo Mulder, Head of the Climate Finance Unit at the UN Environment Programme

Your hosts are:

Elle Leontiev and Ollie Guillou

Visit our Insights platform to find out more www.cardanodevelopment.com/insights

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To contribute to a better society and environment, and to ensure we meet the Sustainable Development Goals, it’s essential companies have an impact strategy in place. And it’s just as vital to reflect on that strategy, to ensure your organisation really is making a difference.

From creating financial solutions for climate change, to protecting businesses and people from risk through local currency financing, Cardano Development’s impact strategy centres around empowering frontier economies. 

This episode explores Cardano Development’s first ever impact review, touching on many of the solutions the organisation has brought to the market, including the TCX Fund, InfraCredit GuarantCo, ILX Fund, Frontclear and start-up the Development Guarantee Group.

On the line up we have:

Joost Zuidberg, CEO of Cardano Development

Alice Chapple, Director of Impact Value

Your hosts are:

Elle Leontiev and Ollie Guillou

Visit our Insights platform to find out more www.cardanodevelopment.com/insights

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Ratings agencies, like Fitch and Moody’s, are a crucial part of the financial infrastructure of capital markets. Although ratings are typically better suited to assessing risk in developed countries, they are becoming an increasingly important part of the financial ecosystem of emerging markets too.

In this episode we find out what ratings are and how they are used to enhance the attractiveness of capital structures for borrowers, bond investors and banks. We learn about an innovative project called Tradeclear, which is using ratings to enable financial transactions and investments in developing countries. And we discover the differences between local and international ratings.

(01:20) - What are ratings, and why are they so important in enabling financial transactions in developing countries?

(07:15) - Innovative ways Frontclear utilises ratings

(20:29) - How could ratings be improved?

On the line up we have:

Philip Buyskes, CEO Frontclear

Joost Zuidberg, CEO of Cardano Development

Visit our Insights platform to find out more www.cardanodevelopment.com/insights

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For International Women’s Day (IWD) the CD insights Podcast will look at the role of gender lens investing to impact SDG5, trends in gender investment, and about how innovative startups are mobilising capital to impact women positively. We’ll also take a dive into why female leadership and representation in development finance is crucial. To create equity in the sector, to unlock the potential of businesses led by women, and to boost job creation, economic development and GDP - we need to break the biases that exist. This is the theme of this year’s IWD, which we’re celebrating in this special edition of the podcast.

On the line up we have:

Guest host Allie Yu, AVP Risk Management, TCX Fund

Amit Bouri, CEO, The GIIN

Janice Kotut and Ingwell Kuil Co Founders, Sustainable Links 

Femke Smeets, Partner at Total Impact Capital

Visit our Insights platform to find out more www.cardanodevelopment.com/insights

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Impact investments are becoming increasingly important, with growing pressure on the financial industry to showcase the positive, real world benefits of their portfolios, especially when it comes to aligning with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). But impact is hard to quantify, and it’s not always possible to set concrete targets based on numbers and stats. So in this episode we find out how to get around the limitations of impact frameworks, we look at the short and medium term opportunities for financial markets, and we offer actionable advice on how to ensure the SDGs remain front of mind.

On the line up we have: Alice Chapple, Director at Impact Value; and Karin Pasha, Head of Sustainability at Cardano Netherlands. Visit our Insights platform to find out more www.cardanodevelopment.com/insights

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Technical Assistance plays a significant role in developing local capital markets. As a versatile development and training tool, TA can mobilise additional sources of finance for the Sustainable Development Goals, by lowering the risks and high transaction costs associated with investments in new, uncertain, or fragile markets. In this episode we learn about the transformational impact of TA programs, hearing success stories from both providers and recipients, we find out how to combat the challenges involved in procuring TA funding, and our guests offer expert advice on setting up a successful TA program. 

On the line up we have: Fleur Henderson, Senior Project Manager at Cardano Development; Victor Nkiiri, Senior Financial Markets Specialist at FSD Africa; Adaze Uzor Kalu, Senior Vice President of External Relations at FMDQ; Ingrid Hagen, VP of Strategy at Frontclear; and Assefa Sumoro, Senior Capital Markets Advisor at the National Bank of Ethiopia. Visit our Insights platform to find out more www.cardanodevelopment.com/insights

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Local currency guarantees are a game-changer - they offer a way of bridging the massive infrastructure funding gap in Sub-Saharan Africa and they put control back in the hands of the local business ecosystem. As the capacity of local markets grows, they are increasingly becoming part of the solution. But there are still barriers that need addressing, like credit risk, high interest rates and investor confidence. In this episode we explore how Cardano Development is teaming up with other industry experts to push through those barriers, transforming the financial markets of frontier economies. On the line up we have: Joost Zuidberg, CEO of Cardano Development; Lasitha Perera, Co-founder and Director of the Development Guarantee Group; Janice Kotut, Managing Director of PIDG InfraSolutions; Maheen Rahman, CEO of InfraZamin; Chinua Azubike, CEO of InfraCredit. Visit our Insights platform to find out more www.cardanodevelopment.com/insights

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An introduction to the CD Insights podcast with host Joris van Oppenraij. Discover our latest knowledge, expert analysis and intelligent thinking from our innovative financial market development companies. Through our insights, we share our expertise and learnings in shaping and changing financial markets, with the aim to encourage local currency financing and financial market development in emerging and frontier markets.

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