News

New York, United States / Geneva, Switzerland – 20 September, 2023 - The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) have signed a landmark Statement of Intent, signaling their commitment to the role of International Standards in addressing global development challenges. They will collaborate on initiatives geared towards enhancing international standards that advance sustainability actions by both the public and private sectors, including the prospective development of the first international standard for the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) based on UNDP’s SDG Impact Standards and relevant ISO standards.

UNDP and the European Union (EU) identify 17 Nigerian enterprises that have developed at-scale products and services for Nigeria's sustainable development progress through the Growth Stage Impact Ventures (GSIV) programme, based on the priorities established in the Nigeria SDG Investor Map.

Under the leadership of the Ministry of Economy and Planning (MEP) and the Private Investment and Export Promotion Agency of Angola (AIPEX), with technical support from UNDP, the workshop had the objective of starting stakeholder consultations to prepare the Angola SDG Investor Map (in Portuguese).

The UNDP Africa Investment Insights Report, produced by the Africa Sustainable Finance Hub (ASFH), provides an overview of private sector investment opportunities with the potential to deliver on Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) targets across Africa, in line with the African Union's Agenda 2063. The information is based on the SDG Investor Map, UNDP’s market intelligence tool that identifies investable solutions to pressing SDG needs.

Developed by UNDP, the Growth Stage Impact Ventures (GSIV) programme seeks to identify enterprises from developing countries that have developed at-scale products and services that contribute to the SDGs while achieving commercial success. Identified ventures have a proven impact, demonstrated product-market fit, and a revenue-generating self-sustainable model to attract local and international capital.

13 July 2023, Mahé, Seychelles – The Government of Seychelles, in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), has launched the Seychelles SDG Investor Map, in the presence of the President of the Republic of Seychelles, the Vice-President, Cabinet Ministers, senior representatives from the public and private sector, and Development Partners.

Cape Town, July 13, 2023: UNDP Africa Sustainable Finance Hub launched the UNDP Africa Investment Insights Report 2022 (“the Report”) which has analyzed Africa’s SDG investment opportunities, at the Africa Impact Summit today. The Report provides market intelligence on the sectors where businesses and investors can find the most financial and impact potential for people and planet. The investment opportunities discussed in the Report have lucrative indicative return profiles concentrated around Internal Rate of Returns (IRRs) and Return on Investments (ROIs) of 15-20%. Alongside this, more than half (53%) of all African investment opportunities generate a new positive outcome for stakeholders who would otherwise be underserved.

12 July 2023, Cape Town: UNDP, through its Africa Sustainable Finance Hub (ASFH) and SDG Impact, along with its partner, Social Value International, delivered the second SDG Impact Standards Train-the-Trainer Course in Sub-Saharan Africa on 10 – 12 July 2023, after its inaugural edition in October 2022. The course took place on the sidelines of the Africa Impact Summit and was hosted by the Global Steering Group (GSG) for Impact Investing.

In Asia, the SDG Investor Maps are based on an in-depth body of work that has involved countless hours of research and over 300+ structured consultations with in-country government and private sector stakeholders. We have seen how such market intelligence is making a difference in informing private investors, policymakers and businesses on the ground within the sectors that need capital to outpace development challenges purposefully and sustainably. Read this blog by Devahuti Choudhury, SDG Impact Specialist for APAC to learn more.

The Serbia SDG Investor Map launched at the Sustainable Investment Promotion Forum in the Palace of Serbia. It identified five SDG priority sectors for investors: Food and Beverage, Renewable Resources and Alternative Energy, Infrastructure, Technology and Communications and Health Care.