Everyone, from government agencies to the average consumer is calling for more support for renewable and sustainable technologies. Are you ready to answer?
In 2020, global sustainable investments reached $35.3 trillion USD – a 15% increase since 2018. The coming years will see this hot investment space only get hotter as climate change impacts food systems, farmers, and consumers. Water scarcity is on the rise, our current energy systems are releasing too much GHGs, and the farmers who supply our food systems are facing a growing number of burdens. In order to meet these challenges and adapt to the impact of climate change, private sector partners and investors are expected to increase their commitment towards environmentally sustainable approaches to business. Without that commitment and support, the farmers and their families who feed the world will be unable to cope with droughts, floods, fires, and desertification that will ruin agricultural productivity and value chains.
Also, a new call by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) for more investment in clean technologies, joins conscious consumers and other actors who want to know that investors are not harming the planet. The need for integrating ESGs into investment approaches, paired with an accelerating need for more sustainable and resilient innovations in the countries that will be hit hardest by climate change, creates a crucial opportunity for investors. More precisely, these investors can help scale businesses and impact key thematic focuses like end-user resource access, poverty reduction, gender mainstreaming, climate change resilience and adaptation, food security, and the sustainable usage of water and energy.
For investment partners interested in countries like Morocco, Jordan, India, Vietnam and 34 others, but unable to pursue growth or expansion due to unfamiliarity with the national policies or inability to conduct the necessary due diligence, the Water and Energy for Food Grand Challenge (WE4F) is here to help. Due to WE4F’s activities and RIHs located in five high-priority regions that are already suffering from the effects of climate change (Middle East and North Africa, Southern and Central Africa, South and Southeast Asia), investment partners can specifically target their focus countries – and potentially expand to new regions.
By joining WE4F’s investor pool, you can help innovative water-energy-food nexus companies scale their business and reach affected farmers and food value chains while at the same time benefiting from attractive social and economic returns on your investments. Through our Regional Innovation Hubs we provide investor support, right from pipeline development to due diligence, monitoring and evaluation, post-investment technical assistance, and continuous ESG-compliance that ensures your investments are having an on-the-ground impact. Also, all of the companies we work with are committed to sustainable practices, climate-friendly technologies, and the reduction of GHG emissions. Investing in WE4F companies means real impact: real gender barriers addressed, real water and energy usage reduced, real food produced, and real smallholder farmers accessing previously unavailable technology.
If you’re interested in learning more about investment partnership opportunities and exploring the process to join the WE4F investor pool, make sure to watch the recorded sessions below!
