Event contact: Mathilde Thue
NABA and ThirdWay Africa invite you to a webinar about Blended Finance in Africa.
2020 provided many shocks to the global order, but it can be argued the year provided a second catalyst in encouraging many countries, cities and corporates alike to recommit on their climate and environment focused initiatives. Whilst this backdrop is positive it only reiterates that time is running out to achieve the SDGs.
In Africa, increased investment is required to stand any chance of achieving these goals. By leveraging blended finance solutions which can unlock catalytic funding (usually grants and donor backed capital) and subsequently crowd in private sector money, the SDGs have a better chance of being achieved. According to Convergence, Africa has consistently remained the most targeted regions for blended finance vehicles, but the trillions it promised to unlock have not been seen. With the Covid headwinds continuing to blow strong in 2021, what is the current state of blended finance solutions today in Africa? Will we be able to scale the amount of financing they receive up?
Mr. Goncalo Neves-Correia
CEO and Founding Partner, ThirdWay Africa
Goncalo Neves-Correia is CEO and a Founding Partner of ThirdWay Africa, an investment and advisory firm focused on sustainable development in Africa. The firm is committed to the vision of business, communities and ecosystems thriving together and uses this ethos in its approach to scaling up investment in key sectors, including the agricultural sector through its investment vehicle the Rural Development Corporation. Prior to founding ThirdWay Africa, Goncalo worked at JP Morgan, McKinsey & Co and Goldman Sachs and completed his MBA from Harvard Business School as a Bake Scholar.
Ms. Mi Kim
Head of Financial Risk Management, Corporate Finance, Yara International
Mr. Kim Daugaard Jørgensen Kristmoen
Leader, Department for Civil Society and the Private Sector, Section for Private Sector Development
Mr. Aleksi Lumijärvi
Program Manager, Nordic Development Fund
Aleksi Lumijärvi has more than 20 years of experience mainly in energy-related in climate finance. He has worked in consultancy, financial advisory as well as fund management positions in the private sector. In addition, he used to work in the renewable energy finance team of the International Renewable Energy Agency. His geographical experience covers Europe, Africa, Asia and Latin America. At NDF Lumijärvi works as Program Manager, and he is involved with a number of blended finance-related funds in the continent, such as EEP Africa, Sustainable Energy Fund for Africa (SEFA), Off-Grid Energy Access Fund (OGEF), as well as African Circular Economy Facility (ACEF, to be launched early 2021).
Ms. Ylva Lindberg
EVP of Stategy & Communication, Norfund
Ylva Lindberg is EVP of Stategy & Communication at Norfund, the Norwegian development finance institution. Prior to this, Lindberg was founding partner of SIGLA, a boutique consultancy on sustainability and business for 13 years. She has worked with sustainable and impact investments for almost 20 years and has experience from asset management and consumer goods. Lindberg is a senior associate of the University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership, board member of Lærdal Medical and member of the Responsible Investment Advisory Council of BMO Global Asset Management. She has previously held several positions of responsibility in both commercial and non-profit organizations.