You just need this key to solve all SDGs
An unpopular opinion.
Hello Impact Nation,
Today we’ll share an unpopular opinion.
And we mean VERY unpopular.
Is Climate Action so important?
Climate Action is the most attractive SDG in Western countries.
Ycombinator – one of the best tech accelerators in the world – is flooded with GreenTech startups.
New investment funds dedicated to climate action pop-up every month.
Some of the best young minds on the planet are looking to build companies and solutions for climate change.
… And yet, they can’t penetrate the most populated areas of the world.
Why?
What’s the one key to solving climate change?
That’s exactly what this week’s newsletter is about.
And our opinion might be very unpopular.
Are you ready for the ride?
This Week We Are Diving Into:
1. The one key to solving all SDGs. An unpopular opinion.
2. Good Gossip
3. News & Opportunities
4. Coming Soon: Keynote Speech with Elisa Giudici
Elisa
The Impact Lady
The one key to solving all SDGs. An unpopular opinion.
It’s relatively easy to talk about solar panels and recycling when you have plenty of coal energy and food.
Not so easy, when you don’t have financial independence, no fresh water, and no money for the education of your children.
The truth is, we are excited about climate action as much as you are.
We are even building a carbon trading exchange on the blockchain (a “DAO”) at our own expense.
But we live in a Western country. We have financial independence, all the basic needs in check (fresh water, food, energy, a roof over our head), and so many not-so-basic luxuries.
Do you feel for a Snickers choco bar? In London, Zapp app delivers your Snickers with tea to your door in minutes.
We should have learned it by now. We can’t impose our culture and goals on other countries.
Before scolding someone for not being “green enough”, they need to have financial independence.
The same financial independence, that our parents or grandparents got for us (and that sadly, many young workers are losing in the current economic crisis).
Why No Poverty is the first SDG?
There is a reason why “No Poverty” is the first SDG and “Climate Action” is only 13th on the list.
Let’s refresh the introduction to SDGs by the United Nations:
“The Sustainable Development Goals are a call for action by all countries – poor, rich and middle-income – to promote prosperity while protecting the planet. They recognize that ending poverty must go hand-in-hand with strategies that build economic growth and address a range of social needs including education, health, social protection, and job opportunities while tackling climate change and environmental protection.”
GOAL 1: No Poverty
GOAL 2: Zero Hunger
GOAL 3: Good Health and Well-being
GOAL 4: Quality Education
GOAL 5: Gender Equality
GOAL 6: Clean Water and Sanitation
GOAL 7: Affordable and Clean Energy
GOAL 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
GOAL 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure
GOAL 10: Reduced Inequality
GOAL 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities
GOAL 12: Responsible Consumption and Production
GOAL 13: Climate Action
GOAL 14: Life Below Water
GOAL 15: Life on Land
GOAL 16: Peace and Justice Strong Institutions
GOAL 17: Partnerships to Achieve the Goal
It might be an unpopular opinion, but - when you look deeper - you can see that all seventeen SDGs need financial inclusion to be actionable.
Why *Digital* Financial Inclusion?
Let’s start with the “traditional” financial inclusion.
You can’t fix financial inclusion with charity (alone) – By definition, Financial Inclusion means financial independence.
You can’t provide infrastructures supporting financial inclusion to 4 billion people. It’s just too expensive.
You can however build a new economy and a new kind of infrastructure, cheap and easy-to-access.
Half a generation ago – when a landline connection was too expensive in the emerging economies – they didn’t build more landline connections. They leapfrog to mobile.
Today, we can leapfrog from old financial services to a new world of digital financial services: low-cost, easy-to-access, and universal.
This is the way to solve financial inclusion.
One last thought
To become a reality, all SDGs need the three same elements:
All SDGs need money
All SDGs need the support of people
All SDGs need technology
That is why we believe in impact investing in tech, and that financial inclusion is the key to solving all SDGs.
Are you with us? Email back and drop your idea.
Or challenge our thesis. We are always passionate about a constructive debate) about our point of view.
It should not be necessary to add any disclaimer but … Let’s say it anyway! This is not financial or tax advice. This newsletter is strictly educational and is not investment advice or a solicitation to buy or sell any assets or to make any financial decisions. DYOR - Do Your Own Research!
Good Gossip
Congrats to …
David Fogarty ↪ has been appointed Senior Executive Director, Head of Sustainability & ESG Consulting Services, Singapore and Southeast Asia at CBRE (Coldwell Banker Richard Ellis), the American commercial real estate services and investment firm.
Philipa Varris ↪ has been appointed Head of Sustainability at Horizonte Minerals Plc, a nickel company.
Jennifer Steinmann ↪ has been appointed head of the consultancy’s Global Sustainability & Climate practice at Deloitte.
Atma ↪ raised a $5M pre-seed round to help the lower-income population in Indonesia to find a job. Lead investor: AC Ventures. Among the other investors: Global Founders Capital, founders and executives from GoTo Group, Advance Intelligence Group, Ula, Lummo, Kopi Kenangan, Sampoerna Strategic, MMS Group, and Xiami.
Nossa Data ↪ raised a £1.2M seed round to help corporates to streamline their ESG reporting. Investors include SFC Capital and Techstars.
Group14 ↪ raised a $400M Series C round to address electric vehicle adoption issues such as range and charge anxiety by significantly enhancing the performance of EV batteries. Lead investor: Porche. Among the other investors: OMERS Capital Markets, Decarbonization Partners, Riverstone Holdings LLC, Vsquared Ventures, Moore Strategic Ventures, and other large institutional investors.
News & Opportunities
Rali_cap launches a $30M fintech fund for emerging markets. The collective behind the fund has nearly 240 individual LPs, including executives and managers from fintechs Wave, Block, MercadoPago, Rappi, Flutterwave, Yoco, Visa, Plaid, Stripe, and Coinbase, and e-commerce platforms like Jumia and Shopify.
Papa Johns announces incentives compensation linked to ESG goals. This seems to be the new trend in the food industry, with similar statements from McDonald’s, Starbucks, Wendy’s, Chipotle, and many others.
BP signs an agreement with Clean Planet Energy to boost the circular plastics economy. The 10 years offtake agreement aims to convert hard-to-recycle waste plastics into circular petrochemical feedstocks and ultra-low-sulfur diesel.
U.S. President Biden allocates $3 billion to finance EV - electric vehicle battery manufacturing. The funds will be allocated by the Department of Energy from the $1 trillion infrastructure bill signed last year.
UK Treasury Department (HM Treasury) launches the UK Transition Plan Taskforce to support climate transition plans. The first goal for the Taskforce is to develop a “gold standard” for all climate transitions.
Why Financial Inclusion is The Key to Solving All SDGs - With Elisa Giudici, Co-founder of Impact Investing In Tech
Video interview available from Thursday - Stay tuned
It should not be necessary to add any disclaimer but … Let’s say it anyway! This is not financial or tax advice. This newsletter is strictly educational and is not investment advice or a solicitation to buy or sell any assets or to make any financial decisions. DYOR - Do Your Own Research!