Financial Innovation and Multilateral Development Banks

The ongoing policy debate on the global investment gap for sustainability is focusing on the mobilisation of available capital for the scaling up of investment. This Policy Brief considers to what extent international financial institutions can play a catalytic role in the effectiveness of this exercise with innovative products and proactive capacity building in the Global South. It is proposed that a financial innovation transfer channel from multilateral development banks (MDBs) to financial institutions in developing countries (estimated balance sheet US$ 600 billion and US$ 9,600 billion, respectively) be opened up in five areas-i.e., loan syndications, lending facilities, private equity participation, infrastructure project de- risking, and balance sheet optimisation. The climate change agenda is an opportunity for a streamlined approach on the diffusion of financial innovation. Expected benefits are procedures-related (efficiency and access to underserved markets) and product-related (for example, with the aggregation of financial transactions supporting climate finance adaptation).