Financial Services – Ferdinand Consultants https://www.ferdinand.es Tue, 19 Mar 2024 10:34:54 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.7.5 How can an investment fund select the companies with the highest SDG impact? https://www.ferdinand.es/project/how-can-an-investment-fund-contribute-to-the-un-sustainable-development-goals-sdgs/ Sat, 21 Nov 2020 20:21:37 +0000 http://www.ferdinand.es/?post_type=project&p=28 More and more, private and institutional investors want to ensure their money creates sustainable impacts. The range of sustainable finance offerings is extensive. Clear selection criteria are crucial for an investment fund that wants to meet the high expectations of clients interested in sustainable investments.

With its headquarters in Barcelona Caja de Ingenieros, a credit cooperative bank, is a leader in sustainable finance in Spain. The organization created the innovative investment fund “CdE ODS Impact ISR” to invest in companies that contribute toward the fulfilment of selected UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The department Caja Ingenieros Gestión approached Ferdinand Consultants with the question of how to define sustainability criteria for the companies selected to be included in the fund.

Our  team conducted research on  the topics that  are of highest relevance for sustainable business models for  the three selected SDGs:  #4 – education, #6 – water and #9 – infrastructure. Likewise, the study considered topics that influence the perception of stakeholders. Trends were analyzed to identify issues whose strategic  relevance may  change  in  the  future. Based  on  this research, selection  criteria and  key  performance  indicators were defined for  the CdE ODS Impact ISR.   The new criteria  allow asset managers at  Caja de Ingenieros Gestión to have a more selective investment process, thus contributing effectively to the SDGs. 

 

]]> How to increase the competitiveness of agricultural products from Nigeria and Somalia? https://www.ferdinand.es/project/how-to-increase-the-competitiveness-of-agricultural-products-from-nigeria-and-somalia/ Fri, 20 Nov 2020 12:52:45 +0000 http://www.ferdinand.es/?post_type=project&p=76 Agricultural commodities produced in developing economies often do not  fulfill the quality requirements of buyers. This is the case for fruit, vegetable and livestock from Nigeria and Somalia, where the opportunities international markets present cannot be fully utilized due to the sector’s lack of competitiveness.

Niels Ferdinand worked with teams at the World Bank and IFC on projects focused on improving competitiveness by developing the national Quality Infrastructure.

Niels´ engagement began with the identification of the products with the highest potential. He advised the teams on how to identify relevant stakeholders and to analyze the buyer requirements. This information created the basis to define services required by the national Quality Infrastructure.

The studies created the foundation for follow up projects at the World Bank and IFC, fostering the sectors’ competitiveness in national and international markets.

]]> How can quality criteria be included in the financing schemes of photovoltaic projects? https://www.ferdinand.es/project/how-can-quality-criteria-be-included-in-the-financing-schemes-of-photovoltaic-projects-2/ Fri, 06 Nov 2020 16:37:30 +0000 http://www.ferdinand.es/?post_type=project&p=159 Increasing the share of renewable energy in the national energy mix ranks high on the political agenda of many governments around the globe. Multi- and bilateral development banks support national governments in pursuing this objective and provide funding for renewable energy projects. The success and sustainability of the investment, as well as the achievement of national renewable energy targets depend to a large extent on the quality, performance and safety of the financed energy system. Adequate quality and safety criteria should therefore be considered in the financing schemes.

Our team was commissioned by Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB) to conduct a study on current financing practices and lessons learned in photovoltaic (PV) projects in India and Indonesia. We emphasized criteria that entailed the use of service of the Quality Infrastructure, including metrology, testing, standardization, certification, inspection and accreditation.

The study included desk research as well as interviews with relevant international and local stakeholders in India and Indonesia.

The results of the study and the recommendations developed by our team were presented in a stakeholder roundtable in India in March 2016 and used as input for the Host-Country Seminar “Promoting Renewable Energies in Asia – the Quality Challenge” held during the Annual Meeting of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) in Frankfurt, Germany.

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