REPORTS & DATA

Harmonized Circular Economy Finance Guidelines aims to help investors, financial institutions and private companies identify and quantify opportunities to channel financing to projects that support a circular economy. It provides guidance to identify activities that are eligible for circular economy finance.

Unlocking Opportunities: A Framework for Assessing Green Hydrogen Potential in Emerging Markets provides a framework for developers, investors, and policymakers to explore the potential of green hydrogen and create opportunities for new industries, foster job creation, and enhance resilience to address global challenges.

IFC’s annual Green and Social Bond Impact Report publishes a list of projects in emerging markets that have been funded through the proceeds of our green and social bonds. Green and social bonds are an integral component of IFC’s borrowing strategy, facilitating the financing of projects that drive positive social outcomes and contribute to a greener, more sustainable future.

This comprehensive document aids firms in interpreting the regulatory reporting frameworks specified by the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) and the UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), providing best practice recommendations to clarify ambiguities in official guidance. 

How can emerging markets extend access to electricity while maximizing use of sustainable power sources? A new IFC report suggests that bringing more competition into power markets can result in better outcomes, both in terms of widening access and boosting sustainability.

IFC’s Sustainable Rice Market Insights report explores the current state of global rice markets as well as the origin and evolution of the SRP to support the transformation of the rice sector towards sustainability. The report reviews the range of IFC's experience in the rice sector to date and explores financing opportunities in sustainable rice supply chains, including sustainability-linked loans.

As the damage from extreme weather events becomes more apparent, the urgency increases for companies to understand, measure and manage the risks they face from climate change and the interlinked crisis of biodiversity loss. Data can help financial institutions make informed decisions about how to develop effective sustainability strategies to reduce their climate and environmental risks. This report provides a detailed analysis of how financial institutions can enhance their resilience to climate risks and support the transition to a low-carbon economy.

About 1.2 billion people are at high risk from climate-related hazards, but much can be done to make people, business, communities, and countries more resilient. With a collection of 30 examples from the private sector and 9 public-sector reforms or interventions, including public-private partnerships, the report shows that promising adaptation and resilience efforts are undertaken globally and have measurable results. These initiatives and good practices can be replicated to scale up action and to build resilience for all.

As a supplement to IFC’s Biodiversity Finance Reference Guide, this document is designed to provide expanded guidance on impact reporting for eligible biodiversity finance activities. Impact reporting is one of the four core components required for alignment with the Green Bond and Loan Principles and seeks to ensure transparency and accountability. This supplement aims to facilitate effective impact reporting by offering indicative metrics for each eligible biodiversity finance activity identified in the guide.

The report quantifies sustainable cooling investment needs and financing gaps, highlighting many opportunities for private investors in a market that could grow to more than half a trillion dollars per year by 2050. Accelerating the adoption of passive cooling, energy efficiency and refrigerant phase down, would reduce electricity consumption, spending on equipment, and future power sector investments by more than $8 trillion in developing countries over the next 25 years.