Overview | Series | Report | Fund of Funds | SDGs | Project Development | Get Involved
The world depends on global finance making the right choices to deliver the UN's Sustainable Development Goals
The Global Ethical Finance Initiative has been a partner of choice for the UN to connect with the finance sector to deliver finance for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Since 2018, GEFI, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Scottish Government have collaborated on a project to finance nature and the SDGs.
The project is focused upon market analysis and providing practical solutions to financial institutions from across the globe to allow them to generate a financial return at the same time as supporting the delivery of the Global Goals.
Overview
Report
A major report entitled Mobilising Private Sector Capital in Support of the UN Sustainable Development Goals from GEFI and R.J. Fleming & Co. concluded that ‘business-as-usual’ in the financial services sector will not deliver the 2030 target to achieve the SDGs.

GEFI has launched an exclusive, commercial platform showcasing financial products that are directly aligned to the SDGs. The platform works with partners throughout the product lifecycle to share learnings and build the ecosystem of SDG aligned financial products across asset classes.
About the SDGs
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are a set of 17 social and environmental goals, which were adopted in 2015 and developed after the UN carried out the largest stakeholder engagement program in its history.
Project Development
In 2018, GEFI facilitated a multi-year programme of collaboration between the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Scottish Government (SG) that aims to develop a financial instrument that allows private capital to be diverted into nature-based, SDG-aligned investments.
Get Involved
Interested in learning more about the programme or investing in nature-based solutions to climate change and the SDGs? Get in touch with us.
Overview
Report
A major report entitled Mobilising Private Sector Capital in Support of the UN Sustainable Development Goals from GEFI and R.J. Fleming & Co. concluded that ‘business-as-usual’ in the financial services sector will not deliver the 2030 target to achieve the SDGs.
SDG-aligned financing initiative
Building on the report on mobilising private sector capital in support of the UN SDGs, GEFI is looking for an investment partner to deliver an SDG aligned financing initiative.
The initiative will target financial returns as well as social and / or environmental ones and will help build the ecosystem and drive more private sector capital to the SDGs.
About the SDGs
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are a set of 17 social and environmental goals, which were adopted in 2015 and developed after the UN carried out the largest stakeholder engagement program in its history.
Project Development
In 2018 GEFI facilitated a multi-year programme of collaboration between the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Scottish Government (SG) that aims to develop a financial instrument that allows private capital to be diverted into nature-based, SDG-aligned investments.
Get Involved
Interested in learning more about the programme or investing in nature-based solutions to climate change and the SDGs? Get in touch with us.
Report: Mobilising Private Sector Capital in Support of the UN Sustainable Development Goals
A major report from GEFI and R.J. Fleming & Co. concluded that ‘business-as-usual’ in the financial services sector will not deliver the 2030 target to achieve the Global Goals.
With sustainability and impact quickly moving from being specialist subjects to being core drivers of investment strategies worldwide, the report calls for a ‘step-change’, identifying a private equity fund-of-fund solution that provides the required scale to attract new capital from institutional investors. The new independent managed platform, a global impact fund-of-funds, will fill the gap between specialist impact fund managers and mainstream investors.
About the SDGs
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were developed after the UN carried out the largest stakeholder engagement program in its history where it asked business, academia, NGOs, civil society and others about what they should include. This broad buy-in gives the SDGs essential credibility and traction. The Goals were agreed and adopted UN in September 2015 as part of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
The 17 quantitative and qualitative Global Goals reflect the aspirations of the people around the world. They are designed to address global economic, social, governance and environmental challenges, providing a common framework for shared action across all sectors and countries. 193 countries (including Scotland) have adopted the SDGs since September 2015 with the target date of 2030.
Achieving the SDGs requires a US$5-7 trillion p/a investment. With an estimated US$2.4 trillion p/a shortfall, the private sector is poised to fill the gap. However, only a fraction of the worldwide invested assets of banks, multinational enterprises, pension funds, insurers, as well as philanthropists and foundations is SDG-relevant.
Business-as-usual in the global financial arena will not deliver the 2030 Agenda. A step-change in private investment in SDGs is required.


Project Development
In 2018, GEFI facilitated a multi-year programme of collaboration between the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Scottish Government (SG) that aims to develop a financial instrument that allows private capital to be diverted into nature-based, SDG-aligned investments.
The project is a learning journey focused upon two key pillars of activities:
- Market analysis (completed December 2019):
- Understand the appetite amongst the investor community for supporting the SDGs
- Identify the key challenges that investors face in this space
- Identify the main drivers for increasing such investment
- Practical solution
- Identify and review potential solutions from market analysis
- Select and develop preferred investment structure
- Implement a pilot in cooperation with GEFI, SG and UNDP
The programme will provide financial institutions from across the globe with an innovative financial structure that allows them to generate a financial return at the same time as supporting the delivery of the Global Goals.
Programme Announced by UNDP / Scottish Government at the Ethical Finance 2018 Conference (Oct 22-23, 2018) in Edinburgh.

Click to read the press release – Scottish Government and UN Development Programme Collaborate to Mobilise Private Capital for Sustainable Development



Get Involved
To discuss the programme in more detail please email info@globalethicalfinance.org