How Companies, International Development Agencies, and Investors Align Around Purpose and Profit

Today’s social and environmental challenges are putting new pressures on companies, international development agencies, and investors.

More than ever, companies see it as their responsibility to assume leadership on pressing global issues. This is not just good public relations. It is critical to companies’ long-term viability. Investing in sustainability helps companies access new growth opportunities, remain competitive, and mitigate the costs and risks of a rapidly changing and interconnected world.

International development agencies recognize that they cannot solve large, complex development challenges on their own. They understand that working with the private sector can expand their reach by leveraging corporate resources, expertise, technologies, and distribution networks.

And investors realize that future opportunities lie in exploring new markets and disrupted sectors and in addressing social and environmental threats. Yet they need trusted partners to take full advantage of these opportunities.

The growing alignment between companies, development agencies, and investors is driving an emerging category of partnership: corporate investment partnerships. Corporate investment partnerships bring together the resources of these three key stakeholders, efficiently coordinating investments of capital and capabilities, such as talent, expertise, and local knowledge, to address business, social, and environmental challenges.