We use necessary cookies that allow our site to work. We also set optional cookies that help us improve our website. For more information visit our cookies policy.

Impact Principles in Cape Town

Finance in Common Summit

We were thrilled to attend the Finance in Common Summit 2025 in Cape Town in February, where we supported and moderated the side event, Investing for Impact Towards Just and Sustainable Growth: How Impact Management & Evaluation Can Transform PDBs’ Achievement of the SDGs. Co-organized by Signatories AFD and EIB, the session highlighted the critical role of Public Development Banks (PDBs) in mobilizing capital at scale while ensuring robust impact management practices.

 

The session began with welcoming remarks by Rémy Rioux, Chairman of Finance in Common and CEO of AFD, followed by an introduction by EIB Director Thouraya Triki. Then, Head of Secretariat, Joohee Rand, moderated a panel discussion with leaders from three Signatory organizations, CAF – Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean (Alejandra Botero), IDB Invest (Luiz Gabriel Todt de Azevedo), and LeapFrog Investments (Julie Wallace), as well as Industrial Development Corporation (Mmakgoshi Phetla-Lekhethe) and China EXIM Bank (Yang Dongning).

 

The session reinforced the vital role of PDBs in mobilizing capital for the SDGs, particularly in emerging markets. With a public mandate and the ability to crowd in private investment and support capacity building on the ground, PDBs are key to scaling impact. The session explored how strengthening and aligning impact management and evaluation practices amongst PDBs could enhance their effectiveness in driving measurable outcomes. Signatories highlighted how the Impact Principles can help anchor rigorous and harmonized impact practices, and we look forward to continuing to engage and collaborate with this important stakeholder group in the future.

 

Read more and view highlights from the event in our LinkedIn post.

Impact Principles Networking Reception

Following the Summit, we hosted our first Impact Principles networking event in Africa! Co-hosted with Adenia Partners, our Africa and Middle East Regional Committee Co-Chair, the Cocktail Reception brought together Signatories and ecosystem partners to discuss how to scale the African impact investing market with integrity and best practices. It was inspiring to connect with such a dedicated community, and we look forward to growing our presence in Africa and beyond. See our LinkedIn post about the reception here.