PIDG Pulse
PIDG Pulse showcases the impactful work of the Private Infrastructure Development Group. For 20 years the company has funded innovative infrastructure projects in Sub-Saharan Africa and South & Southeast Asia, to lift the world’s most fragile countries out of poverty. Through economic growth and with a particular emphasis on creating safer and more sustainable communities, PIDG has changed the lives of more than 200 million people. Find out more at www.pidg.org.
Episodes
Increasing Risk Tolerance to Drive Impact: #3 Implementing PPPs in frontier economies
Welcome to the third episode of Increasing Risk Tolerance to Drive Impact – a podcast series from the Emerging Africa Infrastructure Fund (EAIF), a Private Infrastructure Development Group company – exploring ways to develop transformative infrastructure in underserved geographies across Africa.
#19 PIDG Sustainability and Impact Report
As the climate crisis continues to accelerate, sustainable development and poverty reduction hinge on our ability to adapt to the changing climate, protect and restore the natural environment, and rapidly reduce global emissions. At PIDG, we’ve made it our mission to address these challenges head-on while ensuring our infrastructure projects meet the needs of those who depend on them most.
#18 Bringing a Pioneering Maritime Freight Service to East Africa
The M.V. Mpungu is a first-of-its-kind freight vessel set to revolutionise the maritime industry in East Africa. Owned by East Africa Marine Transport (EAMT), it will operate across Lake Victoria, between Uganda and Tanzania, cutting journey times, reducing emissions and creating jobs. Supported by PIDG’s development arm, InfraCo Africa, the vessel will improve standards of transport infrastructure, save the economy millions of dollars and boost trade in the region.
#17 How Women Benefit From PIDG Investments
Whether it’s providing electric vehicles to women who otherwise have to walk massive distances to provide for their families, or increasing access to safe and adequate drinking water for rural communities, PIDG has a number of investments that directly impact and improve the lives of women. Across Africa and Asia, PIDG doesn’t just consider how women are impacted by its projects, it also strives to empower them.
#16 Concessional Capital Explained
Combining concessional capital with blended finance is an innovative solution, bridging a major funding gap. Where a project is struggling to reach scale, concessional capital can be used to boost its commerciality and affordability. PIDG is blending concessional capital into transactions through PIDG Technical Assistance’s capital grant, viability gap funding and concessional equity and debt products.
Increasing Risk Tolerance to Drive Impact: #2 Climate action & gender impact
Welcome to the second episode of Increasing Risk Tolerance to Drive Impact – a podcast series from the Emerging Africa Infrastructure Fund (EAIF), a Private Infrastructure Development Group company – exploring ways to develop game-changing infrastructure in underserved geographies. Most infrastructure has been designed, implemented or run by men, often without considering female participation in decision-making, development or operation of projects. A common, albeit mistaken, assumption is that women automatically benefit from infrastructure projects in the same way as men.
#15 How PIDG is Scaling Up in 2024
The future of development finance is bright, as a number of exciting announcements were made at the COP28 climate conference last year. From a £391 million investment in PIDG, to the announcement of a new credit enhancement facility in Kenya, 2024 will be a year of positive change. PIDG’s strategy for the coming decade is ambitious, but despite a challenging 2023 it has been successful in placing climate and gender front and centre of its investment decisions.
#14 How Gender Lens Investing is Transforming the Investment Landscape
The popularity of gender lens investing is rising rapidly. The landscape is constantly evolving, with regular new developments transforming the investment landscape. And at PIDG we’re actively shaping this evolution through innovative approaches and collaborations. Much has changed since our last episode on International Women’s Day, when we announced the PIDG Gender, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (GEDI) Action. Here we expand on that discussion and find out how the GEDI has been received.
Increasing Risk Tolerance to Drive Impact with EAIF: #1 Blended Finance
Welcome to the first episode of Increasing Risk Tolerance to Drive Impact – a podcast series from the Emerging Africa Infrastructure Fund (EAIF), a Private Infrastructure Development Group company – exploring ways to develop transformative infrastructure in underserved geographies across Africa.
#13 The PIDG Vision: A Strategy for the Coming Decade
Without addressing the urgent challenge of the climate crisis and the economic and geopolitical issues that it brings, sustainable development and poverty reduction are not possible. To ensure we’re equipped to deal with the many challenges the coming decade will present, the PIDG 2023-30 Strategy makes sustainable development and action on climate and nature the company’s central purpose.
#12 The PIDG Gender Equity Diversity and Inclusion initiative
A year on from our last International Women’s Day conversation about gender lens investing, much has been done to advance the agenda. PIDG’s own efforts have evolved, leading to the creation of the PIDG Gender Equity Diversity and Inclusion initiative, GEDI.
#11 Investing in Biodiversity and Nature
Many know about the climate crisis, but what’s often less covered is the biodiversity crisis. However, the two crises are intimately linked, and it’s critical that both are considered in our approach to investing in infrastructure. With the biodiversity conference COP15 underway we’re finding out how and why we need to take action to halt and reverse nature loss.
10 min
#10 PIDG at COP27
With the COP27 climate conference in Egypt now at a close, the PIDG team has been reflecting on the outcomes. With the focus firmly on climate adaptation and resilience, rather than emissions reductions, we ask - are our climate goals ambitious enough? Many of the countries in which PIDG operates are the most vulnerable to climate change, and that’s why it's working hard across its portfolio to invest in sustainable infrastructure.
30 min
#9 PIDG 2021 Annual Review: Empowering women
As we reflect on 2021, we see that despite the pandemic-induced challenges of the last two years, amazing developments have been made in providing infrastructure to those who need it most. In this current global climate, PIDG’s mission is more relevant today than when it was first established. And with 19 projects closed last year, and a continued commitment to the SDGs, progress is not slowing down.
#8 An introduction to PIDG Technical Assistance
Many ‘first of its kind’ projects can’t get off the ground, despite their potential to create real impact. Particularly in low and middle income settings, infrastructure projects facing unusually high development costs may not be deemed financially viable. And that’s where PIDG Technical Assistance comes in, to bridge the financing gap and meet a range of needs associated with the infrastructure project development cycle.
#7 Our Climate Future
As governments come under fire over a lack of action on climate change, it’s becoming increasingly clear that words are not enough. At PIDG we take our role in climate action seriously - it’s a major consideration in every single investment and operation decision we make. Lower income countries, those that PIDG operates in, may produce the least carbon emissions, but they’re the hardest hit by climate change. So how do we ensure investment is directed where it’s needed most?
21 minutes
#6 Kenya Capital Markets
Kenya is a crucible of innovation within East Africa. PIDG companies have been based in Kenya’s capital, Nairobi, for more than five years, and are helping to pioneer new infrastructure asset classes and private sector investment opportunities.
19 minutes
#5 PIDG 2020 Annual Review
2020 was a year like no other, one which could only be navigated with fortitude and quick action. As we launch our annual review, it’s clear that amid this pandemic the company’s work in providing infrastructure to the world’s most fragile communities has never been more critical.
19 minutes
#4 Health, Safety, Environmental and Social (HSES)
To deliver meaningful change and improve the lives of people in fragile communities, we must protect those lives as well. One loss of life is unacceptable. This World Day for Safety and Health at Work, we explain why an effective HSES framework is an essential part of delivering large-scale infrastructure projects. With the advent of the global covid-19 pandemic, the world is waking up to the importance of HSES now more than ever, and PIDG is continuously enhancing its protocols to keep pace.
16 minutes
#3 Gender Lens Investing
Gender-blind infrastructure projects lead to massive failings across the board, creating problems that last for decades. Ignoring the needs and expertise of women not only puts them at risk, it also puts a strain on business performance. That’s where gender lens investing comes in.
19 minutes
#2 Climate Action
Infrastructure projects have a long life cycle, so the choices we make today directly impact our future. So as the world strives to hit net zero emissions by 2050, in line with the Paris Agreement, it’s vital that the long-term implications of infrastructure investments are addressed.
14 minutes
#1 Introduction to PIDG
Through affordable and sustainable infrastructure projects, the Private Infrastructure Development Group has opened up vast opportunities for economic growth in some of the world’s poorest countries, changing the lives of millions.
9 minutes