It is well-known that to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030, a significant scale-up of financing is required. Blended finance is one important development tool for mobilizing additional financing for the SDGs. This Research Note identifies the SDGs for which blended finance solutions can be deployed in the short-term to mobilize additional investment at scale. The analysis considers the track record, standardization, and mobilization of blended finance transactions to date as well as the appetite for SDG projects across key stakeholder groups (e.g., donor governments, institutional investors).
There are four SDGs that are “ready to scale” given more strategic coordination and use of concessional capital: Goal 7 (Affordable & Clean Energy), Goal 8 (Decent Work & Economic Growth), Goal 9 (Industry, Innovation & Infrastructure), and Goal 13 (Climate Action). There are additional SDGs with the high potential to scale. Ultimately, scaling blended finance for the SDGs will require (i) focusing on portfolio approaches; (ii) prioritizing of vehicles operating at scale; (iii) collaborating around proven solutions; (iv) supporting solutions that can attract institutional investors; and (v) identifying “ready to scale” SDGs, sectors, and countries.
