Microfinance programmes that integrate green or environmental principles, criteria and/or assessments into lending policies. Criteria can include sustainable agricultural practices (e.g. organic agriculture) and measurement of environmental benefits associated with the economic activities.
The Energy Links Project was a three-year pilot by the Center for Financial Inclusion at ACCION International, financed by USAID’s Microenterprise Development Office and the Wallace Global Fund. Energy Link’s aim was to determine how the established microfinance sector in African countries can alleviate energy poverty by increasing access to small-scale clean energy solutions at the household level.
Read more about the Energy Links Project here.
Link to guide entry:
Return-Based Investments —> Microfinance