Environmental finance through the financial sector – an approach with growing potential – experiences of KfW Entwicklungsbank

Abstract

During the last two decades, it has been widely acknowledged that financial sector promotion is an instrument that is well-suited to help achieve the Millennium Development Goals, particularly by increasing poor people’s income, by fostering the economic growth necessary to fight poverty and by contributing more directly to gender equality. However, the financial sector also has a huge potential to help protect the environment (MDGs 7 and 8).