We’ve published the full technical details of our next five year strategy.
The strategy, entitled, “Productive, Sustainable and Inclusive Investment”, sets out how CDC, which is changing its name to British International Investment, will become a central part of the UK’s offer to help developing and emerging countries meet their significant financing needs for infrastructure and enterprise.
The strategy sets outs three strategic objectives that respond to the opportunities and challenges we see in the countries we serve. We will invest to achieve:
- Productive development – by raising the productivity of an economy so that it can support a decent standard of living for all;
- Sustainable development – helping transform the economy to reduce emissions, protect the environment and adapt to the changing climate; and
- Inclusive development – sharing the benefits of higher productivity and greater sustainability with poor and marginalised sections of society.
We have also published our updated Policy on Responsible Investing, which can be found here.
Entering a new five-year strategy period
CDC operates in five-year strategy periods, which are agreed and ratified by our shareholder, the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office. Our next strategy period begins on 1 January 2022 and runs until the end of 2026. We aim to invest £1.5 – £2 billion per annum over the period.
The new strategy builds on the mandate that has been at the heart of our work for nearly 75 years, and our successful track record over the last decade, and will permit us to go even further:
It recognises the vital importance of infrastructure in bringing large scale impact to enable enterprise and benefit millions of people.
The new strategy also includes:
- An increased focus on climate finance, including in green infrastructure and will provide new investment in digital transformation, from large scale digital infrastructure to early stage venture capital earlier-stage, disruptive businesses that offer radical solutions to the problems facing developing economies.
- An expanded geographical remit to include the Indo-Pacific and Caribbean. In the Indo Pacific region, specifically in the larger economies of Philippines, Indonesia and the Mekong region (Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos), the focus will be on climate investment, particularly the renewables sector.
- A commitment to build partnerships with like-minded organisations. That includes using our proximity to the City of London to mobilise commercial investors to cement the UK as a development finance hub.
The more geographically diverse approach complements the organisation’s existing strong profile in Africa and South Asia. In the past five years we have invested close to £7 billion and mobilised a further £2.5 billion – and in doing it has backed businesses that employ over 900,000 people and which have paid in excess of £10 billion in taxes.
Nick O’Donohoe, Chief Executive of CDC, said: “Building on CDC’s legacy, British International Investment will be a key part of the UK’s new economic partnerships to ‘Build back better’. Our involvement recognises that impact investment – capital dedicated to achieving positive economic, environmental and social change – is a vital way we can support our partners. We’re proud that we can play a central role in the UK Government’s international financing offer.”
Contact
Andrew Murray-Watson
Head of UK media
E: amurray-watson@bii.co.uk
