Overseas Development Institute - Theme: Private sector

At cross-purposes: subsidies and climate compatible investment

12 April 2013

The fifth paper in ODI's series on defining and developing understanding of climate finance in the national or domestic context. This paper has a focus on private climate finance and in particular fossil fuel subsidies.

The role of trade and investment in the post-2015 global development agenda

11 April 2013

'Expanding trade and investment capabilities and opportunities are the key pathways to increasing the income and living standards of households in LICs and LDCs as well as helping countries to become less aid dependent.'

Shifting the development debate to jobs, productivity change and structural transformation

18 March 2013

'A real shift is needed in the development debate towards economic development...The promotion of productivity and structural transformation in low income countries is in the interest of both low income and developed countries.'

Low carbon equals low cost? The Case of Kenya and Cambodia

14 March 2013

'One obvious way to get businesses engaged in the carbon mitigation process... would be to highlight these commercial advantages, rather than asking them to reduce greenhouse gas emissions for its own sake.'

Low carbon competitiveness

13 March 2013

This Working Paper analyses opportunities and threats for low-income countries, and the business case for low carbon investment.

Unearthing productive employment: a diagnostic tool for sub-Saharan Africa

26 February 2013

This Working Paper develops a practical and useful methodology to identify key bottlenecks and opportunities to achieving full and productive employment for all. The methodology assesses where progress has been achieved and where to target efforts to enable a more socially inclusive and sustainable growth path.

Unlocking business dynamism to promote green (sustainable and inclusive) growth: learning from innovation in emerging economies

21 December 2012

This Working Paper summarises findings from recent in-country research around ways to promote green growth, focusing on lessons that can be learnt from India and China.

Make foreign aid more business-friendly? We’ve been there, Mr. Fantino

29 November 2012

'Leaving aside the short-term commercial objectives, could linking aid more closely to the private sector help to create growth and an end to aid altogether? Well, maybe. But there are reasons to be cautious.'

Building a new framework for youth entrepreneurship

11 November 2012

'While helping young people earn a living through entrepreneurship can make a crucial contribution to poverty reduction and economic growth, it is now clear that one size does not fit all.'

Green infrastructure in fragile states

30 October 2012

The aim of the paper is to review evidence of the economic impacts of developing “green infrastructure” in fragile states in regards to their opportunity costs vis-a-vis “non-green” infrastructure developments.

Review of policies to strengthen skills-employment linkages for marginalised young people

16 October 2012

This background paper prepared for the Education for All Global Monitoring Report 2012 provides an analysis of the provision, governance and financing of policies, strategies and programmes to promote the employability and skills development of youths in 46 low-income countries.

Green growth: the role of the private sector

15 October 2012

The question that traditional, public policy focussed development practitioners used to ask was “does the private sector matter for development”? Looking at the data, the answer is an overwhelming yes

The private sector’s contribution to water management: re-examining corporate purposes and company roles

08 October 2012

Corporate water policies are evolving and practices developing, raising issues of what are appropriate private-sector roles in water management. Leaders of multinational companies have pledged to increase water use efficiencies in company plants/premises and down supply chains, while promoting partnerships in water management with a range of actors, public and private, including local communities. A set of questions is, here, posed for consideration by governments and communities, on the extent, limits and implications of private-sector involvement, particularly in contexts of water scarcity.

Mobilising private climate finance support

01 October 2012

How are the United Kingdom, United States and Japan mobilising private investment for climate compatible development? A series of ODI Background Notes maps this growing area of climate finance.

Business, the MDGs and beyond

25 September 2012

As the world starts to explore what framework might replace the Millennium Development Goals, the question remains how to best harness business as an engine for development.

On 25 September in New York, a high-profile one-day event was organised by a coalition of leading international business and development organisations, led by the Business Call to Action, Business Fights Poverty, the Overseas Development Institute and the United Nations Development Programme.

Energy price shocks: sweet and sour consequences for developing countries

31 August 2012

This paper discusses the effects of recent energy price changes on developing countries. It reviews the transmission channels between energy prices and growth and distribution in developing countries based on the most recent literature; employs a computable General Equilibrium (CGE) model to identify the most vulnerable countries; and presents three brief country case studies analysing policy responses to oil shocks in more detail (Nigeria, Malawi and Ghana).

Lessons learned on enterprise mentoring, with a focus on the Middle East and North Africa

28 August 2012

This literature review looks at the lessons learned on enterprise mentoring - with a focus on the Middle East and North Africa region - and highlights good examples of mentoring schemes.

The linkage between outcome differences in cotton production and rural roads improvements: a matching approach

09 August 2012

This paper tests the linkage between a binary treatment (rural road improvement project) and a continuous outcome (cotton productivity) in Zambia’s agro-based Eastern Province as measured by repeated cross-sections of farm-level data from the Zambian post-harvest survey (PHS).

The next decade of EU trade policy: confronting global challenges?

25 July 2012

On 27 January 2012, the European Commission (EC) published a Communication ‘Trade, Growth and Development: Tailoring trade and investment policy for those countries most in need’. This report brings together 18 essays from the world’s leading trade and development experts to discuss the main issues covered.

Let business do business: the role of the corporate sector in international development

20 July 2012

This ODI Background Note examines ways to optimise the role of the private sector in mainstream development policy and practice.

Maximising impact of youth entrepreneurship support in different contexts

16 July 2012

This report seeks to understand how youth entrepreneurship support initiatives need to be adapted in different contexts to maximise impact.

Kickstarting youth entrepreneurship: an answer to youth unemployment?

16 July 2012

'Plenty of initiatives exist to promote youth entrepreneurship and they vary significantly in how they approach the problem. Whether it’s addressing training needs or providing start-up funds there is work being done, but we don’t yet know what works best – especially in different contexts. In establishing a successful development intervention context is critical to impact.'

Economics and Private Sector-PEAKS

16 July 2012

This project provides Economics and Private Sector Professional Evidence and Applied Knowledge Services (EPS-PEAKS) to the DfID Advisors.

There is progress, but what does it look like?

20 June 2012

'If international dialogue could be informed by a better understanding of where and how there has been such ‘multidimensional‘ progress, we would have a better chance of useful outcomes.'

Post-2015 Millennium Development Goals: What role for business?

19 June 2012

This paper considers how the private sector can usefully be involved in global and national dialogues on a post-2015 development framework.