Investing in emerging and frontier markets entails a level of risk that keeps many investors away. But in many cases, these countries have the fastest-growing economies, with massive consumer markets and major infrastructure opportunities. Often, rewards are there for investors with the guts to take on the risks—and with the intelligence to manage them. Where risks remain high, there’s an important role for multilateral institutions in deploying blended finance tools. But to date, blended finance has fallen far short of the promise of de-risking investments and catalyzing private investment. What are the current risks in developing and emerging markets: Are they manageable? And how big is the difference between investor risk perception and realities on the ground? What’s needed for multilaterals to rise to the promise of moving capital from “billions to trillions" across Latin America, Asia, and Africa? What opportunities exist in supposedly "risky" markets, and what can we learn from the strategies of investors who excel there?

Moderator

Raj Kumar

President and Editor-in-Chief, Devex

Speakers

Diana Fox Carney

Chair, CLEAR Climate Fund, Helios Investment Partners

Jingdong Hua

Vice Chair, International Sustainability Standards Board

Angela Rodell

Chair of the International Advisory Board, Delphos

James Scriven

CEO, IDB Invest (IDB Group)

Vera Songwe

Chair, Liquidity and Sustainability Facility; Co-Chair of the High Level Panel on Climate Finance