Rebuilding a large development bank’s ESG platform

An unfulfilled opportunity to drive sustainable investment

Environmental, social and governance (ESG) criteria have become an increasingly core component of investor decision-making, but the availability of data on the ESG performance of different markets and assets acts as a constraint on investment. To counteract this, a large development bank had built a digital platform that provided fund managers with data on ESG-compliant investment opportunities in emerging markets. However, the platform’s potential for channeling capital towards sustainable ventures across Asia, Africa, and South America was hampered by low levels of user activity, due to issues with its design and data analysis capabilities.

Remedying user concerns against the clock

Based on our proven track record in product strategy, design thinking and on-time delivery, the development bank approached Lab49 to redesign its ESG platform, in time for its impending annual international conference. Following a full technical review, we led a rebuild of the platform, focusing on incentivizing its use and allowing users to more effectively glean insights on the ESG performance of different markets and assets from its existing content and data.

Fueling inclusive and sustainable economic growth

The platform was successfully upgraded within the required timeframe. This has enabled users to better identify untapped investment opportunities in emerging economies that demonstrate strong ESG performance, supporting the development bank’s ultimate aim of reducing poverty and building prosperity in developing countries.