TIDE AT FFD4 IN SEVILLA:

TIDE at the UN’s 4th International Conference on Financing for Development (FFD4) in Sevilla

From 30 June – 3 July, TIDE joined global leaders and partners in Sevilla for the United Nations’ 4th International Conference on Financing for Development (FFD4). The event gathered policymakers, academics, and development institutions to discuss new ways of financing sustainable growth in a shifting global economy.

 

From Sevilla’s historic Real Artillería, Alicia Montalvo (CAF – Development Bank for Latin America and the Caribbean) and Amir Lebdioui (TIDE) took part in a conversation moderated by Ignacio Fariza., focusing on how biodiversity can serve as a lever for science, finance, and development. Watch the debate here (from 55:30).

 
 

At the “Reimagining Blended Finance: Aligning Capital with the SDGs” dialogue convened by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Professor Xiaolan Fu (Founder and former Director of TMCD, now TIDE Centre, University of Oxford) underlined the importance of innovation and technology in reducing investment risks and unlocking new pathways for financing sustainable development. She highlighted the role of:

  • Public venture capital to de-risk innovation and crowd in private finance
  • Government-backed guarantees and insurance banks to support investment in high-impact sectors
  • AI-driven tools, such as OxValue.AI, to improve project selection, reduce information asymmetry, and enable real-time monitoring of impact
 

Drawing on experiences from China, Kenya, and India, Professor Fu emphasised how targeted green investments and reduced-rate loans have created “green windows of opportunity” for inclusive growth. Her call was clear: to make blended finance work for the SDGs, we must focus not just on the quantity of capital, but also on its quality, alignment, and impact.

 

The TIDE delegation in Sevilla included Sara Torres Raisbeck, Amir Lebdioui, Angel Melguizo, Diana Barrowclough, and Shashwat Koirala. Special congratulations go to our senior advisor María Fernanda Valdés for her leadership in shaping a strong outcome document for FFD4.