SUSTAINABLE
AFRICA FUND
MISSION
CONNECTING EXPERTS AND INVESTORS TO FINANCE AFRICA’S SUSTAINABLE FUTURE
Sustainable Africa Fund is a consulting and investment firm aiming to promote sustainable finance in low- and middle-income countries, particularly in Africa, in collaboration with the World Bank, IFC, and regional development finance institutions.
We work with governments, central banks, and financial institutions to design and implement innovative sustainable finance solutions that drive economic growth, enhance financial resilience, and attract investment in emerging markets. Our projects include:
Mobilizing capital for sustainable development – Helping public and private sector entities raise funds for sustainable development, including sustainability-linked bonds, green bonds, and other financial instruments.
Building sustainable financial systems – Supporting central banks and financial regulators with taxonomies, prudential oversight, and governance frameworks to manage climate and social risks within financial systems.
Bridging global standards with local implementation – Aligning national investment strategies and risk frameworks with international sustainability standards while adapting to local economic priorities.
By combining policy expertise, financial innovation, and market-driven solutions, we help emerging economies transition toward sustainable finance ecosystems that support long-term growth and stability.
RECENT PROJECTS
Rwanda
SUSTAINABILITY-LINKED BOND
Advised the Development Bank of Rwanda (BRD) on the development of its sustainable financing framework and structuring of its Sustainability-linked Bonds, issued in 2023 and 2024. (2022-2023)
MOROCCO
GREEN FINANCE TAXONOMY
Advise Bank Al-Maghrib (the Central Bank of Morocco) on prudential oversight of climate risk and implementation of the incoming taxonomy. (Current)
SENEGAL
SUSTAINABLE FINANCE FRAMEWORK
Advised Senegal’s Ministry of Finance and Budget on the development of a Sustainable Finance Framework for issuance of use-of-proceed and sustainability-linked green, social and sustainable bonds and loans. (2022)
ETHIOPIA
SUSTAINABLE CAPITAL MARKETs & BANKING
Worked with the Central Bank, Capital Market Authority, Bankers’ Association and Chamber of Commerce on a series of corporate governance and sustainability-related regulations and guidelines for the launch of the capital markets and stock exchange. (2024)
MADAGASCAR & CENTRAL AFRICA
SUSTAINABLE FINANCE TAXONOMY
Support the Bank of Central African States (BEAC) and the Central Bank of Madagascar in the development of a sustainable finance roadmap and taxonomy, respectively. (Current)
Kenya
SUSTAINABLE FINANCE PRINCIPLES
Worked with the Kenya Bankers Association to update the country’s Sustainable Finance Principles, a key framework for banks to integrate sustainability in risk management, governance and products and services. (2024)
ABOUT
Growing up in the Republic of Congo, I have always been passionate about Africa’s sustainable development—deeply inspired by its rich culture, history, and extraordinary natural resources and biodiversity.
After practicing M&A law and investment banking in New York, I returned to my passion and joined the United Nations. There, I worked with a team that pioneered early sustainable finance initiatives, including the UN Global Compact, PRI, IIRC, and the SSE initiative.
Later, in San Francisco, I led the development of the SASB standards, now part of the IFRS framework, and worked on financial innovations at the UN, including the CFO Coalition for the SDGs and the first sustainability-linked bond with ENEL and PIMCO.
In recent years, my focus has shifted to applying sustainable finance innovation at the country level. As a Senior Advisor to the World Bank and IFC, I work closely with central banks, regulators, stock exchanges, and financial institutions to develop sustainable finance solutions in emerging markets, particularly in Africa.
With Sustainable Africa Fund, I am leveraging this knowledge and network to help African governments and businesses unlock financing for sustainable development with tailored and impactful solutions.
JEROME LAVIGNE-DELVILLE
FOUNDER, SUSTAINABLE AFRICA FUND
A COOPERATIVE MODEL
We operate as a nimble organization, collaborating with a network of experts and partners to bring the necessary skills and resources to each project. This approach fosters closer cooperation and seamless integration with clients and their teams.
This includes partnership with leading experts from the world’s largest asset managers, commercial and development banks and rating agencies, as well as access to a large network of organizations through the most prominent sustainable finance initiatives.
SELECT PUBLICATIONS
SASB
Sustainability Accounting Standards
Developed the SASB Sustainability Accounting Standards for 88 industry, as the Chief of Standards Development from 2012 to 2015. The standards identify a minimal set of financially material sustainability topics and metrics. They are now part of IFRS sustainability standards.
UNITED NATIONS
SDG Bonds & Corporate Finance
Authored SDG Bonds and Corporate Finance, in collaboration with PIMCO, ENEL and dozens of CFOs part of the CFO Coalition for the SDGs. This paper provided the conceptual framework for the first sustainability-linked bond, issued by ENEL in late 2019.
IFC
Sustainable Finance Taxonomy Toolkit
Co-developed the Toolkit on Sustainable Finance Taxonomies, working with IFC's Sustainable Banking and Finance Network (SBFN). This included an in-depth, comparative analysis of 13 country-level sustainable and green finance taxonomies in emerging markets.
WOLRD BANK / IFC
sustainability MANAGEMENT
& GOVERNANCE
Led or supported the development of sustainability management and governance guidelines, including in Ethiopia, Kenya, Morocco, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, South Africa and Tunisia, working with stock exchanges, capital market authorities and central banks.