Promoting Sustainable Investments by Developing Capacity

Sustainability Impact Accelerator

The Sustainability Impact Accelerator is an innovative capacity development tool for transferring knowledge from Sweden to our in-country partners. We support investments in sustainable and bankable infrastructure projects in low- and middle income countries by supporting strategic risk management through project-specific training, upskilling and aligning stakeholders.

Our Sustainability Impact Accelerator is grant-funded by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) and has been running as a pilot since 2021. We implement projects in close collaboration with Team Sweden and various Swedish embassies. Population growth, migration and urbanisation trends all demand an increase in critical infrastructure, especially in low- and middle-income countries. Securing the infrastructure needed to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) will require public and private sectors to work together to finance and implement projects in the transport, energy, water, health, agriculture and IT sectors. The challenge of financing infrastructure for the SDGs is not just about mobilising funding and closing financial gaps. On a more systemic level, it is about having the capacity to plan, implement and manage large-scale projects. The same logic applies to investments in emissions reduction and transitioning to a fossil-free, climate-neutral economy. Large-scale infrastructure projects often bring other risks and conflicts of interest to people and planet. If not effectively managed, these risks may impede international lenders from engaging due to non-alignment with financial sector standards. For example, IFC Performance Standards and the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. In 2024, we supported partners in Tanzania, Côte d’Ivoire, Mozambique, Zambia and Ukraine. Over the last quarter of 2024, we began preparing support to 10 new partners in these 9 countries: Algeria, Colombia, Egypt, Indonesia, Nigeria, Philippines, Senegal, South Africa (Southern Africa Power Pool) and Vietnam 

90
projects in the pipeline

15
in-country partners

14
countries in total

Annie Ross
Programme Director, NIR

The Sustainability Impact Accelerator is catalytic to investments, while supporting our partners to respect human rights and protect nature. Proactive risk management of the triple crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution offers a way forward that unites economic development, resilience and respect for human rights and freedom.”

We accelerate projects in the following sectors:

Clean energy (including biofuels)

Electrification, grid stability and efficiency

Sustainable transport

Water and waste

Forestry

Railway

Infrastructure development projects require planning and capacity during the pre-investment and implementation phases to address the financial, legal, technical and sustainability challenges of a project. Adverse impacts can be avoided and a more positive sustainability impact achieved when a project owner has the right kind of support at the right time during project development.

The Sustainability Impact Accelerator offers a wide range of capacity development in areas such as:

⦁ Policy making
⦁ Technical training
⦁ Project management
⦁ Compliance with international sustainability standards
⦁ Sustainability (social, economic and environmental)
⦁ Change management and strategic leadership
⦁ Administration
⦁ Stakeholder dialogue

Programme Highlight

Tanzania – Investing in connectivity by electrified railway

Tanzania’s new Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) is considered the region’s most modern electrified railway. The SGR began carrying passengers between Dar es Salaam, Tanzania’s commercial hub, and Dodoma, the capital, in summer 2024. By the end of the year, well over a million passengers had used the SGR as transport. Tanzania Railway Corporation (TRC), Tanzania’s state-owned railway company, is the operator of the SGR.

The SGR has already begun improving transport, increasing business efficiency and providing a faster and safer mode of transit for passengers. The potential for social and economic development inspired by the SGR is vast. In total, 2,500 kilometres of electrified railway are planned for, connecting the port of Dar es Salaam with Mwanza on the shores of Lake Victoria in Tanzania, extending beyond to Burundi, Rwanda, Uganda, Democratic Republic of the Congo and other countries in the region.

Infrastructural projects like the SGR offer Swedish companies substantial business opportunities. According to Business Sweden, there are approximately over 100 potential Swedish suppliers to railway projects of this size, making the SGR a strategic project for Team Sweden.

The group of international lenders for the Dar es Salaam to Dodoma stretch of the SGR require align ment with the environmental and social standards set out in the International Finance Corporation Performance Standards (IFC PS).

Supporting organisational readiness

TRC aligning with higher sustainability standards benefits both the people and environment affected by the railway line. As a partner, we support those standards being achieved by offering practical tools, including flexible upskilling, capacity development and models for stakeholder alignment.

Upskilling the Environmental and Social Team Strengthening

TRC’s capacity to manage environmental and social risks by upskilling TRC’s Environmental and Social Team members means that Swedish and other international financiers can invest in the railway. It also means that TRC has increased capacity to manage risks to the environment and communities, resulting in better outcomes for people and planet. Our partnership with TRC since 2021 has been adapted to the project cycle.

Stakeholder alignment

Our partnerships go beyond training by aligning project stakeholders, for example project owners/ partners, financiers and regulating agencies. The lack of stakeholder alignment is often one of the biggest challenges in large infrastructure projects, and can result in unintended scope changes, delays and increased costs. Effective stakeholder alignment results in proactive identification, resolving gaps that could pose sustainability risks to the project while helping keep project timelines on track. In 2024, we supported TRC to align with stake holders such as the Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Transport and the Office of the Attorney General

A closer look at the Standard Gauge Railway

Programme Highlight - Ethiopia

Increasing the potential to produce clean energy

This is one of the projects of the  Sustainability Impact Accelerator. The accelerator develops sustainability of projects to align with the 2030 Agenda in OECD/DAC countries.  

Close

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

This executive summary presents the findings from the study “Workplace Cooperation: Finding Practical Solutions in the Colombian Context,” conducted by the Fundación Ideas para la Paz (FIP). The study evaluates the added value of the Swedish Workplace Programme (SWP) dialogue and cooperation model within the Colombian labor market.

Throughout 2022, FIP dedicated efforts to thoroughly understand the SWP model, including its concept, foundations, implementation process, and contributions to the labor market. In 2023, FIP documented the experiences of three companies—SKF Latin Trade, Securitas, and Epiroc—that implemented the SWP model in practice. The study also included face-to-face workshops to gather feedback from various stakeholders including civil society, businesses, government, academia, and international cooperation. The findings suggest that the SWP model has the potential to strengthen labor relations, contribute to decent work, and resolve workplace conflicts in Colombia.

The case studies highlight the importance of collaboration between employers and workers to promote decent work and sustainable development in Colombia. They demonstrate that social dialogue facilitates worker participation in labor decision-making, enhances their representativeness, and promotes cooperation between employers and employees, thus improving labor relations and contributing to the well-being of both employees and companies.

The SWP model is particularly noted for improving workplace relationships and commitment to jointly finding solutions to challenges faced by workers and the company. It empowers workers, enhances leadership, and helps integrate business policies into daily practices, reducing the initial disconnect between management objectives and the day-to-day realities of workers. The study also highlights the model’s capacity to manage conflicts constructively, transforming the perception of conflict as an opportunity for improvement. Structured dialogues deepen understanding of the underlying causes of conflicts, fostering empathy and facilitating effective resolution. This promotes a culture of collaboration and a democratic approach to decision-making, building trust.

Additionally, the model is recognized for enabling workers to make decisions, identify challenges, and propose solutions that impact their well-being, and bridging gender gaps in the workplace. Its inclusive approach adapts to the unique needs and characteristics of each company, promoting a stronger and more diverse organizational culture. It also drives good work performance and productivity by involving workers in problem identification and resolution, as well as in implementing improvements and efficiently identifying ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) risks for companies.

The document identifies the SWP model’s added value in empowering direct interaction among labor stakeholders in Colombia, overcoming historical or cultural reservations, and contributing to the development of stronger labor relations and improved workplace environments in the country.

Challenges and opportunities of the model are also discussed. The study points out the importance of addressing value chain risks, particularly in a global context where corporate clients demand decent work processes and due diligence. It emphasizes the need to integrate SMEs into this process and use anchor companies as drivers of social dialogue throughout the value chain. The role of the state in social dialogue and the importance of highlighting the benefits of the model for adoption across various business sectors are discussed.

The opportunities of the model include raising awareness of human rights in the workplace in line with the United Nations Guiding Principles (UNGP), to strengthen due diligence, manage risks, promote long-term sustainability, and improve organizational culture. The document also underscores the importance of involving workers in change processes, leveraging their insights for continuous improvement of processes, and fostering innovation opportunities. Lastly, it suggests replicating the model in value chains to address work environment risks and gender biases, involving suppliers and contractors, and integrating the model into corporate policies to strengthen existing programs and transform organizational culture towards resource efficiency and effective participation of employers and workers.