Finance for the Sustainable Development Goals - Session 1

Vocabulary flashcards covering the key terms, frameworks, and concepts introduced in Session 1 of Finance for the Sustainable Development Goals.

2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development

A global blueprint adopted in 2015 by all UN Member States to promote peace, prosperity, and sustainability through 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

A set of 17 global goals focusing on ending poverty, reducing inequality, improving health and education, fostering economic growth, and protecting the planet.

Annual SDG Financing Gap

The estimated shortfall of $\$4\text{ trillion}$ faced annually by developing countries to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.

Official Development Assistance (ODA)

Government aid designed to promote economic development and welfare, which declined by $7.1\%$ in 2024 after five years of growth.

Social Impact Investment (SII)

An investment approach that targets core social areas to address the needs of populations at risk or those living in underserved or developing areas.

OECD Four Action Areas for Impact

A framework launched by the OECD in its call for action on the Impact Imperative covering financing, innovation, policy, and data.

Concessional Finance

Funding provided by donors and philanthropists on below-market terms to mobilize commercial investment into higher-risk sectors through blended finance.

Medium of Exchange

A primary function of money that allows it to facilitate payments because it is legal tender and backed by public trust.

Unit of Account

A primary function of money that provides a standard numeric unit enabling goods and services to be priced and values compared.

Store of Value

A primary function of money allowing economic value and purchasing power to be preserved and retrieved over time.

ADEME

The French Government Agency for Ecological Transition that supports climate measurement tools such as the nosgestesclimat.fr carbon footprint calculator.

Social Outcome Contracting Schemes

Contractual financing arrangements (such as Social Impact Bonds) where financial returns and public disbursements are tied to verified social outcomes.

Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation (SFDR)

A European regulation establishing mandatory transparency rules and sustainability-related disclosures for financial market participants to combat greenwashing.

EU Taxonomy

A classification system establishing a common European framework of criteria to determine whether an economic activity is environmentally sustainable.