Business and development leaders press for scaled blended finance to unlock private capital for SDGs

At the International Business Forum convened alongside the fourth International Conference on Financing for Development (FFD4) in Seville, public- and private-sector leaders called for scaled blended finance and policy reforms to mobilize private capital for the Sustainable Development Goals.

The most urgent message came from United Nations Secretary‑General António Guterres: “More investment is needed. More investment is needed,” he said, noting that foreign direct investment to developing countries has dropped from about 5% of GDP in 2008 to roughly 2.3% in 2023. Prime Minister of Spain Pedro Sánchez and other speakers framed private investment as central to addressing climate change, poverty and jobs while calling for reforms to the international financial architecture and new de‑risking instruments.

Why it matters: private capital currently falls short of the scale required to reach the 2030 SDG targets. Speakers cited an estimated financing gap of about $4 trillion and said that without coordinated action — including guarantees, blended finance instruments, stronger project preparation and regulatory updates — investments will continue to bypass many low‑ and middle‑income countries.

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