From Recipient to Architect:

Frankfurt, 20 August 2026 – The future of sustainable growth will no longer be decided in the Global North and simply implemented in emerging markets. It is increasingly being shaped by the countries that face the most pressing challenges and, at the same time, hold the greatest opportunities. “As emerging markets generate more growth and more solutions, they are forcing a rethink of how capital is raised, shared, and governed,” says Sylvia Wisniwski, CEO of Finance in Motion.

For decades, international cooperation rested on a clear premise: capital and expertise flow from North to South. Emerging markets were viewed primarily as investment targets, rather than as partners. “That assumption is increasingly out of date,” says Wisniwski.

According to the International Monetary Fund, emerging and developing economies are expected to account for around 60 percent of global economic growth over the next five years. At the same time, according to the World Bank, they are home to approximately 85 percent of the world’s population. According to the International Energy Agency, they are likely to drive more than 80 percent of future growth in global energy demand. The markets that will decide whether the world meets its climate, growth, and security ambitions are becoming the center of gravity.

Take Brazil as an example: the country holds roughly 20 percent of the world’s biodiversity, and around 60 percent of the Amazon rainforest lies within its borders. Brazil generates close to 90 percent of its electricity from low-carbon sources, making it one of the cleanest major economies. In 2024 alone, an estimated USD 37 billion flowed into clean-energy investment projects.

Brazil also plays a strategic role in global food production. The country is one of the world’s leading suppliers of soybeans, beef, coffee, sugar, orange juice, cotton, corn, and poultry. Amid rising demand, climate volatility, and ongoing pressure on food prices, this gives the country a role that extends well beyond trade. The key question, therefore, is how Brazil can expand supply, productivity, and resilience while protecting biodiversity and reducing pressure on natural resources.

The capital for this is already available: institutional investors are increasingly seeking larger, scalable investment solutions. Development finance institutions are making greater use of capital-market solutions, securitization structures, and risk-sharing mechanisms to mobilize private capital more efficiently. Donors are exploring ways to deploy risk-sharing instruments that unlock investment directly and at scale. Behind this lies a more fundamental shift: “The debate is no longer whether emerging markets deserve a seat at the table. Increasingly, countries once treated mainly as recipients of global solutions are becoming architects of them,” says Wisniwski. 

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