The world faces a variety of ‘global risks’, ranging fromgeopolitical conflicts and climate change to cyber threats. These are growingever more complex and affect all of us. However, people and small enterprises in low-income countries face disproportionate challenges. If left unaddressed, this can create ripple effects regionally and globally. Government-led strategies remain vital, but the intensifying risks underscore the urgent need for approaches that put solutions directly into the hands of communities most vulnerable to risks and can complement government-led strategies.

In June 2025, CGAP convened nearly 200 global decisionmakers in Amsterdam involved in global resilience responses for a Symposium titled, “RethinkingResilience: Why Inclusive Finance Can’t Wait”. Inthis bonus episode of Inclusive Finance Frontiers, hear from participants interviewed on the sidelines of the Symposium on how inclusive finance tools—such as savings, credit, insurance, and digital payments—can strengthenresilience for those most at risk and drive sustainable development.

Featured voices:

• Michel Liès, Chairman of Zurich Insurance Group and Insurance Development Forum

• Stéphane Hallegatte, Chief Climate Economist at the World Bank

• Stuart Rutherford, Director of Hrishipara Daily Diaries Project
• Sophie Sirtaine, CGAP CEO

In 2019, Lebanon witnessed the start of one of the most severe socio-economic crises globally since the mid-nineteenth century, plunging many Lebanese into poverty.

Amid the hardships, a new hope emerged in 2021. The World Bank set up a $246 million social safety net project and the Government of Lebanon (GoL) designed a registration platform for this program, with the help of Siren Associates, called DAEM (Arabic for "support"). Built in record time, DAEM is more than just a registry; it’s a fully localized social protection system that provides a lifeline to Lebanese families hit by crisis.

In this episode, we hear from the GoL, CGAP, the World Bank, and Siren Associates about how collaboration was key to DAEM’s success and how, even in the most challenging conditions, it’s possible to design solutions that go beyond emergency relief and sow the seeds for a more inclusive financial system. 

This is Season 2, Episode 6 of CGAP's podcast, Inclusive Finance Frontiers.

• Ahmed Fatih Ortakaya, Senior Social Protection Specialist, World Bank
• Carole Alsharabati, Research Director, SIREN Associates
• Marie Louise Abou Jaoudeh, Presidency of the Council of Ministers (PCM) of the Government of Lebanon
• Nadine Chehade, Senior Financial Sector Specialist, World Bank 
• Souraya Sbeih, Consultant, CGAP 

Listen and subscribe for free on your favorite platform. To learn more, visitwww.cgap.org. To share feedback, connect with us atpodcast@cgap.org. 

This episode incorporates a news report from PBS NewsHour, Financial crisis leads some in Lebanon to rob banks to access their money.

The climate crisis demands urgent global action. Green technologies—like solar panels and clean cookstoves—have the potential to transform lives and protect the planet but remain out of reach for many in developing economies. Can carbon markets make them more accessible?

Voluntary carbon markets (VCMs), where companies purchase carbon credits to offset greenhouse gas emissions, are rapidly gaining traction. These markets hold immense potential to enable the adoption of green technologies among low-income households on the frontlines of climate change and improve their lives.

In this episode, we take a deep dive into VCMs to hear from ATEC about their pay-as-you-go electric cookstoves, which aim to decarbonize cooking through verifiable tech, how Gold Standard issues carbon certifications, and why CGAP sees a promising role for financial services in supporting more inclusive carbon markets.

Featured Voices:

• Ben Jeffreys, CEO, ATEC

• Vikash Talyan, Senior Director of Standard Development and Innovation, Gold Standard

• Max Mattern, Senior Financial Sector Specialist, CGAP

Listen and subscribe for free on your favorite platform. To learn more, visit www.cgap.org. To share feedback, connect with us at podcast@cgap.org.