Can private finance deliver on equality and social justice goals?

June 2026

Briefing: Private finance is increasingly presented as the answer to declining aid flows, despite limited assessment of its impact on equality and social justice. This briefing seeks to demystify concepts, test assumptions, and explore available evidence of private finance’s relationship to sustainable development. It considers the costs of this increasing focus, from scarce aid used to mobilise private investment, to political attention being diverted from alternative solutions. In calling for a far more nuanced, evidence-based approach, the briefing collates recommendations from academia, civil society, governments and multilateral institutions.