The Covid-19 pandemic presents unrivalled challenges. Healthcare systems urgently need to boost their capacity to treat patients, and societies need to strengthen efforts to safeguard the most vulnerable communities. Economic systems should find ways to protect workers, and avoid the collapse of financial markets. And almost overnight, huge swaths of the population have found themselves
Within the impact investing community, the value of gender diversity as an investment evaluation screen is rarely questioned because we know a secret that mainstream private equity and venture capital investors have failed to identify. What’s that? We’ve discovered that investing in women-led companies is not only exceptionally impactful, but it is also an excellent
There is an emerging consensus that relying on the invisible hand of markets to create societal value is not good enough. Evolving societal norms and regulatory pressures have rendered deliberate consideration of societal impact a necessity for business. Investors’ own genuine desire to not just do well but also do good is leading them to
For years, sustainable investing was viewed with suspicion. Could portfolios that avoided oil and gas companies, tobacco, and other profitable but controversial industries have high enough returns to satisfy investors? Would they survive during times of market upheaval? The COVID-19-fueled financial crisis is proving the naysayers wrong. Sustainable funds — dubbed Environmental, Social, and Governance
Bain & Company's 2020 private equity report showed the significant growth of impact investing with a 154% increase in assets acquired since 2015, as well as an increase in the size of funds raised. ESG investing is a real consideration and it is being embedded in companies' corporate strategies, as James Duncan explains. This represents a shift
References to concepts like ESG, impact investing, social responsibility, carbon footprint initiatives, sustainable investing, climate change, green or sustainable funds and other related concepts are at every turn now in the business media. Collectively, these can be referred to as “do good” precepts. This is not a new development. It’s been ongoing for the past
The problem of waste—too much of it, that is—is one everyone is aware of today, from bans on plastic bags and straws, to the increasing use of energy efficient LED lighting, to the boom in electric car production. As with most things, these new trends can create opportunities for savvy investors. UBS Global Wealth Management’s
ACCORDING to the latest study from Credit Suisse's in-house think tank the jury is still out on whether ESG and sustainable investing really outstrips traditional investment offerings. Published by the Credit Suisse Research Institute, in collaboration with London Business School and Cambridge University professors, the 2020 edition of the Credit Suisse Global Investment Returns Yearbook
When clients tell financial adviser Catherine Valega that they want to invest their money in women, they are not always clear what they mean. To be honest, there is no real answer yet. If you have less than $1 million, investing with a gender lens typically means buying shares in mutual funds or exchange-traded funds
There is absolutely nothing wrong with senior management and directors of companies across America reviewing, analyzing, measuring and integrating into company operations, a focus on environmental, social, and governance (“ESG”) considerations. Nor is it a new concept. As one general counsel of a Fortune 200 company told me last summer, “We’ve been integrating ESG into
There is a huge, untapped market opportunity in Asia, driven by under-served populations. Today, there are over one billion people in Asia who live in poverty. Yet, they are already spending over US$2 trillion annually on basic goods and services such as food, housing, clothing and telecommunications. And poverty levels across Asian countries have been
Financial inclusion has been demonstrated to stimulate economic and social development and to move society toward a range of UN Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs). This is achieved by providing access to affordable and responsible financial products and services that people need. We explain below how impact investments that promote financial inclusion can help to
When former investment manager Ron Cordes started a charitable foundation in 2007, he got frustrated because he could only “do good” when he was actively giving the money away to needy causes. Then Cordes discovered impact investing. “We became passionate about sustainability,” he told Reuters. At first, the Cordes Foundation allocated 20% of its $10
No matter where you look, climate change is at the centre of every conversation. With a wide range of global sustainability challenges and complex risks on the rise, investors are starting to re-evaluate traditional portfolio approaches. The ESG Boom Today, many investors want their money to align with a higher purpose beyond profit. This infographic
New evidence that the world of impact investing is maturing: a newly released survey from the Global Impact Investing Network (GIIN). Called The State of Impact Measurement and Management Practice, the GIIN’s second biennial report on the topic reveals that impact investors are a lot more sophisticated when it comes to the assessment and management of social and environmental
Supply and demand for growth capital in socially responsible companies has grown. Specialized infrastructure, networks and expertise are necessary for impact investing. Impact measurement will improve with more impact investing. The world has reached a critical juncture in the relationship between industry and society. We are no longer in a period where, as Milton Friedman
Plastics reduction and climate change are sustainable investors' top priorities. Solutions to plastic waste must come from all sectors. Financial institutions have a unique vantage point from which to address this issue. The World Economic Forum's Global Plastic Action Partnership sat down with Audrey Choi, Chief Sustainability Officer and CEO of the Institute for Sustainable
Institutional and private equity investors are becoming increasingly conscious of the social and environmental impact of their investment decisions, as well as the financial returns, amid a global push on reducing carbon emissions and boosting corporate responsibility. But as impact investing starts to gain more traction among investors, greater benchmarking of its performance is now needed
International impact investor Angela Homsi is so passionate about making a difference that, nearly 36 hours after the birth of her first child, she was back working. For Homsi’s daughter was born the day she and her business partner – and husband – launched the commercial operations of their renewable-energy company, Ignite Power. Ignite uses
People often believe that natural disasters won’t happen to them, but life has many surprises. A hurricane, tornado or flood can quickly turn one’s life and home upside down. It’s not always possible for residents to prepare for these occurrences, which makes rebuilding a challenge. However, people don’t have to be left out in the
