Investors’ appetite for impact investing has been estimated at $26 trillion in a new report from the International Finance Corporation (IFC): Creating Impact: The Promise of Impact Investing.
Commenting on the report Evita Zanuso, Senior Director, Financial Sector and Investor Engagement, Big Society Capital, said:
“It is great to see such an impressive figure attributed to the appetite of global investors for impact investing. As the United Nations (UN) highlighted just last week, we will not succeed in the fight against climate change and poverty without supportive financial systems. The IFC’s report is an important reminder of the role impact investing should be playing in the pursuit of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
“We welcome the report’s specific focus on the Impact Management Project as a shared fundamental for defining and managing impact. We also welcome the report's focus on moving beyond the interpretation of fiduciary duty as simply an obligation to maximise financial returns when making investment decisions, towards the incorporation of non-financial considerations such as environmental and social impact.
“The UK has been and continues to be, a key player in the impact investing market and Big Society Capital looks forward to working with others in the industry to help meet the aspirations for impact investing to tackle the UN’s SDGs and to improve the measurement and management of impact investments.”
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NOTES TO EDITORS
About Big Society Capital
Big Society Capital improves the lives of people in the UK by connecting social investment to charities and social enterprises.
We know that investment can help charities and social enterprises achieve more. We believe the greatest chance to improve lives comes when investors and enterprises are both motivated by social mission.
We engage with investors, fund managers, charities and social enterprises to make it easier to use social investment. With our co-investors, we have made over £1.7bn of new capital available to organisations with a social mission, through investments into fund managers and social banks. We have a special focus on: providing homes for people in need; supporting communities to improve lives; and early action to prevent problems.
About International Finance Corporation (IFC)
IFC—a sister organization of the World Bank and member of the World Bank Group—is the largest global development institution focused on the private sector in emerging markets. We work with more than 2,000 businesses worldwide, using our capital, expertise, and influence to create markets and opportunities in the toughest areas of the world. In fiscal year 2018, we delivered more than $23 billion in long-term financing for developing countries, leveraging the power of the private sector to end extreme poverty and boost shared prosperity. For more information, visit www.ifc.org
Press Contacts
Kathryn Mortimer, Press Officer, Big Society Capital
T: 020 7186 2537, E: kmortimer@bigsocietycapital.com