We talk to the national advisory boards (NABs) for impact investing in France, Germany and Italy to find out how the landscape for pension fund investment in impact is evolving.
We talk to the national advisory boards (NABs) for impact investing in the Netherlands, the UK and Sweden about their views on how local pension funds are embracing impact investing.
The co-founder and chair of Impact Finance Belgium talks about the development of impact investing in the country and plans to accelerate growth of the sector in years to come.
An estimated £2.2trn is currently invested in sustainable funds with a focus on climate. The Institute hopes to see over half of that invested in a fair and inclusive transition to net zero within the next five years.
Perceived lack of investment products highlighted as the main barrier to social bond investing, according to a survey of more than 700 investment professionals.
Beefutures has developed technology with the potential to “revolutionise” our understanding of the impact of climate and human activities on the environment by analysing bee behaviour.
The Southeast Asia Women’s Economic Empowerment Fund, backed by Danish pension fund Pӕdagogernes Pension, has invested in Teky Alpha JSC to support childhood education in Vietnam.
Managers of the Federated Hermes Impact Opportunities Fund have invested in STMicroelectronics, a specialist in more energy efficient silicon carbide power electronics for EVs.
Esade Center for Social Impact will host its Impact Investing Days event in Barcelona this week, highlighting the growth in impact investing in the Spanish market and across Europe.
Launched by the Media Development Investment Fund, the Pluralis Media Anleiheb bond will back media companies providing independent reporting in Central, Eastern and South-Eastern Europe.
The Article 9 fund aims to deliver a total return with a reduced environmental footprint compared to the benchmark, measured using carbon, water and waste footprint metrics.
The agriculture benchmark, which follows the launch of a financial inclusion benchmark last year, is part of a series being developed by GIIN’s Impact Lab.
The company’s mission is to transition the chemical feedstock market for industrial and commercial products from a petrochemical to a bio-based production model using microbial cell factories.
Impact Investor spoke to impact fund managers investing in the blue economy to understand the impact of the UN’s high seas treaty on the most underfunded of the SDGs – SDG 14, life below water.
The database features a record number of 163 impact fund managers this year, highlighting a growing and maturing sector. Clean tech, alternative energy and climate change are top impact themes.
Legal & General Capital has invested in the new female-led impact investment advisory firm which will fund projects across clean energy and renewables, sustainable mobility, health, and water and sanitation.
Impact Investor marks International Women’s Day by talking to female fund managers and entrepreneurs driving impact across sectors, from fashion to biodiversity data.
The fund is close to making its first investment providing finance for the development and construction of renewable energy project in Finland and Sweden.
Backed by the InvestEU programme, the European Climate Debt Solutions Fund has also secured €36m from other investors including Rivage Investments which is managing the fund.
The CEO of the Media Development Investment Fund discusses the changing media landscape and opportunities for investment in independent media to build free, thriving societies.
Audio Media Impact Group launches following merger between Mediameeting and the PureVocation group, which includes France’s positive news radio station AirZen Radio.
The fund has made two investments so far, in industrial electrolysis company Sunfire, and specialists in immersion cooling technology for datacentres Submer
The sustainable food funds will invest in Asia and Latin America and target companies set to benefit from global transformations in the agricultural and food value chains
AGRI3 Fund and Rabobank have launched the Renova Pasto initiative providing long-term financing for cattle farmers to support the transition to more sustainable farming practices
Clarity AI’s analysis reveals that one in five Article 9 funds under the EU’s Sustainable Financial Disclosure Regulation (SFDR) are underreporting their exposure to the fossil fuel industry
A report by the UN Global Compact and Accenture based on insights from CEOs across the world reveals global geopolitical challenges are hampering corporate sustainability efforts.
Launched by The Inevitable Policy Response, the new tool aims to help investor assess likely policy responses to both climate change and nature and their impact on future land use
The Swiss Federal Council has approved measures to improve sustainability in the country’s financial sector, including the further development of impact investing
Borski Fund will use this latest injection of capital to make follow-on and new investments in companies led by female tech entrepreneurs offering products and services for women.
Alexandra Clark, co-founder of Sentient Ventures, says she wants to disrupt the animal-based food products market by driving the development of better vegan products
Naϊo’s robots aim to reduce labour shortage, the physical strains of agricultural labour, combat soil erosion, reduce herbicide use and lower the CO2 emissions associated with farming
The Meaningful Impact High Yield fund is the first high yield impact fund to launch in the Nordics and has raised €48.5m at first close, according to Norselab
The Global Steering Group for Impact Investment (GSG) covers 35 countries through a network of National Advisory Boards (NABs). Three of Europe’s NABs share their views on the progress made so far and future challenges.
The Global Steering Group for Impact Investment (GSG) covers 35 countries through a network of National Advisory Boards (NABs). Three of Europe’s NABs share their views on the progress made so far and future challenges.
The additional €3m investment from Activate Capital, Rubio Impact Ventures and PDENH brings the total funds raised by the company to €25m, as it plans to expand its flexibility services across Europe’s energy grids
The Fashion Industry Target Consultation, an initiative by United Nations Environment Programme and Global Fashion Agenda is inviting stakeholders across the fashion value chain to share insights on how to meet climate goals.
The investment in the digitisation and data storage business has been made through the Bridges Sustainable Growth Funds and it comes at a time of need for greater security surrounding personal data
Norway’s impact investment platform Norselab’s new fund will offer a “founder-friendly” financing alternative that gives impact-focused companies access to growth capital without giving up control
France’s impact investing sector has experienced record growth in the past two years, driven by new investments and new entrants identifying themselves as impact investors for the first time.
The UK local authority pension fund has now invested a total of £20m in the National Homelessness Property Fund. The fund buys and renovates properties which then leases to the social housing sector and homelessness charities.
The Sorting for Circularity Europe Project highlights the significant opportunity for circularity, with only 2% of post-consumer textiles diverted to fibre-to-fibre recycling today
Investments in the new fund include Neggst, a Berlin-based startup which has developed a plant-based egg and has raised €5m in its first fundraising round
Climate Innovation Fund, APG and Nysnø Climate Investments are among the investors backing the new fund which will invest in European companies working to accelerate decarbonisation
The subsidy-free fund has secured backing from pension funds and other institutional investors and plans to invest in new-build utility scale solar infrastructure projects across the UK
Lindsay Wake, head of impact for Social Investment Scotland, talks about how the organisation is driving mission-aligned investment across Scotland and their vision for an impact economy
Irish pension funds allocate less than 0.01% of their portfolios to local PE and VC funds, considerably less than their European counterparts. Pension funds could be an important source of capital for impactful SMEs
The SDG-focused manager of Europe’s largest impact fund is opening an office in Palo Alto, their first outside Europe, which will initially focus on healthcare investments
Goparity offers individuals and organisations the ability to crowdlend to social and environmental projects. So far, it has funded more than 200 impact projects in countries across Europe, South America and Africa
Majority of respondents to a survey by Calvert Impact Capital plan to increase allocation to impact investments, citing environmental sustainability, renewable energy and racial equity and justice as key motivating factors
The latest report by the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) and the UN Global Compact aims to improve and accelerate the way businesses report on progress made towards reaching the Sustainable Development Goals
Systemiq Capital’s new fund will invest in early-stage climate tech innovation to accelerate the transition to a more resilient, clean and just global economy
A new report by the Global Steering Group for Impact Investment calls on investors to look beyond “traditional” thematic investments towards place-based investing in poor urban communities
Investments in plant-based alternatives to meat generate higher CO2-equivalent savings per dollar invested than any other sector, according to a new report by Boston Consulting Group and Blue Horizon
New €30m fund launched by Copenhagen-based Unconventional Ventures will back founders from underrepresented groups, with a focus on climate, health, education, and inclusive fintech
Sanofi Global Health, the company’s non-profit unit, has announced the launch of ‘Impact’, a new brand dedicated to the non-profit distribution of 30 medicines to 40 low-income countries
Six months after the publication of the Impact Taskforce’s ‘Time to deliver’ report, Nick Hurd assesses the progress made so far and highlights the need to accelerate efforts to grow the impact investment sector
Despite the “multidimensional threats” facing the worlds’ oceans, SDG 14 – life below water – continues to receive the least funding of any of the SDGs, delegates at the 2022 UN Ocean Conference in Lisbon heard
Experts from the Good Fashion Fund, Fashion for Good, Laudes Foundation and Apparel Impact Institute talk to Impact Investor about breaking the barriers to investment and why the opportunities should not be ignored
The International Committee of the Red Cross has been at the forefront of the ever-changing humanitarian aid landscape for over 150 years. Its innovative financing models aim to better serve those affected by conflict
The Innovating Justice Fund aims to help deliver equal access to justice for all by investing in startups that improve access to justice services for disadvantaged communities in emerging markets
Financial inclusion is the leading impact theme for impact private debt funds, attracting nearly half of all capital commitments, according to the latest impact report by Phenix Capital
A study published last week highlights the need for more blended finance strategies and creative approaches to meaningfully transform food systems and meet global social and environmental challenges
A consortium of development finance institutions including Norfund, Finnfund and British International Investment have joined forces with private equity firm Phatisa to back Lona Group, a South African citrus and fresh-produce business
Christin ter Braak-Forstinger, founder and CEO of Chi Impact Capital talks about combining social impact and financial returns and the need for a more holistic approach to impact investing to achieve the SDGs
According to the World Bank’s latest publication, investment in quality early-years education will ensure children succeed in school and beyond and help build more equitable and prosperous societies
ABN AMRO Sustainable Impact Fund, INCO Ventures and NGO ACTED have participated in the latest fundraising round for crowdfunding platform Lendahand which backs entrepreneurs in emerging countries
L’Oréal is backing the Circular Innovation Fund, managed by investment managers Demeter and Cycle Capital. The fund invests in circular economy growth-stage SMEs and funds across Europe, North America and Asia
Repsol Foundation, Indosuez Wealth Management and Portobello Capital launch €100m fund for large-scale reforestation projects in Iberia, with a target of six million tonnes in carbon offsets over the next five years
BIX Capital aims to improve living conditions for those at the bottom of the wealth pyramid, providing debt financing to SMEs offering clean cooking, energy and water solutions to low-income households in sub-Saharan Africa
Cliff Prior, CEO of the Global Steering Group for Impact Investment (GSG), talks about the organisation’s priorities and growth plans, and their focus on catalysing impact investment to benefit people and planet
Susanne Wittig, co-founder of Swiss venture incubator Brainforest, talks about the innovative approach the organisation is taking to identify and accelerate forest-based solutions addressing climate and biodiversity challenges
A study by Esade’s Center for Social Impact sheds a light on the issue of transparency and best practices in impact management and measurement (IMM) governance, guiding impact funds towards the adoption of structures that suit their individual needs
Anita Bhatia urged investors to back solutions that respond to both gender and climate challenges, speaking at the Impact Summit Europe. Diversity and inclusion and the need for mobilising capital at scale to tackle systemic risks were also at debate
This month’s launch of the Global Alliance of Impact Lawyers brings to light the increasingly important role that legal professionals can play in driving impact through the advice they give
Lack of access to funding is preventing blue economy startups to grow, and hindering the development of ground-breaking technologies which are crucial for preserving marine biodiversity, and for mitigating the effects of climate change
To mark International Women’s Day, Impact Investor talks to four women investing in female-led businesses or those providing products or services aimed at improving the lives of women and girls around the world
The European Circular Bioeconomy fund, which invests in late-stage, bio-based circular economy companies, has beaten expectations with a final close of €300m, exceeding its target by €50m
Armelle Renaudin, co-founder of French NGO Entrepreneurs du Monde, explains how their unique approach to social microfinance is helping society’s poorest create successful businesses that last
Blue Ocean Fund, managed by Paris-based SWEN Capital Partners, is on track to reach its €120m fundraise target, as more investors turn their attention to science-led investments in startups offering solutions for regenerating our oceans
A study by Esade Center for Social Impact and banking foundation BBK finds that impact measurement and management is starting to take a central place in the daily life of Europe’s foundations
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