Impact ecosystem

Carrots as well as sticks are required to generate more private sector interest in social impact, according to the Schwab Foundation’s Daniel Nowack.

Despite significant growth, the report’s authors call for greater transparency and more credible reporting, cautioning that without these safeguards gender bonds risk becoming little more than “vanity projects”.

The Japanese development bank joins founding partner KfW as an investor in the fund, which provides loans to SMEs exporting from emerging Asia and Africa.

The Hellenic Impact Investing Network has published the first impact investment market sizing report for Greece, which reveals €10bn in impact investments have been mobilised across the country.

Retail social impact investments grew by €2bn in France in 2024, an increase of 7% on the previous year, according to the latest Social Impact Finance Barometer from FAIR and La Croix.

Impact investors often base their investment decisions on compelling storytelling instead of meticulous impact evaluation, according to an academic study which included interviews with industry participants around the world.

EIB has contributed $18m to the fund, a partnership between UBS Optimus Foundation and Bridges Outcomes Partnerships, which supports outcomes-based programmes in low- and middle-income countries.

Recent high-profile fund launches indicate that the private impact debt class is poised to take flight, according to the Dutch consultancy.

The research by Builders Vision, Tideline and BlueMark highlights features that make fixed income suited to impact investing and puts forward a new taxonomy to help investors with their impact fixed income strategy.

The survey indicates that impact investments and sustainable development investments now account for some 7-8% of total assets under management held by Dutch investors.