“Public markets provide enormous leverage to improve the overall system and to deliver a more sustainable world, and which sits alongside, and reinforces, the more precise and targeted conventional impact investing space,”
stated Andrew Parry, head of equities at Hermes Investment Management, in 2017.
“To achieve this, however, it has to be driven by belief, and not marketing cynicism, and must be implemented through the behaviour and aspiration of equity investors and asset owners alike.”
“Millennials are much more attuned to sustainability and social justice than any generation before, which will have profound implications on investing as their numbers increase and their influence grows as they reach their peak earnings years,”
says Chris Turpin, regional managing director, EMEA at First State Investments.
“We expect to see a rise in interest in the investment options offered by [defined contribution] schemes, with millennials looking for strategies that are designed to have positive impacts, where the outcomes and societal benefits are quantified and reflect members’ values.” (May 2017)
“I am very encouraged that we are seeing so much more interest from investors who are considering not only the financial performance but also the purpose and impact of their investment. It has been a great pleasure to be part of the sustainable investment community and I look forward to a continued partnership.”
said Heike Reichelt, the head of investor relations and new products at The World Bank in April 2017.
“You’re going to see it everywhere. It is part of the Zeitgeist of today.”
says Matt Christensen, global head of responsible investment at AXA Investment Managers, about the word impact in May 2017.
UK Economic Secretary to the Treasury, Stephen Barclay, points out in 2017 that (social) impact investing has the power to make a positive change in society, while also bringing positive financial returns:
„It’s a win-win, which is why demand is growing.“
Bill Gates’ first investment into an impact fund, India’s Unitus Seed, is expected to boost the early-stage impact funding sector and drive more philanthropists to fund scalable and profitable social enterprises to serve the world’s poorer millions.
“It is an idea whose time has come, Bill Gates’ investment is a vote of confidence for impact investing,” said Ravi Venkatesan, venture partner at Unitus Seed. “In a country like ours with huge social needs, it is very important to look beyond the government, corporate sector funding or non-profits to fix things.”
Forbes Asia, November 2014
„The world is on the brink of a revolution in how we solve society’s toughest problems. The force capable of driving this revolution is (social) impact investing, which harnesses entrepreneurship, innovation and capital to power social improvement.”
Social Impact Investing Taskforce, 2014.
“It is urgent that governments throughout the world commit themselves to developing an international framework capable of promoting a market of high impact investments and thus combating an economy which excludes and discards.”
Pope Francis, June 2014
“Impact investors are a diverse bunch, but they are united by a powerful force: a desire to meet the dual goal of achieving a financial return while generating significant social and environmental returns.”
Judith Rodin (President of the Rockefeller Foundation) & Margot Brandenburg (Fellow at Nathan Cummings Foundation), authors of “The Power of Impact Investing”, Wharton press.
"We live in a dynamic ear of innovation, change and new ways of thinking that could push our society in promising directions. As an investor, you can participate in this change; you have it in your power to contribute to a movement that is potentially transformative and overwhelmingly positive. This is the promise of impact investing."
Judith Rodin (President of the Rockefeller Foundation) & Margot Brandenburg (Fellow at Nathan Cummings Foundation), authors of "The Power of Impact Investing", Wharton press.
"The financial crash of 2008 highlighted the need for a renewed effort to ensure that finance helps build a healthy society. This required a paradigm shift in capital market thinking, from two dimensions to three. By bringing a third dimension, impact, to the 20th century capital market dimensions of risk and return, impact investing has the potential to transform our ability to build a better society for all."
Social Impact Investing Taskforce, 2014.
“Members of the millennial generation that is entering the workforce today want their work to have a purpose beyond merely making money, whilst older generations too are ever less willing to settle for a compartmentalisation of how they earn a living and how they want the world to be.”
Social Impact Investing Taskforce, 2014.
“There has been a steady increase in the number of social sector organisations that raise revenue through government contracts or by charging for services or products they supply. Equally remarkable is the number of entrepreneurial start-ups emerging that have social mission at the heart of their organisation and the variety of business models they use.”
Social Impact Investing Taskforce, 2014.
