Impact Investment and Social Finance gain more and more international attention. Local ecosystems are forming share, national legislation and other factors highly influencing this development. Comparing those ecosystems can give valuable insights, what countries could learn from each other and to what extend national solutions are needed. This study is a first comparison between the UK and German impact investing markets. It is based on a qualitative research method, namely explorative and semi-structured interviews as well as two focus groups. The status quo of both countries as well as the challenges found in the German market are then used to draw conclusions on how the German market could benefit from the UK's development. Results are clustered around demand, intermediaries and supply as well as national context, regulatory framework, impact and leadership. This study concludes to what extent the UK market can act as a role model and which challenges require a 'German solution' or can be met by adapting actions taken in the UK.

There is no questioning the enthusiasm that welcomed impact investing as an alternative approach to making investments: Take account of both financial returns and the social and environmental impacts. But there is no denying that the approach has fallen well short of expectations. Impact investing has shown great promise as a major transformational investment paradigm, but in practice under-performing woefully and its prospects are dimming: It comprises less than 1% of the world’s equity investments, and too many claims of success are more about marketing and reputational value than hard evidence of positive social impacts. Drawing on over a decade of hands-on experience, this book presents a unique combination of a how-to guide and a reimagining – new models, frameworks, techniques, and tools – of what impact investing could be and could accomplish. It points to a new direction for future impact investments: achieve higher financial returns, more positive social and environmental impacts, and lower risks than conventional investments. Readers will learn what actions should be taken at each stage of impact investing, and which models, analytic frameworks, and techniques to use – and how to use them – for optimal results. This book offers a step-by-step guide to how impact investing can achieve its promise of transforming global investments into a powerful positive force for change. It is an inspiring and comprehensive resource for anyone who wants to understand how impact investing works and how it can be done better, from professionals at foundations, international NGOs, consulting firms, and government agencies, to students of finance, public policy, ESG, sustainability and international development.

Discover how to invest your capital to achieve a powerful, lasting impact on the world. The Global Handbook of Impact Investing: Solving Global Problems Via Smarter Capital Markets Towards A More Sustainable Society is an insightful guide to the growing world-wide movement of Impact Investing. Impact investors seek to realize lasting, beneficial improvements in society by allocating capital to sources of impactful and sustainable profit. This Handbook is a how-to guide for institutional investors, including family offices, foundations, endowments, governments, and international organizations, as well as academics, students, and everyday investors globally. The Handbook ́s wide-ranging contributions from around the world make a powerful case for positive impact and profit to fund substantive, lasting solutions that solve critical problems across the world. Edited by two experienced and distinguished professionals in the sustainable investing arena and authored by two dozen renowned experts from finance, academia, and multilateral organizations from around the world, the Global Handbook of Impact Investing educates, inspires, and spurs action towards more responsible investing across all asset classes, resulting in smarter capital markets, including how to: · Realize positive impact and profit · Integrate impact into investment decision-making and portfolio · Allocate impactful investments across all asset classes · Apply unique Impact Investing frameworks · Measure, evaluate and report on impact · Learn from case examples around the globe · Pursue Best Practices in Impact Investing and impact reporting While other resources may take a local or limited approach to the subject, this Handbook gathers global knowledge and results from public and private institutions spanning five continents. The authors also make a powerful case for the ability of Impact Investing to lead to substantive and lasting change that addresses critical problems across the world.

Impact investing is gaining global attention from society, governments and businesses. Increasingly, it is seen as a new paradigm to deal with the economic crisis and curtailed public budgets, an answer to the diversified needs of society. It now ranks high on the policy agenda of governments and international organizations, and private investors are searching for new investment opportunities to channel the liquidity available. This book is the first to look at impact investing as a "refocus" of venture capital to sustain the development of societal impact enterprises. Principles and Practice of Impact Investing collects chapters from international experts on the subject, discussing the foundations of the movement, analysing leading international cases and debating future trends in the field. It also includes interviews with some of the most influential stakeholders of impact investing across the world. The book is an inspirational and practical guide for actors and stakeholders to enable better understanding of impact investing. Taking an international perspective, the chapters primarily deal with mature economies, setting it apart from the existing literature focused on emerging countries. The book will be of interests to practitioners and executives, as well as researchers and MBA students.

This book develops a comprehensive framework for creating sustainable new business approaches on a massive scale. It relates the power of entrepreneurship, investment and technology to four areas in which progress is urgently needed to get out of the world’s current impasse. These are: game-changing innovations in companies; a way forward for the global fashion industry that reconciles competitiveness and worker dignity; turning around the energy crisis; and restoring capital markets to being the funders of human progress and prosperity that they once were—the pieces of the puzzle that is our future. Numerous case studies and actionable guidelines show how to concretely get the job done.

This publication is a sequel to the OECD 2015 report on social impact investment (SII), Building the Evidence Base, bringing new evidence on the role of SII in financing sustainable development.

Policy-makers are increasingly trying to assign economic values to areas such as ecologies, the atmosphere, even human lives. These new values, assigned to areas previously considered outside of economic systems, often act to qualify, alter or replace former non-pecuniary values. Valuing Development, Environment and Conservation looks to explore the complex interdependencies, contradictions and trade-offs that can take place between economic values and the social, environmental, political and ethical systems that inform non-monetary valuation processes. Using rich empirical material, the book explores the processes of valuation, their components, calculative technologies, and outcomes in different social, ecological and conservation domains. The book gives reasons for why economic calculation tends to dominate in practice, but also presents new insights on how the disobedient materiality of things and the ingenuity of human and non-human agencies can combine and frustrate the dominant economic models within calculative processes. This book highlights the tension between, on the one hand, a dominant model that emphasises technical and ‘universalising’ criteria, and on the other hand, valuation practice in specific local contexts which is more likely to negotiate criteria that are plural, incommensurable and political. This book is perfect for researchers and students within development studies, environment, geography, politics, sociology and anthropology who are looking for new insights into how processes of valuation take place in the 21st century, and with what consequential outcomes.

Impact Investment and Social Finance gain more and more international attention. Local ecosystems are forming share, national legislation and other factors highly influencing this development. Comparing those ecosystems can give valuable insights, what countries could learn from each other and to what extend national solutions are needed. This study is a first comparison between the UK and German impact investing markets. It is based on a qualitative research method, namely explorative and semi-structured interviews as well as two focus groups. The status quo of both countries as well as the challenges found in the German market are then used to draw conclusions on how the German market could benefit from the UK's development. Results are clustered around demand, intermediaries and supply as well as national context, regulatory framework, impact and leadership. This study concludes to what extent the UK market can act as a role model and which challenges require a 'German solution' or can be met by adapting actions taken in the UK.

This book aims to clarify the concept of impact investing by combing the international experience and the practices in China, promote the standardization of the measurement and evaluation system of impact investing, contribute to the establishment of an impact investing ecosystem in China, and guide investment to consider both the social and environmental impact and profitability. This book mainly contains four parts: the definition of impact investing and the similarities and differences with other related concepts; the development, characteristics and trends of global impact investing; the development and the current situation of impact investing in China; a case study in China.

Impact Investing for a Sustainable Planet guides investors in supporting entrepreneurs to scale business models which maximize positive impact outcomes, including climate- and nature-based solutions. EcoEnterprises Fund is a long-standing leader in the impact investing industry, which helps advance sustainable entrepreneurial ventures and promote environmental stewardship in Latin America. Following on from their previous book, Portfolio for the Planet, Tammy E. Newmark and Michele A. Pena take stock of EcoEnterprises Fund’s processes and partnerships over two decades and three impact funds. They detail the unique strategies employed by the Fund to invest in expanding sectors such as regenerative agriculture, agroforestry, bio-innovation, and climate tech. Close analysis of the investment processes and company engagements offers practical takeaways, ranging from tips on structuring transactions to guidance on enhancing companies’ environmental and social management systems and community partnerships. These case studies highlight how specific themes – including biodiversity investing, supply chain management, gender-smart investing, climate solutions, and successful exits – form the basis for sustainable growth and enduring powerful outcomes. This inspiring volume offers practical advice for veterans and newcomers in the field of impact investing. It will also be a valuable resource for students and scholars of sustainable investing and finance, social entrepreneurship, and sustainable business.