Impax Asset Management says there will be “winners and losers” in the economic transition to a more sustainable economy, as trends continue to be accelerated in the post-pandemic rebuilding process. 

The first ever practical blueprint for “net zero investing” has been issued by Institutional Investors Group on Climate Change (IIGCC), to help investors maximise the contribution they make in tackling climate change.

There are significant barriers for the impact investing world to overcome if the strategy is to gain substantial investment from institutional players, according to a new whitepaper from CAMRADATA on impact investing. 

A rash of financial institutions have recently made headlines with grand donations and initiatives to improve diversity within their firms, in response to the protests over the killing of George Floyd that gripped cities across the US and beyond. 

The international business of Federated Hermes was recently assessed by Real Impact Tracker, which certifies institutions most committed to Impact, and achieved the highest score in the history of its certification.

The impact investing market is thriving. Asset managers from across the spectrum of the industry are buying into the trend, raising funds to invest in projects that aim to make positive social or environmental change, as well as a strong financial return.

MAPFRE AM, the asset management arm of the Spanish insurance group, is joining forces with Global Social Impact Investments SGIIC (GSI) to launch the Global Social Impact Fund (GSIF). A new investment vehicle which aims to raise EUR50 million for high social impact companies in both frontier and emerging markets.

Candriam has launched Candriam SRI Equity Circular Economy Fund. The circular economy concept provides an alternative to the current linear economic model, the "take, make, dispose” model, by avoiding waste and reducing the need for virgin raw materials. It seeks to increase resource efficiencies through the re-use or recycling of materials.

Intentions are translating into real results for impact investors, with 99 per cent of the almost 300 investors who responded to the most comprehensive survey of the market to date saying that they have met or exceeded their impact performance goals, and 88 per cent meeting or exceeding their financial expectations. 

CDC Group, an impact investor and development finance institution based in UK, has heralded a “record month” for its trade guarantee programme, with over USD500 million guaranteed across 350 transactions in March, representing a new programme high.