GIIN in the news Press releases

  • Bill Gates Says Investing in 4 Simple Plans Has Saved Millions of Lives and Provided a Better Return on Investment Than the Stock Market

    via Business Insiderby Hilary Brueck

    March 01, 2019

    Summary

    In this interview with Business Insider, Bill and Melinda Gates reflect on the work of their eponymous foundation since its founding twenty years ago, namely the investment of $10 billion into global health initiatives. The Gates express concern over wealthy countries’ level of fixation on domestic issues, and urge governments to remember their commitments to global health. The couple explains the impact and value of these investments relative to other poverty-related initiatives, saying that “an investment in health is more valuable than just about any other a person can make” because “health is what then allows people to go on and get a great education and participate fully and reach their full potential.”

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  • Beyond the Bottom Line: Should Business Put Purpose Before Profit?

    via Financial Timesby Andrew Edgecliff-Johnson

    February 08, 2019

    Summary

    In this article, the Financial Timestraces the growth of socially responsible investing from the creation of Phillips Van-Heusen’s pension fund in 1974 to overcoming the roadblocks caused by the “doctrine of shareholder primacy” to the practice’s more mainstream position today. Author Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson emphasizes the importance of improving and spreading the practice of “purpose-first” investing as businesses are increasingly involved and positioned to address social and environmental issues which many governments are not prepared to address on their own. He highlights the potential for leaders of the business and finance industries to “lead on some of society’s most pressing issues” and encourages them to shape a model of capitalism that will allow them to do so successfully and responsibly.  

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  • Investing for the Greater Good

    via Inquirerby Queena N. Lee-Chua

    February 07, 2019

    Summary

    This two-part feature focuses on the growth of impact investing in the Asia-Pacific region, pinpointing it as an example of the practice’s potential. Author Queena N. Lee-Chua details the influence of Development Finance Institutions (DFIs) in the region, the rise of gender lens investing in the region, and highlights the work of individual organizations and success stories in particular countries and sectors. 

    Continue reading about the rise of impact investing in Southeast Asia here: https://m.inquirer.net/business/262801

     

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  • Wake Up World and Embrace the Impact Revolution

    via Financial Timesby Sir Ronald Cohen

    February 07, 2019

    Summary

    In this Op-ed for the Financial Times, Sir Ronald Cohen reflects on the progress of the impact investing industry as well as the steps needed for the practice to reach its full potential. For instance, he points out the need to “draw up a new social contract” as the world’s “human and environmental crises” continue to grow, and he refers to impact investing as “our rocket ship to social change.” Cohen also underscores the significance of impact measurement, calling it the most crucial step to growing and spreading the practice and ultimately enabling impact investing to “build a better world.”

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  • How Green Wall Street Can Weather 2019

    via Bloombergby Emily Chasan and Eric Roston

    February 07, 2019

    Summary

    As a new year began with more investors focused on impact than ever before, Bloomberg’s Emily Chasan and Eric Roston named nine questions believed to be focal points for socially responsible investors in 2019. The themes predicted to be central to the industry this year center on diversity and the environment as well as advances in technology and investing practices.

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  • Creating an On-Ramp for Impact Investors: An Interview with The GIIN’s Amit Bouri

    via Forbesby Anne Field

    December 17, 2018

    Summary

    In this interview, the GIIN’s CEO Amit Bouri reveals the GIIN’s plans for accelerating the growth of impact investing around the world. Specifically, Bouri discusses the organization’s goals as well as three key themes that are essential to “not just unlock capital, but to have an impact on investing itself, to shape the overall system for the better.” These three themes include: increasing participation from those who are new to impact investing, safeguarding the integrity of the market, and changing mindsets and fueling a much broader impact investing movement.

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  • From Problems to Profits: Investors Eye Asia’s Environmental Issues

    via Bloombergby Ramy Inocencio

    December 17, 2018

    Summary

    Following Bloomberg’s Global Responsible Investing Forum, Ramy Inocencio interviews GIIN CEO Amit Bouri about the rise of impact investing. Specifically, the duo highlights data from the GIIN’s Annual Impact Investor Survey and The Landscape for Impact Investing in Southeast Asia study to share details about Asia as the fastest- growth region for impact investing.

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  • Don’t Just Vote for Change, Invest for Change

    via Forbesby Janet Brown

    November 28, 2018

    Summary

    This Forbes article makes a connection between the recent wave of advocacy related to the midterm elections and the practice of impact investing. Author Janet Brown, of Intelligent Investing, encourages readers to channel their commitment to making a difference into their investment decisions, emphasizing that sustainable investing encompasses a wide range of issues. She goes on to pinpoint ways to become involved in the industry, from learning more about impact investing overall to selecting sustainable mutual funds.

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  • Investing’s Final Frontier: Impact Measurement

    via Forbesby Lisa Cox

    November 28, 2018

    Summary

    In this article, Lisa Cox of Sorenson Impact pinpoints the advancement of impact measurement as a necessary step for more capital to be invested in impact. Cox mentions some difficulties precluding strict measurement standards, particularly the many different types of social returns and their respective metrics. As the impact investing industry grows, Cox recommends looking towards further developing impact measurement to help systematically solve “a whole world of social problems.”

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  • Why I Don’t Believe in the SDGs (And How Impact Investing is Changing My Mind)

    via Eco-Businessby Christopher Hirst

    November 28, 2018

    Summary

    Formerly cynical about the ambitious nature of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Christopher Hirst highlights their usefulness as a framework in this article. Hirst discusses how the SDGs have helped to guide and measure the activities of investors, increasing the engagement and confidence of “private sector players.” Measuring social returns up against the SDGs can result in more capital being directed towards impact, “leveraging private capital towards social outcomes in previously impossible ways.”

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  • Institutional Shift: Impact Investing on the Hot Seat at Global Pension Funds

    via ImpactAlphaby David Bank

    October 29, 2018

    Summary

    California Public Employees Retirement System (CalPERS), the largest American public pension fund, recently saw a shift in their board, as discussed in this podcast by ImpactAlpha. Outgoing environmental and social investing champion Priya Mathur’s board position was filled by Jason Perez, who has spoken against the practice, depicting it as a risk for the retirement security of the group’s investors. Such opinions underscore the need for innovation within the impact investing industry, focusing on infrastructure to scale and successfully repeat investments, to both improve the industry itself and attract more players.

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  • Responsible Investing: Southeast Asia Top Destination for Impact Investments

    via The Edge Markets by Oliver Christopher Gomez

    October 29, 2018

    Summary

    The Edge Malaysia interviews Abhilash Mudaliar, Research Director of the GIIN, about the GIIN’s Landscape for Impact Investing in Southeast Asia report in this feature by Oliver Christopher Gomez. In the article, Mudaliar highlights some key findings from the GIIN’s report, including impact-related challenges the region has seen, and mentions the report’s breakdown of investments by country, gender, and asset-class. This feature widens the conversation around “significant potential” of the region, in terms of opportunity for both impact and returns.

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