Impact Dispatch - August 2025

With just over one month until the GIIN Impact Forum and a couple of weeks until UNGA and Climate Week NYC, there’s an undeniable buzzing of energy. Perhaps it’s the back to school vibes or the chill in the air here in the northern hemisphere, but people are busy, committed and determined to make progress on the issues that matter most.

At the GIIN, we’re feeling that same energy as we prepare to welcome hundreds of investors from 70 countries to Berlin for our largest event of the year. The Forum will unpack themes and trends that are top of mind for impact and finance professionals, including:

• Food systems thinking and stability with Molly Jahn: How can investors contribute to food security? What steps do we need to take to increase adoption of regenerative agriculture and innovate supply chains?
• AI and democratizing technologies for inclusion with Andrew Kuper of LeapFrog Investments: How is AI expanding access to essential services for billions of people? What kinds of businesses should investors seek out to achieve rapid growth, resilient margins, robust returns and scaled impact?
• Insurance companies investing in climate solutions with Danielle Brassel of Zurich Insurance Company, Ltd and Ayako Kageyama of Nippon Life Insurance Company/日本生命保険相互会社: How are insurers aligning portfolios with climate goals while managing risk and driving systemic solutions across global markets?

This year’s agenda is designed to equip investors with practical tools, new research and a global network to accelerate action at this critical moment in time.

• October 7: Deepen your impact measurement and management (IMM) expertise at the GIIN’s training workshop held the day before the forum kicks off.
• October 8: A full day of keynotes, panel discussions and networking.
• October 9: Roll up your sleeves and participate in hands-on, small-group sessions throughout the day.

Whether you’re joining us in Berlin or following along from afar, you’ll see impact investors raising their ambitions and taking concrete steps to mobilize capital at scale.

• CNBC dug into new data that indicates the number of family offices with allocations to private markets has surged by 524% since 2016.
• The Japanese government announced they plan to raise $1.5 billion USD for impact investing in Africa with the goal to curb the continent’s greenhouse gas emissions and support sustainable growth, from Bloomberg.
• Hotter weather means more demand for air conditioning, which is becoming increasingly unaffordable for Americans, per the BBC.
• This interactive article shows what climate adaptation, mitigation and resilience look like in action through the lens of urban planning, from Grist and Gizmodo.
• A recent worldwide survey of sustainability experts by GlobeScan, ERM and Volans indicated more than 90% of respondents agree that we need to change how we approach sustainability, with over half calling for a radical overhaul.

• The third episode of Impact Now released this month features a conversation with Jessica Droste Yagan of Impact Engine on how family offices are aligning their assets with measurable impact.
• Participate in the public comment period for the IRIS+ waste management theme by sharing your feedback by October 31 and attending the upcoming webinar.

• Early bird rates for the flagship GIIN Impact Forum end this Friday, September 5. Don’t miss the chance to save on your registration for the top impact investing gathering of the year. Register here.
• Later this month, the GIIN returns to Singapore to speak at Singapore Impact Week.
• Join us at Climate Week New York for the inaugural GIIN Climate Solutions Investing Roundtable on September 24.
• The GIIN will also co-host an event with beVisioneers: The Mercedes-Benz Fellowship and The DO School Fellowships gGmbH on Generation Innovation: Holistic Capital for a Planet-Positive Future during Climate Week New York.
• Building Bridges returns to Geneva on September 30 – October 2 for the sixth edition of its flagship summit, convening decision-makers from across finance, government, business and civil society to tackle today’s most urgent challenges and showcase bold financial solutions that deliver real-world impact. Receive 10% off registration with code BB25PARTNERSKR. Learn more and register here.
• At UNGA, Amit Bouri is speaking on a panel led by Triple I for Global Health at the Japan Society on the topic of IMM in healthcare impact investing.
• The GIIN heads to SOCAP Global in October joining the plenary on Future Global Financial Markets and hosting a panel on how to contextualize an ever-growing volume of impact data, compare outcomes across markets and assess what truly drives meaningful change.