Impact Dispatch - July 2025

I’m writing to you all from our first-ever Asia Impact Forum in sunny Singapore. It’s been an extraordinary day, and the energy from this region’s dynamism is palpable. I’ll keep this month’s letter brief so I can get back to connecting with old and new friends, but I wanted to share some takeaways from the event with all of you:

1. Impact investing is key to building sustainable legacies: During my discussion with Mary Ann Tsao and Sumitra Aswani this morning, they shared how family offices are shaping the impact investing ecosystem and how they’re focusing on investments that will build a better future. They highlighted how impact, legacies and long-term orientation are intrinsically connected and therefore a priority for family offices who strive to be intentional about the world they’re leaving to their children. This conversation underscored how families are the bedrock of society, making them powerful forces for good.
2. Japan’s impact investing leadership is accelerating: As Asia’s second-largest economy and an increasingly supportive regulatory environment, Japan is strategically positioned to scale the industry with integrity and intentionality. The combination of government and private sector action has led to significant momentum for impact investing among pension funds, insurance companies and banks. The GIIN recently launched a working group of Japanese institutions to expand discussions and initiatives aimed at expanding impact investing in the country. This serves as a powerful market signal that is inspiring more interest across Asia and around the world.
3. Impact investors are focusing on what’s most effective at delivering positive outcomes for people and planet: During a panel on evolving impact measurement,, investors onstage underscored the importance of focusing on getting capital to the most effective solutions. This message echoes the GIIN’s Climate Solutions Investing Framework which also focuses on identifying the most meaningful and effective investments that will decarbonize our economy as rapidly as possible.
4. Impact investors’ mindsets are all about embracing the journey: We heard leaders talk about framing impact investing as a journey, with a commitment to continuous learning (and one that’s supported through educational offerings like the training my colleagues delivered just yesterday). Today’s investors understand that when you’re prioritizing social and environmental outcomes alongside delivering financial returns, your mindset is not fixed. When you take a step back to learn from every investment, you can tap into learnings that help you iterate and improve. Taking a step back can also be motivating, as one panelist today highlighted the actual impact of every dollar, yen, yuan, won, rupee, dong, taka, baht or ringgit.
5. The impact investing community is as active, dedicated and ambitious as ever: You’ve heard me talk about this before, but today’s gathering only reinforced this reality for me: despite the volatility that has come to define this current era of financial markets, impact investors are stepping up and leaning in.

Across today’s panels and perspectives, there was a consistent thread: impact investors in Asia are focused on getting capital to the most effective solutions to the most pressing problems we face as a society. This fills me with optimism and pride to be part of this community of change-makers (and makes me even more excited for our flagship forum in Berlin this October). It also reinforces the mandate to harness this region’s momentum and innovation to build a better future – together.

• On July 23, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled that countries are legally obligated to protect and prevent harm to the environment. This piece provides a helpful analysis from the team at Stockholm Environment Institute.
• The European Commission announced it is reviewing existing environmental laws to identify where the administrative burden for companies and governments could be reduced, via Reuters.
• The latest cost analysis from the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) indicates that renewables were the most cost-competitive source of new electricity generation in 2024. Read the full report here.
• Great op-ed from GIIN member Kiva that discusses innovative tools and products that are moving the financial inclusion needle and narrative for refugee communities, via Fast Company.
• New Private Markets Impact 50 reveals growing consolidation among the largest private markets impact managers, with top firms raising over $212 billion USD in impact capital since 2020. Read the full breakdown here.

• Just in time for the GIIN’s Asia Impact Forum, Amit Bouri highlighted APAC’s rapid growth in impact investing and the key factors driving this investment transformation in a recent op-ed published in The Business Times.
• The second episode of Impact Now released this month features a conversation with Nick A. of CalSTRS on how institutional investors are approaching climate solutions, risk-adjusted returns and market innovation.
• In a new op-ed, GIIN Chief Research Officer Dean Hand unpacked the thinking behind the Impact Quantifier, a new open-source tool from the GIIN's Impact Lab that helps investors compare impact across sectors and geographies using a single human-centered metric: quality-adjusted life years (QALYs).
• We recently welcomed 13 new members to the GIIN: D3 Jubilee Partners, New Ventures, Nsiona Impact, RABAF, The Global Impact Tech Alliance (GITA), Yachiyo Engineering Co., Ltd, ALMA Sustainable Finance, Archipelago Ventures Ltd, Catalyst Fund, Creative Australia, Jolt Capital, Polestar Capital and SEAF (Small Enterprise Assistance Funds).

• The flagship GIIN Impact Forum takes place in Berlin from October 7 - 9 where an estimated 1,600 global leaders from institutional asset owners, asset managers, family offices and more will gather for the GIIN’s largest event of the year. Register before September 5 for the early bird rate.
• In September, the GIIN will be back in Singapore speaking at Singapore Impact Week. Later that month we’ll host the GIIN Climate Solutions Investing Forum at Climate Week New York. Stay tuned for more details.