Impact Dispatch - October 2025

October felt like another whirlwind month for those of us in the business of building a better world. I started the month in Stockholm at the EAT Forum, where leaders from across food, finance and policy came together to explore how we can resource and scale better food systems that nourish people and the planet. The conversations focused on how we mobilize capital to support better nutrition, regenerative agriculture and resilience in the face of an accelerating climate crisis — all reminders that sustainable food systems sit at the heart of both human and planetary health.

From there, it was on to Berlin for an energizing and uplifting week at the GIIN Impact Forum. With more than 1,200 people from over 60 countries, the energy was palpable. The insights and stories shared on stage and in the hallways underscored that impact investors are meeting this moment with integrity, commitment and an unwavering bias toward action.

Then it was on to Dubai for the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council Summit to reimagine how to address the urgent needs of low-income and crisis-affected countries and communities in light of declining public resources. These discussions reinforced how critical it is for public, private and philanthropic actors to work together to unlock new models of financing and delivery that reach the last mile.

There’s a common denominator across these events that’s reinforced in our recent State of the Market research: impact investing isn’t just holding steady, it’s progressing. Impact assets under management have grown at an average annual rate of 21% over the past six years, including an 11% increase in the past year alone. The market is maturing, but far from plateauing. Investors continue to write checks aimed at solving problems for people and the planet, achieving returns that rival or often surpass traditional assets. These are powerful signals that impact investing remains one of the most effective tools for channeling capital toward a more sustainable, inclusive and resilient future.

Now back in New York, as the city prepares for Halloween and the streets fill with the laughter of children trick-or-treating, I’m reminded what all of this work is truly about: safeguarding the future for them. Every conversation in Stockholm, Berlin and Dubai — every impact investment — is, at its core, about ensuring that future generations inherit a planet that is livable, equitable and full of opportunity.

• Japan’s Government Pension Investment Fund, which is the largest pension fund in the world at $1.8 trillion USD, announced in March that it is considering a shift into impact investing. With commentary from GIIN CEO and Co-Founder Amit Bouri, Bloomberg reports that at least four other Japanese pension funds are updating or revising their investment policies to follow suit.
• Canada is looking to its C$3tn (US$2.1tn) pension system to boost domestic investment as it seeks C$500bn in new finance to reboot the economy and lower its foreign dependence, via FT.
• Britain’s largest pension funds and insurers have partnered with the UK government to launch the Sterling 20 group, an effort to increase long-term investment in affordable housing, infrastructure and high-growth industries, via Impact Investor.
• BlueOrchard Finance Ltd, a GIIN member, discussed impact investing’s momentum in Japan and highlighted that client interest is coming primarily from institutional investors like corporate pensions, via Bloomberg.
• A helpful primer on what to expect at COP30 from the International Institute of Sustainable Development (IISD).
• Global investment in green technology for the first three quarters of the year has already surpassed all of 2024, via Bloomberg.
• Recent academic research highlights the benefits of impact measurement and shows how managers should track impact investing efforts, via World Economic Forum.
• New research indicates the climate crisis is driving up cost of living through higher insurance premiums, healthcare costs and electricity bills, via The Cool Down.

• The GIIN was on the ground at SOCAP this week with Amit Bouri as a panelist on “The Future of Global Finance” and Chief Research Officer Dean Hand as a moderator for an IMM panel. Dean also presented on the power of impact investing in addressing global health needs.
• Amit Bouri spoke at the FT Climate and Impact North America Summit in New York on how impact investing is changing the investment narrative.
• Joohee Rand, the Head of the Secretariat for the Impact Principles, and Maud Savary-Mornet, Senior Advisor, led a panel on impact strategy in Singapore at the inaugural Impact Investor Summit Asia from PEI and New Private Markets.
• In London, the GIIN hosted an event with Toniic and Impact Europe on catalytic capital, held alongside a UK-based GIIN member event hosted by M&G.
• GIIN President Sapna Shah spoke at a UBS Collective Initiative virtual session exploring the catalytic role of philanthropic capital and its impact on advocacy with UBS Collective members.
• Check out the GIIN’s latest news coverage on our website including stories from the GIIN Impact Forum in Berlin.

• On November 5, Amit Bouri will join the panel "Global Trends Towards Decarbonization and Expectations for Japan’s GX" at the GGX Finance Summit, a global forum hosted by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) and GX Acceleration Agency convening leaders across government, business and finance to advance dialogue on transition finance, industrial decarbonization and global rulemaking for achieving both economic growth and emissions reduction.
• On November 6, GIIN Chief Investor Network Officer Sean Gilbert will join the panel “Measuring outcomes: lessons learnt from impact investing” at PRI in Person 2025 in São Paulo, sharing practical insights and reflections on how impact investing can inform and strengthen responsible investment strategies.
• On December 11, Amit Bouri will speak at the FT Global Boardroom joining the panel “Impact Investing — Rebuilding Displaced Communities,” moderated by Financial Times journalist Sarah Murray, to explore how impact investing can effectively support communities displaced by geopolitical and economic disruption.