INTEGRATED FINANCING SOLUTIONS How Countries Around the World Are Innovating to finance the Sustainable Development Goals

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

INTEGRATED FINANCING SOLUTIONS How Countries Around the World Are Innovating to finance the Sustainable Development Goals INTEGRATED FINANCING SOLUTIONS How countries around the world are innovating to finance the Sustainable Development Goals INTEGRATED FINANCING SOLUTIONS Disclaimer The views presented in this report do not necessarily represent those of the Asian Development Bank or UNDP. Design by Inís Communication – www.iniscommunication.com Contact details This report is designed to be a live document and will be refined and updated periodically to add new case studies and insights into the innovations that countries are developing. Please contact us using the details below if you wish to discuss this further. Thomas Beloe: [email protected] Emily Davis: [email protected] Tim Strawson: [email protected] Developed by UNDP with the generous support of the Asian Development Bank (ADB). Contents Acknowledgements vi Acronyms vii Introduction 1 1 Why an integrated approach to financing the SDGs? 3 2 Integrated planning and financing 6 Establishing holistic public–private financing strategies 7 Aligning the budget with the national plan 10 Aligning wider financing policy to the national plan 13 3 Public–private collaboration 18 Public reforms to mobilize private investment 18 Improving business regulations 18 Offering incentives to promote private sector investment 20 Collaborating with the private sector on strategic projects 24 Promoting social impact investment 29 Promoting better corporate governance 34 Promoting corporate social responsibility 36 Building platforms for public–private dialogue 36 Policy considerations: private sector investment 38 Public policy to leverage greater impact from remittances 39 Leveraging additional development finance resources 40 Enhancing the impact of remittances 46 Reducing the cost of sending remittances 46 4 Monitoring and review 50 Improving private sector reporting 50 5 Transparency and accountability 55 Reporting public spending on cross-cutting priorities 55 Reporting public transactions with private actors 58 Using transparency to support sustainable development progress 60 Conclusion 63 Boxes Box 1. Complementary SDG financing repositories and services 1 Box 2. What is a Development Finance Assessment? 4 Box 3. What are input, output and outcome-based incentives? 23 Box 4. What is social impact investing? 29 Box 5. What are social impact bonds? 33 Box 6. What is impact measurement? 33 Box 7. What are diaspora bonds? 40 Box 8. What is future flow securitization? 43 Box 9. What is sustainability reporting? 52 Case studies Case study 1. Bangladesh: Comprehensive, costed financing strategies 8 Case study 2. The Philippines: Iterative PFM reforms 10 Case study 3. Mozambique: A 15-year vision for public finance 11 Case study 4. Uganda: Aligning annual budgets to the 12 national planning framework Case study 5. Mexico: SDG budgeting 12 Case study 6. Indonesia: Integrated strategy for infrastructure financing 13 Case study 7. Solomon Islands: Community service 14 obligations for state-owned enterprises Case study 8. India: Reforming structures for more holistic planning 15 Case study 9. Bhutan: Policy screening tool 16 Case study 10. Rwanda: Improving business regulations to attract FDI 19 Case study 11. South Africa: Promoting priority industries 22 with financial incentives Case study 12. Viet Nam: Promoting social enterprises 23 Case study 13. Regional cooperation to avoid incentives 24 for a race to the bottom Case study 14. India: Revitalizing its PPP programme 25 Case study 15. Lesotho: A controversial health PPP 26 Case study 16. Peru: Works for taxes 27 Case study 17 The United Kingdom: Early-stage grant financing 31 and supporting financial intermediaries Case study 18. Rajasthan: The Utkrisht impact bond 32 Case study 19. South Africa: Using fiduciary rules to ESG investment 34 Case study 20. Thailand: The corporate governance fund 35 Case study 21. India and Indonesia: Mandatory CSR 36 Case study 22. Chile: Public–private dialogue for clean production 37 Case study 23. Israel: An ongoing programme of diaspora bonds 41 Case study 24. India: Diaspora bonds in times of crisis 42 Case study 25. Nepal: Challenges establishing a 42 diaspora bond programme Case study 26. Brazil: Future flow securitization 44 Case study 27. El Salvador: Future flow securitization 45 Case study 28. Encouraging the development of 46 fintech solutions worldwide Case study 29. Mexico and the United States: a partnership 47 for more effective remittance corridors Case study 30. India: Immediate payment service 47 Case study 31. The Philippines: Remittances for mortgages 49 Case study 32. Thailand: Sustainability reporting 51 Case study 33. Papua New Guinea: The SDGs Dashboard 53 Case study 34. The Philippines: Showcasing transformational business 53 Case study 1. Bangladesh: Comprehensive, costed financing strategies 8 Case study 35. South Korea: Gender budgeting 56 Case study 2. The Philippines: Iterative PFM reforms 10 Case study 36. Pakistan: Climate change tagging 56 Case study 3. Mozambique: A 15-year vision for public finance 11 Case study 37. Nepal: Parliamentary and citizen 57 Case study 4. Uganda: Aligning annual budgets to the 12 scrutiny of climate spending national planning framework Case study 38. Thailand: Transparency and accountability 58 Case study 5. Mexico: SDG budgeting 12 in public procurement Case study 6. Indonesia: Integrated strategy for infrastructure financing 13 Case study 39. Dominican Republic: Tax expenditure reporting 59 Case study 7. Solomon Islands: Community service 14 Case study 40. United Kingdom: Gender pay gap reporting 60 obligations for state-owned enterprises Case study 41. Ethiopia: Spreading agriculture market information 61 Case study 8. India: Reforming structures for more holistic planning 15 Case study 9. Bhutan: Policy screening tool 16 Case study 10. Rwanda: Improving business regulations to attract FDI 19 Case study 11. South Africa: Promoting priority industries 22 with financial incentives Case study 12. Viet Nam: Promoting social enterprises 23 Case study 13. Regional cooperation to avoid incentives 24 for a race to the bottom Case study 14. India: Revitalizing its PPP programme 25 Case study 15. Lesotho: A controversial health PPP 26 Case study 16. Peru: Works for taxes 27 Case study 17 The United Kingdom: Early-stage grant financing 31 and supporting financial intermediaries Case study 18. Rajasthan: The Utkrisht impact bond 32 Case study 19. South Africa: Using fiduciary rules to ESG investment 34 Case study 20. Thailand: The corporate governance fund 35 Case study 21. India and Indonesia: Mandatory CSR 36 INTEGRATED FINANCING SOLUTIONS Acknowledgements This report was commissioned by UNDP’s Regional Bureau for Asia and the Pacific in partnership with the Asian Development Bank who provided generous financial support. The report was written by Tim Strawson (Development Finance Specialist) under the guidance of Tom Beloe (Governance, Climate Change Finance and Development Effectiveness Advisor) and Emily Davis (Policy Specialist, Development Finance and Effectiveness) from the UNDP Bangkok Regional Hub. The report benefited from valuable input and comments from colleagues including: Bernard Woods and Smita Nakhooda (Asian Development Bank); Oliver Schwank (UN DESA); Jens Claussen (independent consultant); Artak Melkonyan, Darko Pavlovic, Elodie Beth, Kamolwan Panyasevanamit and Suren Poghosyan (UNDP Bangkok Regional Hub); Ashley Palmer (UNDP Nepal); Fakrul Ahsan (UNDP Bangladesh); Gail Hurley and Massimiliano Riva (UNDP HQ); Karanraj Chaudri (UNDP India); Kirthisri Rajatha Wijeweera (UNDP Sri Lanka); and Martin Hart-Hansen (UNDP Thailand). The report also drew on a number of case studies from an earlier background paper written by Nelson Stratta (independent consultant). The analysis also draws from the experience of the Development Finance Assessment methodology (UNDP, March 2019) developed by the Asia-Pacific Development Effectiveness Facility (AP-DEF) managed by UNDP with generous support from the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. vi Version 1.0 Acronyms AAAA Addis Ababa Action Agenda ADB Asian Development Bank ASEAN Association of Southeast Asian Nations BdB Banco do Brasil CAP Consolidated Action Plans (Cambodia) CCP Council for Clean Production (Chile) CPA Clean Production Agreement (Chile) CRISA Code for Responsible Investing in South Africa CSMI Cottage, Small and Medium Industry (Bhutan) CSR Corporate Social Responsibility DFA Development Finance Assessment ECX Ethiopian Commodity Exchange ESG Environmental, Social and Governance FDI Foreign Direct Investment GRI Global Reporting Initiative IFC International Finance Corporation IMF International Monetary Fund MTEF Medium-Term Expenditure Framework NAMA Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Action NGO Non-Governmental Organization OECD Organisation For Economic Co-operation and Development PDP Philippine Development Plan PFM Public Finance Management PPP Public–Private Partnership PREXC Programme Expenditure Classification tool (Philippines) SDG Sustainable Development Goals SET Stock Exchange Of Thailand SME Small and Medium Enterprises SOE State-Owned Enterprise UNDP United Nations Development Programme vii Introduction Countries around the world are looking for ways to mobilize public and private investments in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (2030 Agenda). Box 1. Complementary SDG financing repositories and services The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) present an ambitious vision for global and country-level progress The case studies and policy innovations discussed
Recommended publications
  • Making Sense of ESG, SRI and Impact Investing INSIGHTS
    Investing with Purpose: Making Sense of ESG, SRI and Impact Investing INSIGHTS Many investors want to bring their portfolios into alignment with their personal values, but don’t know where to start. This Insights outlines the three most common approaches. CARIN L. PAI, CFA® A growing awareness of environmental which companies are making the Executive Vice President, and social issues, along with the most progress in this area, investors Head of Portfolio Management availability of data on corporate can find a comfortable place on responsibility, is changing the way the spectrum between doing well individuals think about investing. financially and doing good things for Increasingly, investors are bringing their the world. portfolios into alignment with their MICHAEL FIRESTONE personal values. Three Common Approaches Managing Director, to Responsible Investing Portfolio Manager There are many different approaches to “responsible investing” and they go Responsible investing means different by different names—including ethical, things to different people, and there is sustainable and green investing. But a broad spectrum of approaches. But they all have one thing in common: the most commonly used techniques They pursue financial rewards while are ESG, SRI and Impact Investing. The approach investors take depends NATALIA LAZAR-GALOIU encouraging positive changes in Senior Investment the world. largely on their personal preferences Associate and which part of the spectrum they Doing Well Financially While find most appropriate—depending on Doing Good Socially how heavily they want to lean toward achieving financial goals versus Traditionally, investment decisions have promoting social causes. been aimed at achieving financial goals, using research on economic trends Environmental, Social, and analyzing a company’s balance Governance (ESG) sheet.
    [Show full text]
  • Finding the Opportunity In
    Finding the ESG disclosures: the bedrock of the opportunity sustainable finance agenda in ESG Executive summary To be successful, the development of sustainable finance in Europe needs to be grounded in access to high quality and meaningful ESG disclosures. While the quality and reliability of ESG data has improved considerably, so has the sophistication of investors and their needs for improved ESG disclosure. Investors find the most value in ESG disclosures when sustainability is embedded in the DNA of the firm as part of their competitive advantage to create long-term value. Companies that create societal value should benefit from changing policy and consumer trends, resulting in more sustainable cash flows, a lower cost of capital and higher valuations. While no standardised reporting framework can ever fully capture and reflect this. Reporting standards should, however, ensure that we move away from boilerplate disclosures and box-ticking approaches to consider the ESG risks and opportunities that are material to each company, industry and sector. While numerous standards already exist in this space, no single regulatory standard provides a comprehensive framework for companies to disclose in a way that would meet investors’ needs. Greater convergence in reporting could fill the gaps in accessing core ESG metrics that investors rely on to develop their ESG screening tools and assessment methodologies. Convergence in ESG reporting standards would also enable such data to be audited, which is becoming increasingly important to investors who base capital allocation decisions on such information. Beyond these core metrics, we need to connect ESG disclosures with real world outcomes, both adverse impacts as well as opportunities for transition.
    [Show full text]
  • Impact Investing Primer
    IMPACT INVESTING PRIMER I. What is Impact Investing? II. The Veris Perspective III. Have We Reached a Tipping Point? IV. How to Approach Impact in Public Equity and Fixed Income Investments V. How to Measure Impact VI. Impact Financial Performance Across Asset Classes VII. How to Conceptualize Impact Investing in Your Portfolio VIII. Impact Investing Across All Asset Classes IX. Impact & Mission‐Related Investing Terms X. Other Impact Investing Resources XI. Additional Resources I. What is Impact Investing? Impact Investing utilizes capital markets to address global challenges. Every investment has impact, whether intended or unintended. Impact investors, however, specifically seek out investments whose environmental and social outcomes are positive and definable. As Impact Investing becomes more mainstream, there are increasingly more opportunities to invest with impact. Impact investments are already available in both public and private markets and across all asset classes—including hard assets such as real estate, timber, and agriculture. Impact investments provide capital to innovative private companies providing solutions to global sustainability issues such as climate change, accessible education, and energy and food security. They also support public and private companies with responsible and sustainable business practices. Additionally, impact investments promote community wealth building by creating jobs in low‐income communities; helping in affordable housing initiatives and neighborhood revitalization; making loans to small businesses, and raising funds for vital community services. Impact Investing, whether private or public, stocks or bonds, requires professional management of social, environmental, and financial performance. The Global Impact Investing Network (GIIN), a non‐profit organization dedicated to increasing the scale and effectiveness of Impact Investing, defines it as “investments made into companies, organizations, and funds with the intention to generate measurable social and environmental impact alongside a financial return.
    [Show full text]
  • Impact Investing Whitepaper
    Impact Investing Whitepaper In partnership with Clear and Independent Institutional Investment Contents Analysis We provide institutional investors, including pension funds, 03 Introduction insurance companies and consultants, with data and analysis to assess, research and report on their investments. We are 04 Impact Investing Roundtable committed to fostering and nurturing strong, productive Welcome to CAMRADATA’s Impact Investing relationships across the institutional investment sector and are 09 Roundtable Participants Whitepaper continually innovating new solutions to meet the industry’s complex needs. 15 Arisaig Partners: Capturing The Rise Of Emerging Markets We enable institutional investors, including pension funds, Climate change is increasingly at the forefront of the global agenda, with a key focus insurance companies and consultants, to conduct rigorous, 18 Mackenzie Investments: To maximize on a ‘just’ transition to a net zero economy. Impact investing is set to play a crucial evidence-based assessments of more than 5,000 investment your energy transition exposure, think role if targets are to be met. products offered by over 700 asset managers. thematic Impact investors are vital in allocating capital in order to address the abundance of Additionally, our software solutions enable insurance 23 M&G Investments: Targeting solutions social and environmental issues facing the planet. companies to produce consistent accounting, regulatory and for the planet through impact Even as governments and corporations alike are ramping up their climate audit-ready reports. investing commitments, there is much work to be done. Time is running out for climate and social goals to be met. According to a recent To discuss your requirements study by the Rainforest Action Network, in the five years since the Paris Agreement, +44 (0)20 3327 5600 the world’s biggest banks – including the likes of BNP Paribas, Goldman Sachs, and [email protected] JP Morgan – have financed fossil fuels to the tune of $3.8 trillion (€3.2 trillion).
    [Show full text]
  • Private Funds Report 2020 Year in Review and a Look Ahead
    PRIVATE FUNDS REPORT 2020 YEAR IN REVIEW AND A LOOK AHEAD VOLUME 1 A NEW PRIVATE FUNDS RESOURCE IN THIS ISSUE WELCOME TO THE FIRST EDITION OF PRIVATE FUNDS n INTRODUCTION 1 REPORT, a new collection of insights that we plan to publish intermittently throughout the year to supple- n FUNDRAISING 2 ment the content we produce already. We hope you’ll find n REGULATORY 7 our articles easily accessible, conversational and to the n SEC ENFORCEMENT 8 point—our goal is to provide topical perspective without burdening you with excess detail that could obscure the n DEPARTMENT OF LABOR key issues on which you might want to focus initially. We RULEMAKING 9 would welcome your feedback on this new resource. n LIBOR TRANSITION FOR THE BUY SIDE 11 2020 was a year dominated by the COVID-19 pan- n SECONDARIES 13 demic (please refer to our Coronavirus Resource Center for further information). The public markets roller-coastered n CREDIT FUNDS 14 up and down, and M&A activity dramatically slowed in n ESG INVESTING 16 the early part of 2020, bouncing back in earnest in the second half of the year. Likewise, fundraising was slow during the second quarter of 2020, but rebounded to a large extent later in the year, with funds ultimately raising similar amounts of capital as they did in 2019, but with a smaller number of large funds stealing the limelight. To supplement the information in this report, we have provided links to other content we have produced on Private Funds Report opens with a more detailed look at these topics, including articles, focused reports and pod- 2020 fundraising trends.
    [Show full text]
  • Investors Push Alternative Managers Closer on ESG
    1/11/2021 Investors push alternative managers closer on ESG SUBSCRIBE MONTIETH LOGOUT Do you want to read Pensions & Investments’ print publication? Get P&I's latest issue Close MENU ESG January 11, 2021 12:00 AM UPDATED 23 HOURS AGO Investors push alternative managers closer on ESG By ARLEEN JACOBIUS TWEET SHARE SHARE EMAIL Alternative investment managers are stepping up their environmental, social, and corporate governance efforts including diversity and inclusion, pushed along by investors' increasing demands for accountability. Photo: FCI Creative Investors have been pushing for greater ESG efforts for years but Megan Starr said now expect alternative investment firms to take larger strides in Carlyle believes this direction. climate-related nancial disclosure will be The Black Lives Matter protests in 2020 brought the issue of in great demand. diversity to the forefront for some asset owners and managers, while more investors in Europe and in the U.S. are incorporating it into their investment thinking. https://www.pionline.com/esg/investors-push-alternative-managers-closer-esg 1/8 1/11/2021 Investors push alternative managers closer on ESG According to a recent survey by secondary market alternative investment firm Coller Capital Ltd., 63% of institutional investor respondents expect the private equity industry to accelerate its focus on ethnic diversity within their firms and their portfolio companies, bringing about faster change. The other 37% indicated that increased diversity and inclusion efforts in the private equity industry have been slow to materialize "despite good intentions." Managers are also moving forward on tackling climate change, spurred on by the pandemic.
    [Show full text]
  • Mapping Uganda's Social Impact Investment Landscape
    MAPPING UGANDA’S SOCIAL IMPACT INVESTMENT LANDSCAPE Joseph Kibombo Balikuddembe | Josephine Kaleebi This research is produced as part of the Platform for Uganda Green Growth (PLUG) research series KONRAD ADENAUER STIFTUNG UGANDA ACTADE Plot. 51A Prince Charles Drive, Kololo Plot 2, Agape Close | Ntinda, P.O. Box 647, Kampala/Uganda Kigoowa on Kiwatule Road T: +256-393-262011/2 P.O.BOX, 16452, Kampala Uganda www.kas.de/Uganda T: +256 414 664 616 www. actade.org Mapping SII in Uganda – Study Report November 2019 i DISCLAIMER Copyright ©KAS2020. Process maps, project plans, investigation results, opinions and supporting documentation to this document contain proprietary confidential information some or all of which may be legally privileged and/or subject to the provisions of privacy legislation. It is intended solely for the addressee. If you are not the intended recipient, you must not read, use, disclose, copy, print or disseminate the information contained within this document. Any views expressed are those of the authors. The electronic version of this document has been scanned for viruses and all reasonable precautions have been taken to ensure that no viruses are present. The authors do not accept responsibility for any loss or damage arising from the use of this document. Please notify the authors immediately by email if this document has been wrongly addressed or delivered. In giving these opinions, the authors do not accept or assume responsibility for any other purpose or to any other person to whom this report is shown or into whose hands it may come save where expressly agreed by the prior written consent of the author This document has been prepared solely for the KAS and ACTADE.
    [Show full text]
  • Del Observatorio De La 2A Edición
    2a Edición del Observatorio de la INVERSIÓN SOCIALMENTE RESPONSABLE Club de Excelencia en Sostenibilidad 2a Edición del Observatorio de la Inversión Socialmente Responsable Georgeson Fundada en 1935 en Nueva York, es la compañía más antigua y con mayor reconocimiento a nivel internacional en servicios de comunicación e información a los accionistas. Con más de 75 años de experiencia, las compañías confían en Georgeson sus Juntas de Accionistas, consultoría de Gobierno Corporativo y sus Fusiones y Adquisiciones más que en cualquier otro. En 2015 fue número 1 manejando más del doble de Juntas de Accionistas que su competidor más directo. Georgeson es un colaborador crítico en el éxito de sus clientes, actuando en una variedad de roles como adquisiciones hostiles y amistosas o proxy fights. El portafolio de servicios de la compañía incluye Proxy Solicitation; servicios de Global Information Agent; servicios de Identificación (ID) & Análisis; consultoría en Gobierno Corporativo y Responsabilidad Social Corporativa; campañas para Inversores Minoritarios y reestructuración de deuda, entre otros. Forma parte del grupo Computershare, fundado en 1978 y cotizando en la Bolsa de Valores de Australia desde 1994. Computershare emplea a más de 15.000 personas en todo el mun- do, presta servicios en más de 20 países a más de 16.000 clientes. Georgeson tiene oficinas ejecutivas en Nueva York, Londres, Roma, Toronto, París, Munich, Sydney, Hong Kong, Tokio y Madrid, que cubre España, Portugal y América Latina. Todas ellas con equipos experimentados, con profesionales con más de 20 años de experiencia en dere- cho, gobierno corporativo, ESG y proxy solicitation; trabajando en estrecha colaboración con los clientes día a día para hacer frente a los retos a los que se enfrentan en los mercados de capitales.
    [Show full text]
  • Impact Investing Handbook an Implementation Guide for Practitioners
    Impact Investing Handbook An Implementation Guide for Practitioners Steven Godeke & Patrick Briaud A PUBLICATION OF The material in this document is for informational purposes only and is not meant to provide tax, investment, or legal advice. You should not act upon any such information without first seeking qualified professional counsel. The material is based upon information which we consider reliable, but we do not represent that such information is accurate or complete and it should not be relied upon as such. This work is licensed for use under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International license. Impact Investing Handbook An Implementation Guide for Practitioners Steven Godeke & Patrick Briaud A PUBLICATION OF For Ted. For Angela, my tender companion. 6 | Impact Investing Handbook Contents Introduction 8 Chapter 1 What: Defining and Locating Impact Investing 22 Chapter 2 Who: The Players Involved 44 Chapter 3 Why: Impact Goals and Investment Goals 56 Chapter 4 How: Impact Tools and Impact Structures 86 Chapter 5 So What: Impact Measurement and Management 120 Chapter 6 Now What: Implementation and Best Practices 144 Conclusion 178 Godeke & Briaud Case Studies | 7 Case Studies 66 137 Avivar Capital & Incourage Community Skoll Foundation, Shivani Garg Patel Foundation, Lisa Richter Approach to Enterprise Impact Measurement Place-Based Shareholder Engagement 140 68 University of Oxford, Karim Harji Catalyst at Large, Suzanne Biegel Making Choices in Impact Measurement and Gender Lens Investing Management 73 150 Upstart Co-Lab, Laura Callanan The Nathan Cummings Foundation & A Creativity Lens for Impact Investing Sonen Capital, Raúl Pomares & Bob Bancroft Investor Readiness and Consensus Building 91 Rockefeller Brothers Fund, Gerry Watson 153 Impact Investing Governance Jessie Smith Noyes Foundation, Rini Banerjee Investment Advisor Search Process at a Social 94 Justice Foundation U.S.
    [Show full text]
  • Impact-Based Incentive Structures, GIIN
    ISSUE BRIEF Impact-Based Incentive Structures ISSUE BRIEF Tur? Debis asi omni alistem ostisquiatis aut re ea voluptur? Occae pro to ml exerrovit earuptae que omnihit que volora se volorro tem velent. IMPACT-BASED INCENTIVE STRUCTURES Aligning Fund Manager Compensation with Social and Environmental Performance DECEMBER 2011 www.thegiin.org 1 ISSUE BRIEF Impact-Based Incentive Structures In traditional private equity funds, the compensation for general partners (GP)1 is driven by incentives linked to the funds’ fundamental objective – the maximization of profits for their investors. Many impact investment funds have adopted this compensation structure, in which GPs take a share This issue brief draws from early examples of impact-based of the profits realized from their portfolios. However, managers of these incentive structures to present a funds must balance a more complex set of objectives: achieving social framework to guide prioritization and/or environmental impact in addition to generating financial returns. in the design of such approaches. Given this complexity, how can investors ensure that impact objectives are appropriately weighted in investment decisions? Some impact investors are attempting to address this challenge by tying a portion of GP compensation to social and environmental performance. An impact-based incentive structure raises the GP’s financial stake in the non- financial performance of their funds. As the impact investing industry develops, the Global Impact Investing Network (GIIN) is observing growing interest in impact-based incentive structures—both how they can be designed and how they work in practice. The concept of incorporating non-financial performance in GP compensation is relatively novel.
    [Show full text]
  • Sustainable Investing: a “Why Not” Moment Environmental, Social and Governance Investing Insights
    GLOBAL INSIGHTS • MAY 2018 Sustainable investing: a “why not” moment Environmental, social and governance investing insights BII0518U/E-487208-1532950 FOR INSTITUTIONAL, PROFESSIONAL, WHOLESALE, QUALIFIED INVESTORS AND QUALIFIED CLIENTS. FOR PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION IN THE U.S. ONLY. Sustainable investing is much more than a catch phrase. It is the combination of traditional investment approaches with environmental, social and governance (ESG) insights. Drawing on the insights of BlackRock’s investment professionals, we show Philipp Hildebrand why we believe it is feasible to create sustainable portfolios that do not compromise BlackRock Vice Chairman return goals and may even enhance risk-adjusted returns in the long run. Strong ESG performers tend to exhibit operational excellence — and are more resilient to perils ranging from ethical lapses to climate risks. ESG data are still incomplete, largely self-reported and not always comparable — and we advocate for greater consistency and transparency. Yet breadth and quality have improved Brian Deese Global Head of Sustainable Investing enough to make ESG analysis an integral part of the investment process. We have Isabelle Mateos y Lago moved from a “why?” to a “why not?” moment in sustainable investing. Chief Multi-Asset Strategist Summary We find ESG can be implemented across most asset classes without giving up risk-adjusted returns. ESG and existing quality metrics such as strong balance sheets have a lot in common. This implies ESG-friendly portfolios could underperform in “risk-on” periods — but be more resilient in downturns. They could even outperform in the long run as flows into sustainable investment products increase and climate risks compound.
    [Show full text]
  • From Impact Investing to Investing for Impact
    GLOBAL INSIGHTS FROM IMPACT INVESTING TO INVESTING FOR IMPACT By Jason M. Thomas and Megan Starr The dual purpose of "impact investing" has always seemed to imply that positive social and environmental outcomes necessarily come at the expense of financial performance. In this paper, we document that it is precisely the societal goals of the impact investor – diversity and inclusion, environmental sustainability, responsible governance – that increasingly generate the above-market returns sought by the market as a whole. As traditional financial efficiencies have become more fully integrated and priced in to assets, environmental and social factors provide a lens to identify untapped value in all types of companies by driving sales, reducing costs and boosting productivity through improved governance, inclusion and diversity initiatives, workplace investments in human capital, and investments in energy sustainability. 1 FROM IMPACT INVESTING TO INVESTING FOR IMPACT By Jason M. Thomas and Megan Starr The phrase “impact investing” was coined in 2007 to describe actually impede improvements in investment performance. a new form of financial intermediation that combines social By presuming that social benefits detract from returns, and environmental mission-orientation with traditional asset traditional investors ignore the ways an impact orientation management.1 From the outset, the dual purpose of the can add (market) value. And by assuming that genuine strategy seemed to suggest that positive social and environ- impact requires some degree of financial sacrifice,4 impact mental outcomes necessarily come at the expense of finan- investors can fail to appreciate how socially-optimal strat- cial performance. Researchers focused on impact’s “cost” in egies manifest themselves in company income statements terms of foregone returns,2 often implying that traditional and valuations.
    [Show full text]