To achieve the SDGs by 2030, we face a $2.5 trillion annual financing gap.

While tremendous amounts of capital are moving into impact financing to close this gap, doubts remain around their impact. This report examines this flow of capital, with a specific focus on impact investing due to its rapid emergence and challenging, subjective definition for which funds should “count.” 

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Regulatory solutions
  • EU SFDR
  • Biden Administration’s Sustainability Agenda
  • China’s Sustainability regulations
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Harmonisation
  • CRD Better Alignment Project
  • WEF’s IBC white paper
  • IMP
  • IFRS (SSB)
  • Joint Statement of Intent
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Principles and guidelines
  • IFC’s Operating Principles for Impact Management
  • UN PRI
  • SVI’s Social Value Principles
  • UNDP
  • UNEP FI’s Principles for Positive Impact Finance)
  • UNGC
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Frameworks, metrics and reporting
  • CDP
  • CDSB
  • CFA ESG Standards
  • GIIN (IRIS+)
  • GRI standards
  • IIRC framework
  • SASB standards
  • SVI standards
  • TCFD
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Ratings and valuation
  • WBA
  • B Lab
  • HBS’s Impact Weighted Accounts Initiative
    (IWAI)
Method

With support from the Skoll Centre for Social Entrepreneurship, we conducted a systems mapping (Meadows, 1999) exercise to better understand the interlocking entities within the impact investing ecosystem and how they relate to each other. This visual methodology allows for clarified communication and rapidly showcases the most pressing issues affecting current and aspiring practitioners and investors.

Here, our mapping of the impact investment landscape is also meant to provide a jumping-off point for articulating key leverage points to develop interventions, innovations, and policies that prevent impactwashing, improve impact assurance, and increase investments into impact. 

Edward Yee Givfunds

Edward Yee

Co-Founder - Givfunds

Author

Zhilin Xiao

MBA candidate - Oxford

Author

Hannah Levinson

Managing Director - Lahayim Cooperative

Author

Takeshi Igarashi

Investment Professional - Globis Corporation

Author

Noah Law

MBA Candidate - Oxford

Author

GSG Impact

Contributor

The Skoll Centre for Social Entrepreneurship

Contributor

Saïd Business School

Contributor

The University of Oxford

Contributor

Alasdair Maclay

Alasdair Maclay

Managing Director - GSG Impact

Contributor

Jean-Pierre Noel

Chartered Companion - CIPD

Contributor

Publication enquiries

realimpact@gsgii.org