Universal impact reporting standards seem to have fallen out of grace – and social enterprises are none the wiser on how to measure their impact effectively. But what if a new approach changed what felt like a chore into a welcome pick-me-up?

Impact assets under management in the UK are up by a third compared with 2020 figures, according to latest report from Impact Investing Institute, while impact investing receives strong backing from government minister Lisa Nandy.

Measuring impact is expensive and can be seen as an unnecessary burden for impact investors and enterprises – but it may be the only antidote to impact-washing.

Proposals to develop social enterprises and other similar organisations seek to remove barriers to finance and markets and support informal economy organisations to build the “inclusive economy of Africa in the modern era”.

Paris 2024’s active strategy to support social enterprises to access contracts is hailed a success by organisers. And many hope a role in the global sporting spectacle could be a game-changer for the sector.

The green transition can be win-win for people and planet, but practical examples are important, otherwise the fight against climate change will be very hard to sell – and our top story this week is a demonstration of how it works. 

Both France and the UK have a well-established impact community. While it can easily adapt to political change, it is harder to adapt to political chaos – but the social sector can play a key part to tackle the issues at its roots. 

During the recent UK general election campaign, social economy leaders have stressed how, and why, any new government should partner with the impact sector to deliver on their pledges. Now that Labour is at the helm, what can we expect from them?

Organisations in the UK's social economy are subtly changing their tone as the country prepares to change government – and there's a good reason why they need to do this. This week's view from the Pioneers Post newsroom.