World’s investors must help the planet survive, says GIIN

All banks, endowments, foundations, asset managers and other investors should dedicate more of their funds to impact investments without delay.

This is the message from Amit Bouri, CEO of the Global Impact Investing Network, who is spearheading a drive to boost impact investments – those investments that generate a positive social environmental impact alongside a financial return – to help meet the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

“If sufficient investment capital can be channelled to these goal areas through impact investing, the Sustainable Development Goals are achievable,” he said.

“We need more of the world’s investors to join in this world-changing initiative if we’re going to make the goals a reality. There’s no time to waste.”

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals were agreed on 25 September 2015 and set out 17 targets to end poverty, improve the environment and ensure prosperity across the world by 2030.

If only a fraction of these funds were dedicated to helping advance the goals, we could make great strides

Bouri took his campaign to investors via an op-ed in international finance publication, Institutional Investor.

In the article, Bouri said: “Financial leaders have the means to accelerate progress.”

He added that global asset managers controlled more than $70 trillion in 2015. “If only a fraction of these funds were dedicated to helping advance the Sustainable Development Goals, we could make great strides.”

Some investors are already involved, he pointed out. For example, PGGM, the Dutch pension fund manager that controls more than $225 billion in responsible investments is aligning its four impact investing lines of business with six of the Sustainable Development Goals.

Credit Suisse too has impact investing activity aimed at nearly every goal.

Bouri concluded: “This investment is not just for profit – but for survival.”

• The Global Impact Investing Network has a membership of more than 220 impact investing organisation across 33 countries. You can read more about its campaign and read some profiles of impact investors here.