OPINION: Coca-Cola did $3bn-worth of environmental damage in 2019, and the negative health impact of Danone’s products was nearly $8bn, reveals a new accounting approach. The time is up for self-serving, inaccurate ESG reporting.
The more that impact measurement is relied on to shape investor decisions, the more worried we should be, says Dr Jess Daggers: the information gathered does not necessarily correspond with reality, and yet few take this risk into account.
The Mumbai slum romanticised in the film Slumdog Millionaire is to be redeveloped – but current plans ignore its function as a hub of enterprise and creativity. Sustainability-linked finance could unlock an alternative future.
The Global Steering Group for Impact Investment appoints former UK minister to role, although social investment pioneer Ronald Cohen has emphasised he isn’t ‘hanging up his boots’ just yet.
Inaugural awards scheme, run in partnership with African Venture Philanthropy Alliance, aims to showcase “inventiveness” of Africa’s investors and market builders. Entries are open until 31 March.
INTERVIEW: Putting a price tag on a company’s social and environmental impact is the only way to demonstrate its true profit and loss, believes Sir Ronald Cohen, who is now focusing on driving forward the next accounting revolution.
The impact investment market still represents only 0.5% of the €17.8tn investment market in Europe – still not enough, warn EVPA and GSG, as they present the first harmonised market sizing of the continent.
The institute launches this week in Brussels, together with landmark research on the Belgian market to kickstart Impact Week, which also includes the Ashoka Changemaker Summit and EVPA’s conference and C-Summit.
Larger businesses are often seen as the better investment bet. But for more resilient economies, we must focus on helping SMEs to flourish. GSG's Krisztina Tora on lessons from pioneering efforts in Zambia and Ghana.
