Impact investing came of age amid the global pandemic

Impact investing came of age in 2020, proving itself both resilient and the potential answer to the social inequality and biodiversity crises highlighted by the Covid-19 pandemic, reports UBP in its latest impact report.

Investors did not recoil from sustainable investing during the economic uncertainty and volatile markets, but redoubled their efforts resulting in unprecedented asset growth across the industry.

During 2020, UBP developed its engagement process, including questions on biodiversity. It also added biodiversity expertise to its impact advisory board by appointing Bastien Sachet, CEO of the Earthworm Foundation, a Swiss non-profit organisation that works with the global agricultural and food industry.

It expanded its impact asset management with the addition of the Positive Impact Emerging Equity fund. It also improved its impact engagement framework to include 948 data points evaluating 79 portfolio companies in 27 countries.

It also strengthened collaborative engagement with the Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL) and the UN’s PRI working group on palm oils.

The report has a number of interesting interviews with companies it is investing in, including Mexican microlending firm Gentera, and Corticera Amorim, the world’s largest producer of sustainable cork products.