Impact Investing Primer
What is impact investing? This primer is an introduction to the field and how investors are seeking to create positive impact across asset classes.
What is Impact Investing?
Impact Investing utilizes capital markets to address global challenges.
Every investment has an impact, whether intended or unintended. Impact investors, however, specifically seek out investments whose environmental and social outcomes are positive and definable. As Impact Investing becomes more mainstream, there are increasingly more opportunities to invest with impact. Impact investments are already available in both public and private markets and across all asset classes—including hard assets such as real estate, timber, and agriculture.
Impact investments provide capital to innovative private companies providing solutions to global sustainability issues such as climate change, accessible education, and energy and food security. They also support public and private companies with responsible and sustainable business practices. Additionally, impact investments promote community wealth building by creating jobs in low‐income communities; helping in affordable housing initiatives and neighborhood revitalization; making loans to small businesses, and raising funds for vital community services. Impact Investing, whether private or public, stocks or bonds, requires professional management of social, environmental, and financial performance.
Get the Primer to Learn More
Download a PDF of the full primer, originally published by Veris in 2011. Other topics the primer covers includes:
- The Veris Perspective
- Have We Reached a Tipping Point?
- How to Approach Impact in Public Equity and Fixed Income Investments
- How to Measure Impact
- Impact Financial Performance Across Asset Classes
- How to Conceptualize Impact Investing in Your Portfolio
- Impact Investing Across Asset Classes
- Impact & Mission‐Related Investing Terms
