Australia Recognised on World Stage For Impact Investing
13 July 2017 at 12:34 pm
An Australian small pension fund has been recognised on the global stage for leading institutional investors toward impact investing.
Christian Super was announced as the winner of the Global Steering Group for Impact Investment honors at the GSG Impact Summit 2017 in Chicago.
The fund, which manages $1.3 billion on behalf of 25,000 members, was named Asset Owner of the Year in recognition of its commitment to social impact which includes allocating 10 per cent of its assets to impact investing, as well as screening all investments for environmental, social and governance, or ESG, risk.
Australian Advisory Board on Impact Investing chair Rosemary Addis, who represented Australia on the GSG and at the summit, told Pro Bono News the award was “well deserved”.
“Reflecting the leadership from Australia, Christian Super’s award for Asset Owner of the Year is well deserved,” Addis said.
“Their pioneering approach is recognised in the context of goals now set to mobilise significant amounts of capital for impact by 2020.”
The summit brought together more than 530 participants from 47 countries across the global impact investing community, who are working to bring the market to tipping point by 2020.
Addis said it was the fourth annual gathering of leaders from around the world driving forward impact investment as a “force for innovation and better outcomes in how we tackle social issues”.
“The focus on steering the global impact investing market to tipping point by 2020 reflects the rapid development since the G8 Taskforce was launched in 2013,” Addis said.
“It’s successor, the Global Steering Group for Impact Investment has grown from the G7 plus Australia and the EU to 16 countries with the admission of Finland, Argentina and Uruguay at the Summit. Eleven more countries from South Africa to Bangladesh, China to Peru, South Korea to Columbia and Central and Eastern Europe are developing national advisory boards and national strategies with a view to joining the global effort.
“The global group has set ambitious, but achievable targets for 2020 that include delivering impact with and for billions of people and for the planet and reaching over US$300 billion [A$390 billion] invested for impact by 2020.
“Achieving these goals will require boldness and commitment to action by all actors in the market.”
Addis was joined at the summit by other Australian participants from across the banking and investing sectors, as well as for the first time, representation by the Australian government.
It comes after DFAT recently made a contribution through the AAB in support of the GSG’s work to enable developing countries to participate and benefit from this growing market.
Addis said governments were a “critical partner and catalyst for impact” with a “significant stake in the future of impact investing as a force to mobilise more capital for public good and drive innovation to improve outcomes”.
“It was terrific to have Australian government representatives participating for the first time,” Addis said.
“The Australian Advisory Board on Impact Investing is very pleased to now have DFAT as a partner supporting Australia’s leadership role in the GSG. “
