Impact Investing Network

🌏 The Responsible Investment Benchmark Report Aotearoa New Zealand 2024 is here! Discover the trends shaping New Zealand’s responsible investment landscape. From surging impact investment to a growing focus on transparency, this year’s report reveals how investment is driving meaningful change. 📈 Key highlights: ➡️ Impact investing on the rise: AUM for responsible investment approaches grew from $11 billion in 2022 to $15 billion in 2023. ➡️ Transformative impact: $5.28 billion in impact funds delivered measurable outcomes like saving 1.4 billion cubic metres of water, creating 17,763 social housing homes, and mitigating 669 million tonnes of carbon emissions. ➡️ Focus on biodiversity: Projects supported native tree planting, wetland restoration, and sustainable land use. ➡️ Transparency leaps forward: 51% of managers now provide stewardship reports, up from 40% last year. ➡️ Challenges ahead: With 61% of respondents concerned about greenwashing, robust standards remain essential. 💡 What does this mean for the future? The numbers speak volumes about the potential of responsible investment to tackle social and environmental challenges—while delivering long-term value. 👉 Explore the full report here: https://lnkd.in/gKBz9pAz Responsible Investment Association Australasia (RIAA) Responsible Investment Benchmark Report Aotearoa New Zealand 2024 💬 We’d love to hear your thoughts! What trends stand out to you, and how do you see responsible investment evolving in 2024? Let’s discuss in the comments. #ResponsibleInvestment #ImpactInvesting #Sustainability #RIAANZ2024

📈 Reshaping Our View of Investment: Supercharging Aotearoa’s Impact Investing Story 🚀 As 2024 draws to a close, we celebrate the collective progress of Aotearoa’s #impact #investing sector and look ahead to the opportunities ahead. Since 2017, impact investments in New Zealand have grown from $358 million to $11 billion. This year, Phase 1 of the Aotearoa NZ Impact Investing Story highlighted this incredible journey and the sector’s potential to drive measurable, meaningful outcomes. But there’s still more to do. We must reshape the role of investment: 🔑 Unlocking social investment with government support to de-risk and scale impact. 🌱 Empowering iwi to redefine impact investment through the Māori economy, setting their own rules and leading with their whenua. 🌏 Attracting bigger investors to tackle emissions, regenerate biodiversity, and create equitable, inclusive outcomes for New Zealanders. 🏭 The tools, expertise, and networks are already in place. Now it’s time for actionable plans, measurable outcomes, and stronger collaboration. To everyone in the sector—thank you for your involvement and achievements this year. Special thanks to the Impact Investing Network Board and team for driving this mahi forward. Let’s supercharge Phase 2.0 of Aotearoa’s Impact Investing Story together. Kia kaha tonu rā! Read more about our journey and get involved: https://lnkd.in/gGMBR5-Q #ImpactInvesting #AotearoaNZ #Sustainability #MāoriEconomy Alastair Rhodes Justine Sefton Jodi Hayward Jamie Newth David Woods Dean Hegarty Katie Beith Nicola Nation

Like Christmas it's become a tradition for Impact Investing Network and Forsyth Barr Limited to host our annual Impact Investing of the Year Celebration. It's a time to celebrate all the impactful mahi of the investing sector in 2024 - encapsulated in a showreel. This year, we put together an Aotearoa NZ Impact Investing Story, which charts the stunning growth of the sector. From 2017 to today investments has grown from $358m to $11 BILLION. This growth in scale has come from an explosion from impact funds and investors entering the sector. Alongside scale, there's been increasing specialisations in investment themes (e.g. housing, climate). But. As we talked about last night. We are at just the beginning. Phase 1 is complete. We've sparked the potential of impact investing, and given us the insight to future actions and aspirations. We need to take deliberate actions, together (e.g. combining Impact Investing Network and Responsible Investment Association Australasia (RIAA) complementary expertise and networks), to bring other investors with an impact lens alongside us. We need other players to contribute to Phase 2.0 of impact investing - supercharge phase! Thanks to the sector players for the collective achievements this year, and since 2017. And to the Impact Investing Network Board and team. #impactinvesting

🌟 November Newsletter is Out! 🌟 November has been a standout month for the Impact Investing Network, filled with inspiring events, impactful partnerships, and exciting milestones. Here's the latest: 🎉 Special Announcement: We’re thrilled to be exploring integration with the Responsible Investment Association Australasia (RIAA), marking a transformative step for impact and responsible investing in our region. 🔍 David Woods appointed to the inaugural Social Investment Agency Board: A testament to David’s incredible contribution to impact investing both locally and globally. 💡 Ngāpuhi’s Solar Farm powers retirement villages: A $40M investment delivering clean energy and economic growth in Northland. 🌍 COP29: “Finance COP” highlights climate funding potential: Just 1% of global GDP could accelerate our transition to a sustainable future. 🏠 Community Finance launches Community Housing Funding Agency: Tackling New Zealand’s $14B social housing deficit head-on. 💼 Purpose Capital backs Maungaturoto Solar Farm: A major leap towards renewable energy and decarbonisation in Northland. 🤝 Final Impact Lunch of the year: Expert insights from Nicola Nation and Maria English capped off a fantastic year of social investment discussions. 📢 Join Soul Capital is on the hunt for a Senior Investment Analyst to help drive their mission of creating a more inclusive and socially responsible economy. If you’re passionate about impact investing, this could be the perfect role for you. There's more to explore—don’t miss out! Check out all the latest updates and stories in our full newsletter here: https://lnkd.in/gyEhyv8P As always, stay in the loop by liking & subscribing for future updates.

Social Investment is a priority policy for the NZ Government. This has catalysed the conversation in the impact investing sector. And rightly so. Social investment has enormous potential to achieve greater social outcomes with targeted approaches, through application of innovative impact measurement and investment models. This has meant many of the Impact Investing Network (IIN) Board and Manager have been invited to various sector events to share their expertise on impact-led and innovative approaches that could be taken to shape the direction of social investment in the Aotearoa context. The Impact Investing Network's Chair Alastair Rhodes was on a panel, offering insights on ensuring community perspectives are considered in investment, at a cross-sector hui convened by the Social Investment Agency and Minister. Nicola Willis. Impact Investing Network Board members contributed their impact practitioners' perspectives, learnt from pioneering innovative investment approaches, at cross-sector roundtables on innovative approaches to social investment. They were glad to engage with the Social Investment Agency's new CEO, Andrew Coster. And Chair of newly established Social Investment Board, Graham Scott, which David Woods has been recently been appointed to join.

For the many years of advocating for social change across the economic system and leading The Ākina Foundation, an organisation that amplifies the impact of others. Including growing the impact investment market and investable pipeline. Nicola Nation was awarded the EY Social Impact Entrepreneur of the Year, which Nicola humbly accepted on behalf of The Ākina Foundation.

Redirecting 1% of Global GDP Could Transform Our Future Every year, the world generates $100 trillion in GDP. Redirecting just 1% into climate finance—$1 trillion annually—could accelerate the shift away from fossil fuels and secure a sustainable future. To put this in perspective: 🌍 Climate finance needed: $1 trillion 👕 Global fashion industry: $2.4 trillion 🛡️ Global military spending: $2.44 trillion ⛽ Fossil fuel subsidies: $7 trillion 💰 Billionaires' wealth: $14.2 trillion According upcoming discussions at #COP29, the money exists; here’s how we can unlock it: 🔹 Reform Multilateral Development Banks to mobilise billions in concessional funding. 🔹 Recycle Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) to unlock $80 billion for climate resilience. 🔹 Implement fairer global taxation to generate new sources of climate finance. 🔹 Scale private finance mobilisation to unlock $500-$600 billion for green transitions. 🔹 Redirect fossil fuel subsidies, which reached $7 trillion in 2022, to fund climate solutions. Redirecting wealth isn’t just possible—it’s necessary. By spending $1 today, we can save $4-$7 tomorrow. 👉 Check out the link to explore these solutions in detail: https://lnkd.in/dWdB6xjk

🌏 Join our team 🌏 We've got a spot for a Senior Investment Analyst and we'd love to hear from you⭐️ Bring your financial savvy, analytical eye, and drive to contribute to meaningful change! #Hiring #ImpactInvesting #SocialInnovation #SustainableFinance

ℹ️ 2025 Auckland Climate Grant ℹ️ Auckland Council is proud to champion climate resilience across our communities and unlocking opportunities to support initiatives that drive real, lasting change. 👉 Here’s how this supports climate action: ▶️ Auckland Climate Response Grant: Grants of $1,000–$15,000 designed for groups beginning their climate action journey or scaling up efforts rapidly. ▶️ Auckland Climate Strategic Grant: Grants from $15,000–$50,000 for projects making measurable impacts in key areas such as transport, food systems, energy, and Māori-led initiatives. These grants are tailored to elevate community-led climate solutions focused on reducing emissions, strengthening resilience, and promoting Māori-led responses. Together, this can amplify Auckland’s sustainability efforts and build a future-ready city 🏙️ 🗓️ Mark your calendars—round two opens in March 2025! 🖇️ Find out how your organisation can join Auckland’s climate resilience journey: https://lnkd.in/gKgvUv2t

🌟 Congratulations to David Woods on his appointment to the Social Investment Agency's Board! David has been a cornerstone of the Impact Investing Network since 2018, serving as our inaugural chair and contributing invaluable global expertise. His leadership also extends to roles as chair of New Zealand Green Investment Finance Finance and director of the Centre for Sustainable Finance: Toitū Tahua for Sustainable Finance. We look forward to seeing the positive impact he will bring in his new role. Well done, David! 🖇 If you’re interested, take a look at our release below: https://lnkd.in/gWpFMKCv Alastair Rhodes Jodi Hayward Jo Kelly Justine Sefton Jamie Newth Dean Hegarty Katie Beith Nicola Nation