IMPACT Awards 2022

New York Life's impact investment initiative will focus on supporting small businesses, affordable housing, and community development to support underserved and undercapitalised communities and address the racial wealth gap in the US.

Closing three transactions totalling $50 million the last year, SAIL Ventures (SAIL), the investment advisor to the &Green Fund (&Green), has sought to generate climate positive returns in tropical agri-commodity production.

Since it launched in 2010 in Italy, Treedom has planted over three million trees in Africa, South America and Italy.

Impact Institute's Global Impact Database (GID) was launched in 2019 to help organisations understand and make decisions based on a wide range of economic, social, and environmental impacts.

Judges praised the way that Vinte differentiates itself through its strong track record, the success of its sustainability bonds, the importance of impact investing in Latin America, as well as Vinte's "deep engagement with development finance".

The Wellington Global Impact Fund invests in companies that are focused on reducing inequality and mitigating the effects of climate change.

Valueco's paper on Bias assessment and mitigation for ESG scoring models investigates how to assess and quantify biases when constructing ESG ratings.

"This award is testament to the leadership shown by our clients, our partners, and our friends, and our collective ambition to drive sustainability in and through the financial system."

"This award is great recognition of Tikehau Capital's commitment to providing financing solutions that address the climate emergency, which is one of our key strategic priorities."

The Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM) is a concept developed by the Asian Development Bank (ADB), which aims to leverage low-cost and long-term funding for early coal retirement and the reinvestment of proceeds to enable renewable energy projects.

IMPACT awards judges this year praised WaterEquity, calling the asset manager "a great example of the use of private investment and the global capital market to close the financing gap that has to date contributed to the global water and sanitation crisis".

Clwyd Pension Fund has been recognised as pension fund of the year, for its 'place intentionality' approach and 4% impact asset allocation.

As a nature-based investor in the global south, Conservation International Ventures (CIV) has 29 investments in nature-positive businesses across 13 nature-based sub-sectors in Africa, Asia and Latin America.

As one of Africa's largest renewable energy independent power producers, the firm is focused on both powering - and empowering - communities across Africa.

This award recognises the work of Australian investment fund manager Metrics Credit Partners this year in creating the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander business loan product.

Natixis Corporate and Investment Banking (CIB) was praised by the IMPACT awards judges for its efforts to integrate environmental, social and governance (ESG) metrics within the bank's internal credit processes and IT systems.

Not-for-profit think tank Carbon Tracker Initiative researches the impact of climate change on financial markets and IMPACT awards judges have this year praised it as one of the leading climate data NGOs "driving innovation in green finance markets".

Nedbank Corporate and Investment Banking was the first bank in South Africa to list a renewable energy bond on the green bond segment of the local securities exchange

US non-profit community development financial institution the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) has developed an Impact Matrix.

This award reflects North Sky Capital's work in supporting solutions in waste, green energy, and the decarbonisation of the US economy.

The Advanced Medical Impact Equity Fund's UCITS focused on investing in healthcare companies that are positioned for high growth and positive social impacts.

BTE Renewables, which operates wind and solar projects in South Africa and Kenya, has implemented a vulture mitigation and conservation programme at a Kenyan wind farm that includes a squad of bird observers.

This award recognises the creation of a $500,000,000 Shariah-compliant global fund, which has been established to address the developmental and humanitarian needs of the millions of forcibly displaced people across the world.

Making money work harder to drive change in the communities that need it most is at the heart of AllianceBernstein Municipal Impact fund, according to the global asset manager.

Conscious Investment Management (CIM) invests in social and disability housing, social impact bonds, and sustainability solutions.

In 2022, BTG Pactual coordinated the structuring of the first blue bond in Brazil on behalf of Brazilian water company BRK Ambiental.

Bérénice Lasfargues has been instrumental in developing a sustainability and impact scoring methodology at BNP Paribas Asset Management (BNPP AM), according to her colleagues.

Zurich Insurance has pledged to commit 5% of total assets to impact investments by 2025

Peer-to-peer lender Amartha serves women-led microbusinesses in Indonesia that are not yet served by formal financial services.

Last year, GAM Investments launched its climate bond strategy, as part of its aim to contribute to a net-zero future, having joined the Net Zero Asset Managers initiative in 2021.

LeapFrog Investments and Tana Africa Capital have been recognised for their investment in Interswitch, an African fintech.

The Equitable School Revolving Fund (ESRF) was established to tackle the education funding gap and reduce costs for schools across the US by bringing together private philanthropic grant funding and bond proceeds.

The Arts & Culture Impact Fund is a £23 million ($28 million) social impact investment fund offering loans of between £150,000 and £1 million to help UK organisations in the arts, cultural and heritage sectors.

In its first two years of operations Raise Green has conducted 18 private exempt securities offerings across renewable energy, energy efficiency financing, community solar, electric vehicles, and sustainable manufacturing and production.

"Impact should permeate all investing activities and become embedded in the global financial system," believes Maria de Perlinghi, partner and chief impact and communications officer at Norselab.

It was NextEnergy Capital (NEC)'s due diligence and resultant mitigation of negative impacts that impressed the IMPACT awards judges.

The private equity firm looks to provide funding for sustainable tech projects across the food, energy, and recycling sectors.

Credit Suisse Asset Management has won 'Wealth manager of the year' for its' impact efforts, most notably for its pursuit of 'additionality' and engaging companies on their impact in 'Life below water', or Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 14.

Pan-African private equity firm Adenia Partners achieved a milestone in gender equality impact with its investment in Kenyan premium rose producer Red Lands Roses.

The team behind Timberland Investment Group (TIG) grew the investments of the business to encompass three million acres in 2021.

Energy cells is installing and integrating a system of four powerful battery park with a total capacity of 200 megawatts into Lithuania's energy system

The winner of 'Endowment/foundation of the year' has aimed to encourage charities, foundations and endowments into the impact space over the last year.

Indonesia-based start-up Jala Tech develops technology to improve the sustainability of shrimp farming.

This year, Singapore-based impact investor Silverstrand Capital launched the inaugural Biodiversity Accelerator+, a philanthropic initiative with the aim of scaling solutions to protect the biodiversity of Southeast Asia and beyond.

Finance in Motion's impact funds focus on environmental and social themes and work towards achieving 13 of the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).