IMPACT Awards 2023

South African solar energy company Herholdt's reports its revenue has grown by 500% in the last 18 months, having been acquired by Mauritius-based private equity firm Adenia in 2021.

The Power to Change programme is an Actis-backed initiative that works alongside governments and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to create positive social impacts for local communities across Nigeria, Senegal, and Mozambique.

Gestcompost, a Suma Capital majority-owned organic waste management company, this year finished construction and began operations on its new treatment plant allowing it to more than double its waste treatment capacity.

Created to provide secure housing for women at risk of homelessness, domestic abuse survivors, and others with complex needs in the UK, Patron Capital's Women in Safe Homes fund has raised £29 million ($36.2 million)...

Italian lender Banco BPM has scooped the issuer impact reporting award after being praised for its focus on providing methodological transparency on its impact calculations to its sustainable bond investors.

A zero-deforestation soy finance initiative managed by Sustainable Investment Management (SIM) has scooped the Impact initiative of the year - Latin America and Caribbean award...

Hybar has been honoured for its ground-breaking all-electric scrap metal recycling and low carbon steel manufacturing facility being constructed in the US, which it is financing with a "milestone" green bond.

Amidst ongoing discussions on growing energy costs and rising food prices, NextEnergy Solar Fund (NESF) published research to demonstrate how solar farms enhance environmental management.

Earlier this year, Nuveen Natural Capital Poland (NNCP) launched a new farmland management initiative that seeks to implement nature-positive farming practices for the benefit of nature, climate, and people.

Mathilde Dufour has been with the Natixis group since 2009, initially as a socially responsible investing analyst at a time when sustainable finance was in its infancy...

Vital Capital seeks to identify what it calls "overlooked opportunities to build successful, scalable businesses that transform lives".

Looking to make impact investment an option for all investors, Praxis Mutual Funds delivers programmes to financial advisors so they can better steward the financial savings of everyday investors towards environmental and impact investments.

In response to the refugee crisis sparked by the war in Ukraine, impact investor NESsT launched its Refugee Employment Initiative to provide employment resources to refugees and migrants.

Responding to South Africa's shortage of beds for students, Momentum Investments partnered with Eris Properties to invest in affordable student housing in the country.

Bank of America's nine year agreement to purchase $580 million in wind energy tax credits galvanised a $1.5 billion renewable energy portfolio.

Wellington Management secured an award for its impact equity and bond reporting as well as its overall impact investment approach, which one judge described as a "well-considered and articulated" impact approach.

The 20-attorney-strong dedicated ESG and Impact team at Kirkland & Ellis has focused on adapting to evolving regulatory regimes and industry frameworks

Having developed an impact investment approach for its fixed income, private equity, and private debt, Zurich now measures its portfolio impacts against its stated objectives.

Global alternative asset management group Tikehau Capital has a dedicated sustainability-themed and impact platform focused on four pillars: decarbonisation, nature and biodiversity, cybersecurity, and resilience.

Karner Blue Capital manages diversified, long-only, all-capitalisation, global and US-only public equity strategies focused on biodiversity preservation, climate change mitigation, and environmental stewardship.

Sustainable investment firm Ecofin, in partnership with data and analytics firm ICE Climate Transition Finance (ICE), has developed a proprietary framework to quantify avoided emissions for individual companies within investment portfolios.

Private debt manager Channel supports the innovation economy with short-term, flexible and non-dilutive funding, often with an eye towards sustainability and impact initiatives.

About 7% of the Church of England's £10 billion ($13 billion) endowment fund was invested in climate and environmental solutions, corresponding to over £800 million, as of December 2022, according to the group responsible for managing it.

In May, the Republic of Ecuador completed the world's largest debt conversion for nature.

Greater Manchester Pension Fund (GMPF) local investment portfolios has commitments of £828 million ($1 million) in an impact-themed portfolio and £535 million in the Greater Manchester Property Venture Fund, with £858.7 million drawn down as of 31 December 2022.

The World Bank has been recognised for its innovative $50 million emission reduction-linked bond issued in February 2023 which links its coupon payments to verified carbon credits generated by a water purification project.

Having only been in operation for under two years, Micro Connect has already managed to assist 10,000 micro and small enterprises (MSE) in China to access $460 million in funds from global capital, by leveraging fintech.

Launched by UK filmmaker Richard Curtis, Make My Money Matter takes home the trophy for non-profit of the year.

Having lent more than BRL $21.9 billion ($4.4 billion) to the 'green economy', the judging panel praised Sicredi for its "significant green lending" within emerging markets this last year.

Winning the award for Fund of the year - listed equity, Mirova says its Global Sustainable Equity Fund's multi-thematic investment approach aims to identify opportunities which are playing a key role in building a sustainable world...

For over 35 years US-based investment advisor Natural Investment says it has encompassed all aspects of ESG, with dedicated investments into regenerative agriculture, as well as racial equity and worker-owned cooperatives.

The localised and complex nature of biodiversity means measurement is one of the most difficult areas for financial institutions to grapple with.

Private equity firm Avenue Capital's Sustainable Solutions Fund offers private debt to companies and projects that it says have a positive and measurable environmental impact in the US.

Developed in conjunction with Australian bank in Westpac, mutual organisation Australian Unity launched a $50 million sustainability-linked loan connected to wellbeing,...

Water supplier Aqualia last year received a €1.1 billion ($1.2 billion) green syndicated loan, coordinated by Caixabank, to support projects in sustainable water and waste treatment, renewable energy and clean transport in connection with its core activities.

For the second year in a row, Natixis CIB has won the Investment bank of the year award.

Cazenove Capital's approximate £1.5 billion ($1.9 billion) Charity Sustainable Multi Asset Fund has returned 26.2% since inception in 2018, outperforming its benchmark, the Asset Risk Consultants (ARC) Steady Growth index,...

Focusing on urban sustainability, venture capital fund 2150 aims to scale pioneering solutions in climate action, resource efficiency and environmental protection to transform cities.

The fixed income impact investment team at Nuveen has scooped two Environmental Finance IMPACT Awards, including the fixed income fund of the year awards for its $130 million TIAA-CREF Green Bond Fund.

"Biodiversity loss is the next major challenge barrelling down the path towards investors..."

Mercer Private Investment Partners (PIP) VII Global Impact is a global fund covering a broad spectrum of private market asset classes

The Climate Innovation & Development Fund is taking home the award for impact initiative of the year in Asia, as judges praised its "catalytic impact at meaningful scale, addressing a critical global problem".

Schroders' acquisition of Switzerland-based impact investor BlueOrchard has proved to be transformative for the London-listed asset manager, according to Catherine Macaulay, who has been at the forefront of integrating its expertise.

The Brazilian region of Cerrado is one of the world's most biodiverse geographies, home to around 5,500 species of plant species not found anywhere else on the planet, and also a critical water, food and livelihood source for millions of people.