Washington, D.C., September 30, 2019—The Secretariat for the Operating Principles for Impact Management today announced that 18 more organizations have adopted the Operating Principles for Impact Management—a new set of standards for impact investing. With these new Signatories, the total number is 76.
The Principles bring discipline and transparency to the impact investing market. They ensure that impact considerations are integrated throughout the investment process, requiring signatories to focus on both impact and financial performance at all stages of the investment cycle. The International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, worked together with a core a group of impact investors – asset owners, asset managers, wealth managers, and development finance institutions – to develop the Principles, which were launched in April 2019.
Impact investing is gaining prominence because investors are increasingly seeking investments that deliver a positive impact on society, along with a positive financial return. That means additional capital could be devoted to the world’s most urgent challenges, such as tackling poverty, building infrastructure, or providing access to clean water and power.
The current size of the impact investing market is relatively small, at around $800 billion, but estimates are that the potential market could be as high as $26 trillion.
“Signatories are working to bring about greater transparency in the impact investing market,” says Diane Damskey, Head of the Secretariat for the Operating Principles for Impact Management. “Investors, with access to increased public disclosures on how the investments are being managed, will be able to compare their approaches and benchmark them against emerging best practices. In time, we hope more investors will join these investors in adopting the Principles.”
The following is the list of new Signatories since the launch of the Principles in April 2019: Albright Capital Management LLC, Christian Super, Denham International Power GPLP SCSp, Development Partners International LLC, Egyptian-American Enterprise Fund, Finance in Motion, FullCycle, INOKS Capital SA, Investing for Development SICAV, Japan International Cooperation Agency, Neuberger Berman, Origin Capital, Sarona Asset Management Inc., Symbiotics S.A., The Osiris Group, Triple Jump, UOB Venture Management Private Limited, and VentureWave Capital Ltd. The 76 Signatories are spread out across 26 countries.
The Principles are governed by a secretariat and advisory board. The secretariat supports the promotion and adoption of the principles while the board advises the secretariat on the implementation and evolution of the principles.
About the Secretariat for the Operating Principles for Impact Management
The Secretariat for the Operating Principles for Impact Management is responsible for governance and operations. It oversees, administers, and supports the continued promotion and adoption of the Principles. An advisory board, consisting of 12 representatives from elected Signatory organizations, provides guidance to the Secretariat and advice on the evolution of the Principles. For more information, visit www.impactprinciples.org.