On October 30th, 2018, AQAL participated at the GIIN Investor Forum in Paris.
This conference is one of the biggest impact investor conferences worldwide– with more than 1.200 delegates from over 80 countries.
For two days, investors and impact investors discussed in plenary sessions, panels, workshops, and debates about the future of investing. Here is a selection of topics:
- What are the main characteristics of an impact investor?
- How can investors redefine fiduciary duty?
- How can investors invest capital accordingly the SDGs and to keep global warming under 2 degrees Celsius?
- How should an impact portfolio look like?
- What role does legislation play in impact investing?
- What role do blockchain and cryptocurrencies play in impact investing?
Our highlights of the conference
Mrs. Golstein Brouwers highlighted that all investments are impact investments, everybody is a banker, and a system change has to happen now through cooperation and co-creation. She said: “We need curiosity, courage, co-creation, cooperation, and care… Let’s work on making impact investing the new normal.”
Sir Ronald Cohen predicted that the future has to highlight 3 criteria of an investment – risk, return and impact. We need the private sector to bring the contributions the government cannot bring. He concluded: “Measurable means dependable, not 100% perfect.… If 20% of companies measure their impact, that’s a paradigm shift and the rest will follow.”
Amit Bouri highlighted: “We need a new financial system that is accountable for its effects on people and the planet. I believe that impact investing presents a real alternative to the status quo.”
Bertrand Badré is convinced that market economy has to be forced into impact through regulation, incentives and through making impact investing the new norm. He said: “It is our money and not the money of Blackrock, Amundi and Co – we have to make sure that our money is aligned with our values.”
The final panel on the future of investing was an amazing closing with exclusively women being on stage.
Saadia Madsbjerg from the Rockefeller Foundation summarized the key insights from this forum:
Dear financial world – let’s not let impact investing be this nice little thing that makes us feel good while we do devastating things with the rest of our portfolios.
Learn more about the GIIN Investor Forum here (http://www.impactinvestorforum.com/events/giin-investor-forum/event-summary-28adbf16aea348d6aa15e570a83691b3.aspx) and on Twitter (https://twitter.com/theGIIN).