Big Chill: Political backlash and legal threats sap shareholder support for climate action and ESG. Shareholders are voting on a record number of resolutions related to corporate action on climate and environmental, social and governance factors at this year’s annual meetings. But support for such resolutions is flagging as major asset managers recalibrate their proxy-voting strategies in the face of a coordinated campaign by Republican state attorneys general, including threats of legal action. Last year, more than 30 proposals won majority approval. “We’re nowhere near that,” said Heidi Welsh of the Sustainable Investments Institute. “The really big players are stepping back. They’re spooked a bit by the anti-ESG rhetoric.” Today’s test: shareholder resolutions at ExxonMobil’s annual general meeting that call on the oil giant to detail the risks of climate-related litigation, report on methane emissions, and quantify the costs of retiring assets to comply with net-zero scenarios, among other proposals.
Sun King raises $130 million through securitization of off-grid solar payments. Public agencies and private companies from California to Cote d’Ivoire are leveraging cash flows to finance climate adaptation and green initiatives. Social enterprise Sun King has struck a deal to securitize $130 million in current and future customer payments for its solar products. The debt financing is denominated in Kenyan shillings and backed by British International Investment, Stanbic Bank Kenya, Citi and other development finance and banking institutions. “This securitization could be key to unlocking the extensive capital needed to fund solar energy initiatives at the scale the climate crisis requires,” said Sun King’s Anish Thakkar. BII and Stanbic separately provided Sun King with $20 million in working capital.
Former Enel CEO Francesco Starace joins EQT Infrastructure as a partner… Elemental Excelerator is hiring a chief of staff in the San Francisco Bay Area… Root Capital is looking for a gender equity advisor in Indonesia… The Alliance for Community Development seeks an executive director in San Francisco… Aspen Institute and Rutgers University are hosting the Employee Ownership Ideas Forum in Washington, DC, June 14-15.
ImpactAlpha, Mar. 31 – The search for a universal metric to guide investments in racial justice and equitable wealth-building was…aspirational. “We are still a …
ImpactAlpha. Feb. 24 – “A labor market where workers have more opportunities and have more power and have more leverage is a good …
ImpactAlpha, Feb. 9 – The fatal beating by police of Tyre Nichols in Memphis last month exposed risks to the city’s finances that have …
ImpactAlpha, Nov. 18 – Cities around the U.S. are raising low-cost capital in the municipal bond markets by highlighting intentional efforts to address long-standing …
ImpactAlpha, September 30 – Capital to support women’s economic growth and financial inclusion is flowing – finally! – in many advanced economies. In emerging …
ImpactAlpha, Sept. 19 – Investors, entrepreneurs, corporate executives and world leaders have descended on New York for Climate Week, the annual gathering alongside the …
ImpactAlpha, June 27 – ImpactAlpha’s spring season of Agents of Impact Calls spanned a period of tumult in the financial markets: instability in …
ImpactAlpha, June 3 – Just as investment in financial inclusion in Africa was really ramping up, a market downturn threatens to slow progress. Or …
ImpactAlpha, May 13 – One defining outcome of the pandemic: a boom in entrepreneurship. A record five million businesses were started in the …
ImpactAlpha, April 22 – The Ukraine crisis risks tipping up to 1.7 billion people — over one-fifth of humanity — into poverty, destitution …
ImpactAlpha, Apr. 1 – High-impact investments in fragile countries invariably entail political risk. And impact investments in a free press, humanitarian tech, financial inclusion …
ImpactAlpha, Mar. 11 – It’s one thing for a corporation to set environmental or social goals. It’s another to shift executives, employees and supply …
Jack Moriarty of Ownership America chats with ImpactAlpha’s David Bank about employee ownership and new legislation to help investors back companies that are …
Eunice Ajim, founding partner Ajim Capital speaks with David Bank about her personal journey to launch the fund and her mission to support tech entrepreneurs …
Host Brian Walsh is joined by NYU’s Tensie Whelan to hear why more and more private equity firms are starting to embrace impact …
The BFM (Black Founders Matter) Fund’s Himalaya Rao speaks with David Bank about the alpha case for racial justice investing and the challenges …
As the Neighborhood Economics conference wraps up in Jackson, Miss., Kevin Jones speaks with David Bank about startup capital for sole proprietors, Black …
ImpactAlpha, April 24 – Jacob Haar’s work in microfinance in Azerbaijan inspired him to tackle obstacles to financial inclusion at home in the …
For Earth Day, Dianne Dillon-Ridgley joins host Monique Aiken to reflect on four decades of working in finance, the environment and human rights. …
ImpactAlpha, Apr. 14 – “Net zero is not going to get us anywhere,” Ariane Mahler of Veridien Global Investors tells ImpactAlpha’s David Bank. “You …
🎧 On this week’s podcast. The Turner Miint’s Adwoa Asare joins co-hostsMonique Aiken and Brian Walsh to talk about training the next generation …
From Austin, ImpactAlpha’s Dennis Price joins host Brian Walsh to discuss Texas’s surprising role as the U.S.’s leader in clean energy – and how …
Corporate, nonprofit and municipal issuers are designating bond proceeds to support organizations that increase access to finance for women and people of color. …
Host Monique Aiken has the headlines and Atlas Impact Partners’ Robert Brown and ImpactAlpha contributing editor Imogen Rose-Smith join David Bank to parse …
Where politics and finance collide, the crusade against ESG is a rollercoaster ride filled with intrigue, backroom deals, and unforeseen consequences. From politicians …
The World Bank Group’s and International Monetary Fund themed their recent meetings in Washington, DC, “The way forward: Building resilience and reshaping development.” …
What does it take to be an effective financial activist? After supporting 156 Just Economy Institute fellows over the past six years, we …
The following is an excerpt from “Working to restore: Harnessing the power of regenerative business to heal the world,” by Esha Chhabra. In …
Impact investing has now reached more than $1 trillion in assets under management. With this growth, concerns over “impact washing” have also grown. …
More than one billion people around the world live in urban areas without formal access to basic infrastructure such as potable water, sewage, …
A push by fund index providers to tighten the criteria for what qualifies as an environmental, social and governance fund has led to …
Investors routinely examine the risk of achieving their financial objectives, and screen investments for ESG risk, but how do impact investors consider the …
Management guru Peter Drucker is credited with the popular maxim “what gets measured gets managed.” This holds true also in impact investing where …
Across the globe, some 10,000 private equity firms enjoy ownership rights in 40,000 portfolio companies, which in turn manage 20 million employees. PE …
Despite the valid criticisms that have surfaced about the voluntary carbon market, carbon finance is playing a critical role in catalyzing a just …
Carbon is a hot commodity. The market for carbon removal – which spans soil carbon sequestration, reforestation and the enhancement of natural processes …
ImpactAlpha, May 26 – A decade ago, investors pushed back against the loan products Jessica Espinoza was designing for female business owners as …
ImpactAlpha, May 12 – Nigeria-born climate entrepreneur and “professional nomad” Aina Abiodun is bullish on place-based climate innovation. “There is nothing more urgent than …
ImpactAlpha, May 5 – John Moore quit his corporate gig and moved to Philadelphia two decades ago. He found a city rich in …
ImpactAlpha, April 28 — A first generation Nigerian-American, Su Sanni grew up in East New York, Brooklyn and Jamaica, Queens. The low-income neighborhoods, …
ImpactAlpha, Apr. 21 – Attorney and academic Lourdes Germán recognized early the power of public finance. She has spent years working at firms including …
ImpactAlpha, Apr. 14 – “Net zero is not going to get us anywhere,” Ariane Mahler of Veridien Global Investors tells ImpactAlpha’s David Bank. “You …
ImpactAlpha, March 24 – Hundreds of companies and investors this week urged policymakers to protect their “freedom to invest responsibly,” marking a new …
What is the net worth of Salt Lake City? It’s a relatively straightforward exercise to total up the balance sheet of a company …
ImpactAlpha, March 10 – Laura Ortiz Montemayor is not on board with decarbonization or its advocates. “Carbon is key to life. It’s a …
ImpactAlpha, Feb. 17 – Years before this week’s elegant and understated Super Bowl appearance, Robyn “Rihanna” Fenty turned down the NFL’s invitation to headline …
ImpactAlpha, February 3 — Andrew Crosson was a decade deep in the work of community economic development in central Appalachia when he got …
ImpactAlpha, January 27 – Gary Forster left his job in logistics at Procter & Gamble to volunteer in Zambia, inspired by the 2005 …
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{{beat.name}}ImpactAlpha, May 24 – The mechanics and other employees at Clegg Auto’s four car-repair shops in northern Utah since last fall have received an …
ImpactAlpha, May 24 – The Ford Foundation liked the “quality jobs” focus of Two Sigma Impact, the private equity manager that last month raised …
ImpactAlpha, May 23 – Nearly 30% of America’s homeless live in California. Among the state’s extremely low-income households who are housed, nearly 80% …
ImpactAlpha, May 18 — Employee ownership is having a moment. One promising strategy: democratizing the franchise model to widen pathways to ownership and …
ImpactAlpha, May 9 – Kentucky Derby winner Mage isn’t the only community-owned asset with national momentum (almost 400 fractional investors held a 25% …
ImpactAlpha, May 4 – The world’s growing uses for data are creating an environmental problem: data centers consume a lot of energy. Preventing …
ImpactAlpha, April 17 – Private equity firm Secha Capital made its name as an early investor in South Africa’s bread and butter businesses. …
ImpactAlpha, Mar. 31 – The search for a universal metric to guide investments in racial justice and equitable wealth-building was…aspirational. “We are still a …
ImpactAlpha, Feb. 21 – Who better to buy an established, profitable small business than the employees who work there? They know the operations, the …
Social Capital Partners, the Toronto-based nonprofit, has made a specialty out of convincing Canada’s pension funds to invest in U.S. worker-ownership conversions through …
ImpactAlpha, Dec. 21 – Real solutions. Real revenues. Real places. While other investors chased crypto and other tech fads, inclusive investors were finding …
ImpactAlpha, Nov. 30 – Patagonia founder Yvon Chouinard’s unusual succession plan made waves with its massive commitment of the family-owned company’s future profits …
Editor’s note: ImpactAlpha has partnered with HIP Investor to highlight upcoming bond issues with social and/or environmental significance. Disclaimer: Nothing in this post …
Editor’s note: ImpactAlpha has partnered with HIP Investor to highlight upcoming bond issues with social and/or environmental significance. Disclaimer: Nothing in this post …
This story was originally published by Next City as part of The Bottom Line, a newsletter exploring scalable solutions to advance affordability, inclusive economic growth and access …
Editor’s note: ImpactAlpha has partnered with HIP Investor to highlight upcoming bond issues with social and/or environmental significance. Disclaimer: Nothing in this post …
ImpactAlpha, May 1 – Massachusetts-based Divert culls food waste from US-based food retailers and converts it to natural gas through anaerobic digestion. A …
Editor’s note: ImpactAlpha has partnered with HIP Investor to highlight upcoming bond issues with social and/or environmental significance. Disclaimer: Nothing in this post …
The cultural and creative sectors are a key driver of global growth and an essential component of smart cities. Culture impact bonds could …
ImpactAlpha, Apr. 21 – Attorney and academic Lourdes Germán recognized early the power of public finance. She has spent years working at firms including …
Editor’s note: ImpactAlpha has partnered with HIP Investor to highlight upcoming bond issues with social and/or environmental significance. Disclaimer: Nothing in this post …
Editor’s note: ImpactAlpha has partnered with HIP Investor to highlight upcoming bond issues with social and/or environmental significance. Disclaimer: Nothing in this post …
ImpactAlpha, April 6 – The municipal bond market has barely begun to grapple with the risks posed by climate change, despite an escalating …
Corporate, nonprofit and municipal issuers are designating bond proceeds to support organizations that increase access to finance for women and people of color. …
Tired of business as usual? Want to make a difference in the world? ImpactAlpha is looking for an ambitious, data-driven reporter to join …
ImpactAlpha, May 26 — Impact fund managers and investors are looking for new talent in big cities, including New York, San Francisco, Paris …
ImpactAlpha, May 19 — Impact investors in the US, Asia, Europe, Africa and Latin America are hunting for talent, from impact associates to …
ImpactAlpha, May 12 — One Acre Fund this week announced it will reduce staff in its Kenya operations by nearly half as the …
ImpactAlpha, May 5 — Impact organizations in the U.S., Europe and Asia are hunting for new talent, including analysts, associates and directors. Just …
ImpactAlpha, April 28 — Impact-focused investments banks, impact funds and other impact investors are hunting for talent. Just this week: In New York …
ImpactAlpha, April 21 — Large tech companies including Google, BestBuy, Disney and Facebook are laying off tens of thousands of workers, citing concerns …
ImpactAlpha, April 14 — From asset managers and private equity investors to development banks and foundations, employers at hunting for impact talent on …
ImpactAlpha, April 7 — Foundations, wealth and fund managers, and investment banks in New York are dominating the impact jobs board. Just this week: …
ImpactAlpha, March 31 — Foundations, asset managers, corporations, investment banks and funds are hunting for global talent to fill in new impact jobs. …
ImpactAlpha, March 24 — Impact investors are looking to add new talent across all continents, from senior associates and investment officers in India and Tanzania …
ImpactAlpha, March 17 — Employers in the fast-growing global impact investing market are hunting for talents. From impact associates and analysts to impact …