1. Impact has gone mainstream
If it wasn’t obvious before, it was clear from the GPC Conference, held recently in New York, that impact has firmly hit the mainstream – everybody was talking about it. In fact, I don’t think I saw an investor at the conference without an impact agenda or an ESG agenda.
The dominant impact themes seemed to be how investors can address the climate crisis, support inclusion and work better with SMEs. This growth is a testament to the hard work of colleagues from across development finance institutions over the past few years.
2. Digital is unlocking industries
Digital transformation was another trend exciting participants at the conference, and specifically the opportunities it is bringing (and will bring in future). Digitisation is causing structural shifts across all industries and we’re seeing huge potential – on an incredible scale – to deliver huge impact, whilst providing strong returns for investors.
3. A just transition is for every sector
Whilst the increased attention being paid to impact provides a reason to be optimistic, it’s important that sectors aren’t left behind as investors shift focus.
It is probably easiest to illustrate this point through the example of climate change. With more investors turning their attention towards tackling the climate crisis, we need to ensure that capital is not just focused on the energy sector, because all sectors need investment to support a just transition to a low carbon economy.
And we need a broad approach to tackle this pressing issue – we don’t want to be in a situation where capital is focused on a narrower set of opportunities. This issue was raised in a panel session hosted by Gillian Tett from the Financial Times.
4. The perfect place to introduce our new name
Finally, the conference provided the perfect opportunity to introduce our new name, British International Investment, to investors and fund managers. We were delighted with how it was received and we look forward to working with partners, both existing and new, as we begin life as BII and implement our new five-year strategy.
