What is impact investing?
Impact investing means investing in companies that aim to deliver meaningful societal outcomes by addressing the world’s major societal and environmental challenges, while at the same time producing a financial return.
The challenges facing the world today
While we support the UN SDGs, we are not associated with the UN and our funds are not endorsed by them.
The SDG Reckoning Report - Can the world catch up?
We've published our third annual report, assessing the progress of the UN Sustainable Development Goals - from a general perspective and through an impact investing lens.
Since our inaugural report in 2020, progress towards the goals has been tentative at best, with the latest report revealing that the world is on track to deliver only seven of the 17 SDGs.
You can read the full report, which has been issued by our parent company, M&G plc, here
Watch our head of impact and sustainable investing, Ben Constable-Maxwell discuss the report in this short interview with Sky News.
The views expressed in this video should not be taken as a recommendation, advice or forecast.
How do impact funds differ from ethical and ESG investing?
Ethical funds
Avoid companies in ‘sin sectors’ such as alchohol, tobacco and pornography - a range that many funds have expanded today to include fossil fuels.
ESG funds
Invest in companies across a wide range of industries, giving weight to those that score well on environmental, social and governance issues.
Impact funds
Invest in companies that explicitly aim to have a positive impact on the societal and environmental issues that face the world. In our approach to impact investing, every company must demonstrate measurable benefits. For example, investments might show CO2 emissions saving in tonnes.
A rigorous approach to impact assessments
Our impact team, representing a wide range of expertise, from fund managers, impact analysts and sector specialists, are dedicated to putting your assets to work, aiming to generate strong returns while also delivering clear benefits to society and the planet.
Selection begins with a global universe of stocks, which is initially screened for minimum liquidity and market-cap criteria, as well as screening out any companies deemed to be in breach of the UN Global Compact principles on human rights, as well as any sin stocks.
The remaining stocks are scored on their III credentials, and require above average results for inclusion in a fund’s watch-list, as well as consensus agreement of a company’s merit from all members.
Our III framework
We have designed a framework that scores companies on their investment, intention and impact (III). We only choose companies that score highly across all three categories.
We also invest in three categories of companies that aims to provide diversification across industries, markets and maturity of business models.
Our impact funds
Our Positive Impact team
John Willian Olsen
Buy/Sell timing and portfolio risk management
Ben Constable-Maxwell
Measurement, engagement and external networks
Susanne Grabinger
Investment Director
Thembeka Stemela Dagbo
Fund manager/Impact research
Jasveet Brar
Fund manager/Impact research
Emily Lydon
ESG investment specialist
Maria Municchi
Multi-asset impact specialist
Nayab Amjad
Impact research
Jermaine Mensah
Impact research
Laura Struch
Impact research
Lucy Hancock
Impact research
Martin Wales
Rotating Sector specialist
Philip Kemp
Impact Content specialist
Alice de Charmoy
Emerging Markets specialist
Michael Oliveros
Small-midcap specialist
Christopher Andrews
Engagement specialist
Creating Positive Futures
Watch our new monthly educational series, and discover the latest insights on how investing for impact can help create positive futures for all.
The value of the fund's assets will go down as well as up. This will cause the value of your investment to fall as well as rise and you may get back less than you originally invested.