Now in its seventh edition, the report aims to bring to life the social and environmental impacts associated with the investments and engagements made on behalf of clients in the EQ Positive Impact strategy [1].
Positive Impact approach
The EQ Positive Impact strategy invests in solutions to social and environmental problems and actively engages for change towards a more sustainable world. This investment strategy has a dual focus on maximising both impact and financial returns.
Shifting the dials: UN Sustainable Development Goals
The UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) [2] comprise a series of 17 sets of targets across a range of issues to be met by the world’s economies by 2030.
With less than a decade left to accomplish these demanding targets, the ambition of the strategy to demonstrate that investors can make positive impact through their investments has never been more important.
As in previous years, we establish a ‘theory of change’ for all solution companies, linking their core products and services to their impact on an SDG. We then measure their contributions along this chain of results.
Innovation in reporting
Our reporting expands again this year, to include our new active stewardship strategy. This ensures that we maximise our influence in shaping the behaviour of the companies we invest in on behalf of our clients and lift ambitions across the investment industry.
We also report on the outcomes of our engagements, AGM activism and industry collaborations, tracking the impact that the strategy makes through engagement.
Impact themes
The report examines five investment themes, covering shared global challenges:
- Investing in health and well-being
- Investing in social inclusion
- Investing in natural capital
- Investing in sustainable communities
- Investing for the climate.
Each theme includes company examples, global progress indicators for the relevant SDG, and engagement case studies.
We continue to focus on our responsibilities as stewards of our clients’ capital during these turbulent times,