Leading voices from UK social enterprise, co-operatives and social investment have raised concerns over a “landmark” definition of the ‘impact economy’ that risks alienating a number of impactful organisations.
Impact Europe today revealed the name of its new chief: Angela Wiebeck, praised for “building bridges” between mainstream finance and impact over her two decades at UBS and Aquila Capital. She speaks to Pioneers Post from Brussels.
OPINION: There’s a message blowing across the Atlantic that the business of investment is to maximise return, and considering people and planet is woke nonsense. This argument is outdated, says GSG Impact chair Nick Hurd.
INTERVIEW: Putting a price tag on a company’s social and environmental impact is the only way to demonstrate its true profit and loss, believes Sir Ronald Cohen, who is now focusing on driving forward the next accounting revolution.
ANALYSIS: Experts had warned January policy change would exclude more women and ethnic minority founders from winning investment. They welcome reversal, but flag it’s a ‘drop in the ocean’ in battle to create a more diverse investment ecosystem.
Is the social enterprise community too readily embracing AI? Ethical tech specialist James Gauci warns that we must not get swept away in enthusiasm for its potential benefits without considering the potential harms.
As a UK general election looms, the country’s social investment wholesaler points to massive potential savings for the public purse by backing impact investment as a solution to homelessness.
Church of England will use initial £100m commitment to catalyse further investment to the Fund for Healing, Repair and Justice to support global African diaspora, in what is hailed as a "watershed moment" for impact investing.
IMPACT 101: What is steward ownership and would more companies following in the footsteps of Patagonia, Ecosia and others really transform the global economy? Adrian Hensen sets out the nuts and bolts in our latest impact economy explainer.
Should we stay or should we go? Upshot CEO Preeti Shetty describes how she faced the challenge of spinning out the social enterprise from a bigger charity, and how the team has coped during its first three years as an independent business.
The Body Shop’s decision to appoint administrators has received mixed reactions, with many in the business for good sector grieving the trailblazing ethical company’s demise, while some members of the public believe it only has itself to blame.
Big Society Capital impact report reveals it has channelled £2.6bn of investment to more than 3,500 enterprises, highlights growing interest from venture capital firms, but points to need for more efforts to reach underserved communities.
