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 This argument is outdated, says GSG Impact chair Nick Hurd.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.
PART 6: “He said, she said” arguments, an interfering chair, and colleagues like a “bag of ferrets” – long-time mentor Liam Black has seen it all. So do the work to know who you are as a leader, and how you want to exercise your authority – or expect trouble.
Two common refrains – hoping for the day when “every business is a social enterprise”, and claiming that social entrepreneurship “is a verb, not a noun” – sound positive. In fact, they hold us back from true progress, says the Trico Charitable Foundation boss.
Whether an impact measure corresponds with reality is irrelevant for impact investors, who want to demonstrate credibility, not truth. So methodological dilemmas are a distraction: third-party certification brings legitimacy.
Impact management and measurement industry faces explosion in demand for services from companies, NGOs, governments and others keen to measure social and environmental impact in addition to financial performance.
IMPACT 101: What is quasi-equity, and how does it work in practice? Why choose a convertible loan? FASE's Markus Freiburg explains all in our latest impact economy explainer.
As the conversation about business purpose has spread, it has become more confused and contradictory, says Tom Rippin. Only one school of thought on purpose – the systems-driven one – holds a lasting solution.
PART 5: “This should be one of the highlights of my career... but I'm hating it.” Liam Black recalls what it took to walk away from a top job with Jamie Oliver's Fifteen restaurant – and explains why finding the right “platform” for your purpose is vital.
Survey by support organisation Do it Now Now points to crisis in confidence in funders as Black-led social enterprises and charities feel the pinch of the UK’s cost of living crisis.
Universities must help create more sustainable economies by not only offering high quality education but also by acting as responsible employers and consumers, say vice-chancellors as Times Higher Education Impact Rankings released.
