Kieron Boyle, CEO of the Impact Investing Institute, on creating a fairer, greener, and more resilient future

Do One Better with Alberto Lidji in Philanthropy, Sustainability and Social Entrepreneurship

The CEO of the Impact Investing Institute, Kieron Boyle, discusses the nuances of impact investing, its various definitions, and the role it plays in creating a fairer, greener, and more resilient future.

Kieron explains the mission of the Impact Investing Institute, a nonprofit established by the UK government to accelerate impact investing both in the UK and globally. The conversation highlights how impact investing operates within financial markets to drive significant social and environmental outcomes.

Kieron Boyle defines impact investing as investing with the intention to generate positive social and environmental impacts alongside financial returns. This type of investing can range from commercial-plus investments, which offer good financial returns with additional impact considerations, to investments with high impact but potentially lower financial returns. The discussion emphasizes the importance of using impact as a lens for investment decisions, aiming to mobilize an additional trillion pounds of impact investment over the next five years. They explore the need for deeper, more liquid, and transparent markets to facilitate greater investment in impactful ventures.

The episode also addresses the challenges of impact investing, such as the necessity of pricing negative externalities to better align market activities with social and environmental goals. Kieron explains how blended finance can pool different types of capital to unlock greater investment in impactful ventures. They discuss the role of various actors, including governments, private businesses, institutional investors, and philanthropic organizations, in advancing impact investing. Collaboration among these sectors is highlighted as crucial for achieving systemic change.

Kieron shares practical steps and resources for those interested in impact investing. The Impact Investing Institute offers a comprehensive knowledge hub and library to help investors and other stakeholders learn more about impact investing. A recently published report, "Family Offices: A Roadmap to Impact," provides insights into how family offices are engaging with impact investing. The episode concludes with a call to action for investors to adopt impact as a fundamental filter in their investment strategies, aiming to create a more equitable and sustainable future.

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