APG and PGGM have worked on investment strategies to boost the UN SDGs and developed ‘taxonomies’ to provide ‘clear guidance on what type of investments qualify as SDIs (Sustainable Development Investments)’ and ‘kickstart the conversation about a market standard for SDIs’. Learn more about this new development in the impact investing space.
Since their inception in 2015, the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals have attracted attention from investors for their potential to serve as a universal monitoring framework for measuring impact of their investments. Over the past year, there have been many developments bridging the gap between the SDGs and the mainstream investment community in Europe. Last September, Swedish pension funds AP1, AP2, AP3, AP4 and Dutch asset managers APG, PGGM, Actiam, MN and Kempen came together to show commitment to the UN Sustainable Development Goals and put emphasis on using SDGs as a reference framework to guide investors.
The term ‘Sustainable development investments or SDI’ was coined, to represent the link between the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and tangible investment opportunities. SDIs are investments that yield market-rate financial returns which generating a positive social and/or environmental impact.
Last December, leading Dutch financial institutions collaborated on the Dutch SDGI agenda to present their perspective on ‘Building Highways to SDG investing’. In their report, the signatories recommend priorities for maximizing ‘SDG investing’ (SDGI) – at home as well as abroad and offer concrete ways to accelerate and scale investments into the SDGs.
We at Phenix Capital welcome this move and hope it will prompt many constructive conversations within the institutional investor community to push the SDG agenda forward.
