ABOUT THE GSG

A registered UK charity since November 2017, the GSG currently has 36 member countries. Chaired by Sir Ronald Cohen, the GSG brings together leaders from finance, business and philanthropy to solve some of the world’s most pressing social and environmental challenges.

The Global Steering Group for Impact Investment (GSG) is an independent organisation catalysing impact investment and entrepreneurship to benefit people and the planet. The GSG was established in August 2015 as the successor to and incorporating the work of the Social Impact Investment Taskforce established under the UK´s 2013 presidency of the G8.

What is impact investment?

Impact investment optimises risk, return and impact to benefit people and the planet. It does so by setting specific social and environmental objectives alongside financial ones, and measuring their achievement.

INVESTING FOR GOOD

Governments and philanthropists alone cannot cope with the enormous scale of the social and environmental challenges we face. They are constrained in their ability to spend more, yet social issues continue to proliferate. Many are starting to realise that they do not have the resources or the ability to provide a solution alone.

As public finances face rising pressure, private savings are growing. Investment groups and the individuals whose savings they manage have been turning away from investments that do harm to the environment and negatively affect people and communities. Increasingly, they want their money to do good while delivering a return.

Impact investment optimises risk, return and impact by elevating positive social and environmental goals to sit alongside financial ones. There is enormous, untapped potential in impact investment’s ability to improve people’s lives and benefit the planet.

WHAT WE DO

POLICY

We engage with policymakers to make the case for impact and agitate for a worldwide shift to impact economies.

KNOWLEDGE SHARING

We bring together the global impact community to share knowledge and build understanding of the benefits of impact investment.

INNOVATION

We develop innovative ideas, approaches, and products for impact.

MARKET BUILDING

We foster local impact economies with National Advisory Boards in 36 countries and growing.

NATIONAL ADVISORY BOARDS

The network of National Advisory Boards brings together experts in the fields of investment, public policy and social and environmental innovation. Their role is to promote and facilitate the development of impact investment in the countries in which they operate.

This network provides the GSG Group an unrivalled view into how impact investment can address the needs of people and the environment in different countries around the world. That enables us to push for impact investment that can solve challenges both nationally and at a global level.

GSG’s 2022 strategic focus

The focus in 2022 is on system change, implementation, and outcomes at scale through collaborating with the NABs and partners across the world on workstreams, all aligning with the Impact Taskforce recommendations, including:

  1. Development of country impact ecosystems to harness private capital for public good (SDG 17)
  1. Informal settlements and refugee social equity solutions through impact investment (SDGs 1-11)
  1. Multilateral development banks (MDBs) and Development Finance Institutions (DFIs) increasing impact investment & mobilisation of private capital for public good – focus on SME finance mobilisation in emerging markets, especially in Sub-Saharan Africa (SDGs 8-9 & 17)
  1. Impact transparency, standards harmonisation & regulation, value reporting (SDGs 9-12)
  1. Supporting Just Transition initiatives and other G7 ITF and G20 engagement recommendations (all SDGs)