To save billions of people from hardship we must urgently put social and environmental impact at the heart of our economies

Global Steering Group for Impact Investment 2020 Impact Summit: Leaders’ Declaration for a just and sustainable future, addressed to G7 and G20 Leaders, Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors

The Covid-19 Crisis has created an urgent need for a just, impact-led recovery that serves all people and preserves our planet. It presses us to change our ways, so that we can better address the great social and environmental challenges ahead of us. To save billions of people from greater hardship, it is urgent that we bring impact to the heart of our economies and put the following into action:

1. Scale impact investment to combat unemployment, reduce inequality and preserve the environment

Introduce incentives to accelerate impact investment, which seeks social as well as financial returns in order to create sustainable jobs, advance education, improve healthcare, and fund the expansion of non-profit organizations that support the most vulnerable.
Spur investment into small and medium-sized impact-driven businesses and high-growth impact ventures in developed and developing countries, to create millions of new jobs. Since many large companies are streamlining their operations and eliminating jobs, impact growth ventures and SMEs provide the best route to creating new jobs and supporting the recovery.

2. Mandate impact transparency for companies

Establish impact transparency by mandating that companies publish audited financial accounts that reflect their social and environmental impacts. This will provide ESG investors and consumers with the transparency they need to hold businesses accountable for the harm they cause and reward them for the positive impact they create.

3. Introduce legislation to empower companies and investors to pursue impact

Shift our economies away from profit alone to profit and impact. Amend legislation and regulations to allow companies, pension funds and charitable endowments to base their decisions on return and impact.

We are at an historic crossroad. Our future is in our hands. There has never been a greater need or a greater time to transform our economies so they better serve society and preserve our planet. We call on everyone – governments, citizens, consumers, investors, companies and philanthropists – to support implementation of these measures and pave the way to a fairer and more sustainable world.

Please take action to help achieve a just and impact-led recovery, by signing the declaration here.

Signatories:

All signatories to the declaration can be viewed here