Gender Lens Investing: Impact Opportunities Through Gender Equity

With a gender lens framework, investors can positively impact gender imbalances via their portfolio management choices; this paper provides tangible investment themes and implementable strategies.

September 2018

Social Equity Investing: Righting Institutional Wrongs

There is perhaps no better time for social equity investing. Many institutional investors have long sought to promote social equity through grant making and other philanthropic endeavors. With the field of impact investing maturing, these institutions are now increasingly seeking investment solutions to accomplish the same goal.

July 2018

Venture Capital and Impact Investing: Blurring Boundaries Mean New Opportunities

Impact investing – allocations that aim for social and/or environmental change or to solve a problem in the world – has historically stood apart from “traditional,” financial-return driven investing. But increasingly in several asset classes, including venture capital, an exciting convergence of variables is blurring the boundaries, perhaps turning this old distinction on its head. […]

May 2018

Navigating the “Alphabet Soup” of Mission-Related Investing

Mission-related investing. Socially responsible investing. Impact investing. Sustainability investing. Environmental, Social, and Governance. Also known as: MRI, SRI, II, SI, ESG. The lexicon of mission-related investing can sometimes feel like “alphabet soup.” There is no universal framework for the terminology and the strategies that we include under the umbrella of mission-related investing are expansive—and often […]

September 2017

Newly Issued Guidance for UK Pension Schemes Emphasizes Need to Consider ESG Factors

Sustainable investing and the consideration of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors continue to gain prominence. The new 2017 investment guidance for defined benefit (DB) schemes from The Pensions Regulator (TPR) in the United Kingdom has material new ESG content. This follows similar guidance for defined contribution (DC) schemes issued last year. Cambridge Associates has prepared this short piece to summarise this guidance and its implications for pension scheme investment strategy, including how we might help.

September 2017

Considerations for ESG Policy Development

The practice of sustainable investing and the consideration of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors continues to grow. Concurrently, the demand for effective investment policies that facilitate exploration and integration of sustainable investment strategies with primary portfolio objectives is also increasing. However, actually arriving at an actionable policy statement that enjoys broad support and commitment […]

June 2017

Will the US Withdrawal from the Paris Climate Accord Boost the Prospects for Investments in Energy?

No. Market forces and technological innovation have been far more impactful on the energy sector than environmental regulations. Investors should maintain exposure to private energy and publicly listed energy equities, rather than view this event as a reason to overweight energy exposure. The Paris climate agreement was nonbinding, and, by itself, did very little to […]

June 2017

The Foundation of Good Governance for Family Impact Investors: Removing Obstacles and Charting a Path to Action

Before incorporating impact investments into their portfolios, we encourage families to define the overall context for their impact investments. Our contextual framework—focused on purpose, priorities, and principles—establishes the base of impact strategy and guides the development of governance structures. These elements will help ensure that family values and decision-making processes are advantages rather than obstacles in pursuing impact investing goals and objectives

September 2016