Weekly Impact Investment Market Update: July 20, 2018

Impact Investing & ESG
 

How ESG is Shaping Decisions for Many Investors in Asia
Increasingly more Asian Investors are establishing internal ESG standards.

How ESG Investing Entered the Mainstream
The rising importance of environmental, social and governance issues, aimed at improving corporate behavior, has led to charlatans “greenwashing” company credentials to attract investment.

At the Vatican, a Different Type of Investing Conference
There were several more nuns and priests in attendance than at a typical impact investing conference, but the third Vatican Impact Investing Conference, held last week, explored both where the field is headed globally and what role the Roman Catholic Church might have moving forward.

Bloomberg Law Q&A with George Michael Gerstein: Key Issues for Fiduciaries When Investing for a Cause
Many retirement plan participants and plan sponsors are no longer content with investments that simply bring them good returns. They also want their investments to do some good in the world.

ImpactAssets Unveils Portfolio Directory of Impact Investing Deals
ImpactAssets announced the roll-out of the Giving Fund Portfolio Directory, a listing of more than 300 “cutting-edge” impact investments. The online searchable directory represents $425 million in impact investments recommended by donors through the ImpactAssets Giving Fund.

 

United States & Europe
 

EU and Japan Sign Trade Deal Covering a Third of the World’s Economy
The European Union and Japan signed a huge free trade deal on Tuesday that cuts or eliminates tariffs on nearly all goods.

 

Developing Economies
 

Ghana’s Economy Seen Up to 40% Bigger after Data Overhaul
Ghana’s economy will be up to 40 percent bigger than previously calculated when the West African country completes an overhaul of its economic output data in September, two senior government officials told Reuters on Wednesday.

Nigeria Boost Sees IMF Lifting Sub-Saharan Africa Growth Outlook
Sub-Saharan Africa has Nigeria to thank for better economic growth prospects next year.

IMF Team Due in Zambia to Discuss Its Debt Levels
An International Monetary Fund team is expected in Zambia next week as part of consultations on the country’s debt levels.

Bank Indonesia Stays Hawkish as It Keeps Key Rate on Hold
Indonesia’s central bank left its benchmark interest rate unchanged after three hikes in a row helped to stabilize the currency in Southeast Asia’s biggest economy.

Mexico Aims to be Able to Ink NAFTA Deal by End-November
Mexican Economy Minister Ildefonso Guajardo said on Wednesday that the goal of Canada, the United States and Mexico is to be in a position to sign a new North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) by the end of November.