The Growth and Formalization of Impact Investing in Asia

When the Japanese government cleared the way last November for the world’s largest pension fund, the Government Pension Investment Fund (GPIF), to allocate a portion of its funds to impact investment, the move signaled a coming of age for impact investing in Asia. In truth, momentum has been building in Asia for some time, led by institutions like Temasek and providers of flexible capital like RS Group and District Capital in Hong Kong, and the Tsao Family Office in Singapore – and now the market is growing quickly. Investors in east and southeast Asia account for 7% of the +$1.5 trillion of impact investments globally, according to the GIIN, and pillars of formalization like policymaking, events, networks, standards, and verification, are all taking hold. In this Compass Series conversation, we dig deeper into the regional dynamics that are driving growth in impact investing in Asia, and those that continue to hamper the market’s development. We will be joined by leading investors, intermediaries, and market building organizations for this important regional spotlight.