A Legal Framework for Impact

A Legal Framework for Impact, a ground-breaking report, set out to clarify how regulators in 11 jurisdictions view “investing for sustainability impact”, which involves the use of investment powers, stewardship and engagement with policy makers to produce assessable positive sustainability impacts.

The report is aimed at providing concrete support to impact investors, and mainstream investors wishing to invest for sustainability impact. A joint effort by the PRI, UNEP FI, the Generation Foundation, and Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, it contains analysis of laws around the world and demonstrates that investors should feel empowered to set impact goals and measure their progress against them.

A Legal Framework for Impact

A joint work programme from PRI, UNEP FI and the Generation Foundation

Japan: Integrating sustainability goals across the investment industry

2023-06-18T23:30:00+01:00

Many Japanese investors remain unaware of the extent to which they are permitted or required to invest for sustainability impact. This report sets out five policy recommendations to clarify this question, ensure better investor access to sustainability information, and enhance transparency and market discipline.

Canada: Integrating sustainability goals across the investment industry

2023-02-13T13:50:00+00:00

Canadian investors may be interpreting their legal duties in ways that discourage them from considering sustainability impact goals, even where pursuing such goals can help them discharge their duty to achieve financial returns.

UK: Integrating sustainability goals across the investment industry
A number of policy measures could enable UK investors to pursue positive sustainability impacts through their investments, in particular where that is relevant to financial returns.
European Union: Empowering investors to pursue sustainability goals
New measures are needed to enable mainstream EU investors to pursue environmental and social goals
Australia: Integrating sustainability goals across the investment industry
Five policy and regulatory reforms could help investors pursue environmental and social goals, and two further measures should also be considered.

Policy briefings

Legal framework for impact: Briefing for policy makers

2023-04-25T11:02:00+01:00

Financial investments drive real-world outcomes on issues such as climate change, sustainable development and human rights – whether the impacts are intended or not. Investors increasingly recognise that financial returns depend on the stability of social and environmental systems, especially in the long term. This is driving investors to increasingly ...