Towards Greater Effectiveness and Accountability in Impact Investing

Impact investing – investing for social and environmental returns alongside financial returns – is a growing phenomenon in financial markets. However, concerns exist regarding the demand for robust impact evidence and accountability for impact claims when compared to a public sector aid model. Drawing from social network analysis on Twitter, preliminary findings indicate the scope and scale of influential actors within this investing network. They reveal a need for asset owners, fund managers and other intermediaries to foster greater collaboration; facilitate greater thought-leadership on evidence and impact measurement and to address the power asymmetries between investors, investees and the global South.