General Information

On Thursday, September 26, 2019, SOFAZ in partnership with IFC will hold the conference on Impact investing aimed at an exploration of the transformative power of capital to change the world’s trajectory through investments that have consequences not just for investors, but also for whole communities and for the economy at large. Over the last decade, impact investing – a targeted approach to investment in companies, organizations, and funds with the intention of generating social and/or environmental impacts alongside a financial return – has gained interest and traction within the financial sector. Impact investment funds are increasing in numbers and their track records are showing early evidence of realizing positive financial returns and social impact. It becomes more attractive for the institutional investors who aim to achieve positive social benefit, align investments with organizational values and send a positive message to stakeholders. Despite this growing interest, there is a significant lack of consensus about how impact investing should be defined and treated within institutional portfolios. The conference will bring together leading SWFs, pension funds, multilateral agencies and industry practitioners to identify and discuss the most recent trends in the market, challenges and opportunities for institutional investors.

Topics will include: What are the current trends and potential future scale of impact investing? How are the impact markets and asset classes evolving today? What risk-return profile do they propose? How to integrate the impact view to the investment strategy? What are the current measurement and reporting tools? How can government facilitate impact investment and magnify its development impact? What are the key elements of a sound policy framework for impact investing?

Venue: Hilton Baku Hotel, 1B Azadlig Avenue, Baku AZ1000