In October 2021, alongside Charlotte O’Leary, CEO at Pensions for Purpose, we hosted a discussion with Amanda Latham, Policy & Strategy Lead at Barnett Waddingham. We discussed the opportunities and challenges of place-based impact investing for those advising pension funds and other asset owners, as well as hearing from Amanda about her experience delivering place-based impact investing on behalf of a Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) client.
The key messages from the session are:
- Place-based impact investing is an emerging opportunity area, and it’s incumbent on investment consultant research teams to make sure that they can respond to changing client needs in this area.
- Regulatory and policy pressures, for example the Levelling Up and Just Transition agendas, mean it is likely the market will grow quickly.
- Consultants need to establish clients’ impact priorities as well as their risk appetite and return expectations and then tailor a proposition to their needs.
- For an LGPS’ first foray into place-based impact investing, it’s wise to draw on the Trustee’s existing experience and specialisms. This may include, for example, a knowledge of local needs and an understanding of how local services are commissioned and delivered.
Read the full summary below.