Benchmarking Impact is a benchmark series that provides a structured, recurring assessment of Australia’s impact investing market. It examines investor activity, market practices, and product development to support comparability over time and inform understanding of how impact investing is evolving across the financial system.

UNSW Centre for Social Impact (UNSW CSI) is a research and education centre focused on social impact, impact measurement, social investment and purpose-driven leadership. Based at UNSW Business School, it works with government, business, philanthropy and civil society to support evidence-based social and environmental outcomes.

The Endowment Impact Benchmark is a benchmark series that provides a structured assessment and benchmarking framework for endowments and foundations. It evaluates policies, governance, management and transparency related to sustainable and impact investing, enabling consistent comparison and ongoing progress tracking across participating institutions.

This study compares ESG ratings with SDG scores across major providers. It finds little correlation. SDG scores align with investor exclusions and EU Taxonomy assessments, while ESG ratings largely measure financial risk exposure, not real-world environmental or social impacts.

This article introduces systems thinking and explains how it is reshaping sustainable and impact finance by addressing interconnected systemic risks like climate change and inequality. It outlines four emerging applications; from systemic risk management to systems-informed stewardship, highlighting the implications for investors’ roles, tools, and decision-making.

Impact Pathfinder is an interactive evidence platform developed by CGAP that maps how financial inclusion interventions contribute to development outcomes. It synthesises global research to inform investors, funders and policymakers on effective pathways, contextual factors and evidence gaps.

Upright Project is a Finland-based impact data company quantifying the net impact of businesses on society, environment, knowledge and health. It provides science-based ESG and impact analytics, company scores and datasets used by investors, financial institutions and corporates to inform sustainable investment and decision-making across global markets and portfolios worldwide.

The Impact Thinking Canva is a simple, printable framework to structure impact valuation projects, helping organisations define objectives, map impact pathways, identify key data needs and align stakeholders early in the process. It guides impact measurement and data collection at the start of an impact valuation exercise.

LobbyMap is an online database that analyses corporate and trade association lobbying on climate and energy policy. It compares stated public positions with lobbying activities to assess alignment, consistency, and potential risks for investors and financial decision-making.

Impaakt is a crowdsourced impact analysis platform that enables investors to assess companies’ environmental, social, and governance performance. It aggregates structured user evaluations to support more transparent, impact-focused investment decision-making.

This series outlines UNICEF’s Child-Lens Investing approach, providing practical guidance for investors to integrate children’s rights and well-being into investment strategy, due diligence, contribution, and measurement across asset classes. It supports consistent application of a child lens alongside established impact and ESG practices.

Fair4All Finance is a UK-based organisation focused on improving financial inclusion. It funds, researches, and supports affordable credit, savings, insurance, and financial resilience solutions for people in vulnerable circumstances, working with policymakers, charities, and financial service providers to scale social impact.

This report analyses 23 impact funds investing in East African food systems, assessing their design, impact alignment, and financing roles. It identifies gaps, good practices, and recommendations to strengthen agroecological and regenerative food systems investing.

This report argues that corporate reporting must incorporate absolute, location-specific environmental impacts aligned with planetary boundaries. It proposes science-based disclosures and the Earth System Impact score to improve assessment of cumulative nature-related risks, support credible investment decisions, and enhance comparability beyond carbon-focused metrics.

This multidisciplinary review examines how sustainable investing affects environmental and social outcomes. It identifies three investor impact strategies—portfolio screening, shareholder engagement, and field building—and 15 mechanisms producing direct and indirect effects. The study argues impact emerges gradually through coordinated actions by diverse shareholders.

This briefing examines human rights risks from AI-based technologies in the ICT sector, outlines business, legal, and financial implications, and provides investor-oriented guidance grounded in international standards to support rights-respecting AI development, deployment, and oversight.