1,600 people from over 80 countries converged at The Global Impact Investing Network (GIIN) Forum in Amsterdam last week.
Great sessions on impact investing including talks on sustainable agriculture, renewable energy, healthcare, biodiversity conservation, the blue economy (marine resources and ecosystems) affordable housing and infrastructure.
I’m new to the world of impact investment. I showed up as I’m interested in documenting what positive impact looks like on the ground – particularly in emerging markets – bringing meaning to the numbers and capturing the real changes experienced by stakeholders.
5 observations from an outsider looking in:
🛠️ Mixed methods. Big emphasis on metrics, the challenges measuring and tracking data. However more opportunity for impact investors to use qualitative research methods in conjunction with data-driven approaches to understand the impact of change on stakeholders lives. Reporting data this way on both sides will deepen an understanding of what positive impact looks like.
👑 Storytelling. Animadocs crew screened ‘Finding Home’ at a breakout session. Beautifully crafted short animation. You could feel the emotional intelligence of the room accelerate from 0-60 in seconds. After the viewing all minds in the room were collectively primed to understand the issues facing climate refugees in a completely different way. That’s what good storytelling does!
🌱 Stock photography crisis! Use of stock photography in some sectors has long gotten out of hand. Here’s hoping impact investment doesn’t go the same way e.g. image of a young person holding a small plant to the sky, the farmer working in a perfectly manicured field of wheat et#GIINFORUM2024 #GIIN #IMPACTINVESTING #RESEARCH #STORYTELLING c. Noooo! Better to hire a local photographer or filmmaker from the location to bring authenticity to reporting and communications.
🤝 Stakeholder-centric approaches. Highlights include: case study examples on display at the Chemonics International stand on their work in north coast of Colombia with national park experts to protect their biodiversity, examples from Palladium: Make It Possible, and CAPITAL + SAFI S.A. tackling deforestation and conversion programmes with soya bean and cattle farmers in Brazil.
🌷 Amsterdam in autumn is one of the most beautiful cities in Europe. Biking to the event from the hotel through the De Pijp neighbourhood, down its long narrow streets, past markets and sidewalk cafes during rush hour was worth the trip alone!
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