The Corporation has reaffirmed its commitment to impact investing in the UK, driving positive social and environmental change while delivering strong returns.
Speaking at the annual Investment Committee Dinner at Goldsmiths’ Hall, Andrien Meyers, Chair of the Investment Committee, emphasised the City’s responsibility to invest in solutions tackling key challenges such as affordable housing, unemployment, education, healthcare, and the transition to a low-carbon economy. He stated that the City has “a duty to invest in people, planet, and place.”
An extract from Andrien Meyers, Chair of the Investment Committee at the Corporation speech is found below.
“Tonight is about one thing: making the right decisions for our long-term future—a theme rightly echoed in the Chancellor’s speech earlier today.
“The Government is focused on removing obstacles to growth, including lifting restrictions on well-funded occupational defined benefit pension funds, enabling those performing well to invest their surplus funds.
“This will drive critical infrastructure investment, stimulate innovation, and sustain long-term economic growth by unlocking capital and developing the expertise needed for future industries like AI and fintech.
“Impact Investing is investment made with the intention to generate positive, measurable social and environmental impact alongside a financial return.
“In October last year in collaboration with the BVCA we launched our ‘UK – A Centre for Excellence for Impact Investing’ report. The report encourages stronger Government collaboration with the impact economy to build the UKs profile as the premier destination for investors to establish funds, products and services.
“In the UK impact investing has tackled social and environmental challenges that public policy seeks to change, such as affordable housing, unemployment, education, healthcare and the shift to a low carbon economy.
“At the City Corporation plans are afoot.
“Our directly owned multi-billion-pound property asset base is now increasingly focusing on impact. From seeking innovative solutions to property issues facing us all as a result of climate change; to our portfolio emerging as an important cultural quarter of London.
“A really good example of this is our partnership with the Greater London Authority to move the London Museum to West Smithfield, with 2m visitors planned a year. Furthermore our Billingsgate site which is ripe for c4,000 homes and new connections into the Elizabeth line and across to Poplar are a few examples. The City Corporation also took a transformative decision about the future of Smithfield and Billingsgate markets; one which will ensure the legacy of these iconic markets will continue to thrive in new, purpose-built facilities.
“Further since 2012 The Social Investment Fund which is part of the Corporations City Bridge Foundation has committed just over £20m to empowering charities to invest in brighter futures for people and places they serve.”
ENDS
Notes to editors
The Corporation is the governing body of the Square Mile dedicated to a vibrant and thriving City, supporting a diverse and sustainable London within a globally-successful UK.
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