The Kempen Global Impact Pool has broken the EUR100 million barrier in assets under management. Launched in January 2018, the pool invests exclusively in funds that make a positive contribution to society and climate and in doing so aims to earn a financial return in line with the market. Kempen launched the Global Impact Pool in 2018 to introduce impact investing to its clients. The pool invests in high impact funds that aim to make a positive contribution around four themes: affordable and good healthcare, reliable financial services, a more sustainable food chain and affordable and clean energy in countries that score poorly on United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Impact results are specifically measured using five SDGs.
The Global Impact Pool allows investors to access and diversify across a number of impact funds that apply a high entry threshold via a single investment. As an added benefit, the investor’s operational challenges and implementation issues, as well as the measurement and management of the intended impact, are contracted out to the pool.
The Global Impact Pool investments extend across more than 45 countries around the globe, from the Netherlands to Kenya, India and the US. In the first year of operations, the pool’s investments led to the generation of 28,000 MWH of green energy and a reduction of over 11,000 tons of CO2 emissions – the equivalent of 2,000 cars running non-stop for an entire year. The pool’s investments also reached 140,000 local entrepreneurs and smallholders in developing countries, where further 700,000 disadvantaged people received access to much improved, reliable health care.
In January 2020, the Global Impact Pool completed a new investment around the theme of financial inclusion. This venture strives to boost working conditions and economic growth by making financial services and insurance available to an underserved portion of the global population.
“We are extremely proud of reaching the milestone of EUR100 million in assets under management in such a short space of time,” says Marjoleine van der Peet, senior portfolio manager of the Kempen Global Impact Pool. “We are witnessing an enormous surge in interest from both institutional and private investors who alongside financial return also wish to see a demonstrable social return. The faith our clients place in us to invest with an impact gives our team a huge energy boost and enables us to look to the future with a great deal of confidence.”
“We are very pleased with the initial results of the impact pool and hope to use the investments made on behalf of our clients to reach even more disadvantaged people and make a positive contribution to the climate as well,” says Narina Mnatsakanian, senior portfolio manager of the Kempen Global Impact Pool,. “Reaching EUR100 million in assets under management is a wonderful first milestone for the pool. Our goal is to reach a maximum size of EUR400 to EUR600 million.”
