The Brief  |  January 17, 2020 The Week in impact investing: climate action     ImpactAlpha The Week’s Agent of Impact Samara Hernandez, Chingona Ventures. The first hint that Samara Hernandez is not your typical venture capitalist is the name of her new firm: Chingona Ventures. Chingona is slang for “badass woman” in her native Mexico. She launched the...Read More

SAN DIEGO — The mood among economic forecasters gathered for their annual meeting last weekend was dark. They warned each other about President Trump’s trade war, about government budget deficits, and, repeatedly, about the inability of central banks to fully combat another recession should one sweep the globe anytime soon. Among the thousands of economists...Read More

“Social investors are too busy running to the top floor to get the impact coming out of the chimney – when the foundations haven’t been built to provide strength and stability to the organisation.” These were the words of a social investor we interviewed earlier this year as part of a research project for a...Read More

Climate change and its consequences have been in the headlines more than ever lately, and for good reason. It is estimated that if the average global temperature rises by 2 degrees Celsius on average over the next decade, it will result in irreversible damage to our planet and its inhabitants. Governments and their leaders have...Read More

Among the key trends affecting advisors this past year were the resurgence of independent investment dealers and new mutual fund dealers joining the fray. The financial services industry is facing disruption and challenges from every corner these days. From robo-advisors that offer investment advice at a fraction of the cost – and commercials criticizing financial...Read More

Ten years after the publication of their first plan for powering the world with wind, water, and solar, researchers offer an updated vision of the steps that 143 countries around the world can take to attain 100% clean, renewable energy by the year 2050. The new roadmaps, publishing December 20 in the journal One Earth,...Read More

A powerhouse coalition of impact investors hopes to build out the field through a donor collaborative launched last week with an initial $12.5 million in commitments. The mission of the new Tipping Point Fund (TPF) is creating and scaling a high-functioning market that operates with integrity. The U.S. Impact Investing Alliance will manage the work. Fran Seegull, its...Read More

  The VMD tiny home is an eco-conscious dwelling that is built using shipping-containers Mexican architectural studios Studioroca and Taller Escape have recently joined forces to create a prefabricated housing model that is move-in ready in just 99 days from ordering. Dubbed VMD, the 30-sq-m (323-sq-ft) tiny home is an eco-conscious dwelling that is built...Read More

“The next 10 years could be the best 10 years we’ve ever seen or the worst decade, and that depends less on the technology and more on the choices we make.” That observation, from Erik Brynjolfsson, director of the MIT Initiative on the Digital Economy, feels particularly prescient as we take stock of the 2010s...Read More

The idea of applying ESG criteria to the investment process is increasingly gaining momentum among HNW investors, according to Cerulli Associates. In its latest report, the Boston-based research firm reveals that the demand for investments that consider environmental, social and governance (ESG) criteria is gaining traction with HNW investors. Related articles In particular, it reports...Read More