Social impact investing and its role in future social public/private investments: continuing dialogue

social impact investing event logo

Monday 16 February, 09:00-13:00

Conference at the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) – Jacques Delors Building – Rue Belliard 99 – 1040 Brussels – Room JDE 62

For more information, please contact Valentina Caimi.

Impact investing is being pushed forward as a new way of tackling social questions in the current financial environment:  new financial market players will meet the financing needs of social players and help indebted states and weakened banks to finance social enterprises. Impact investing has been put on the G8 agenda.

It is also argued that measuring the social impact of organisations is important for planning public policies. The conference will look into the effect of an impact investing approach on social enterprises and social services of general interest.

Panelists will focus on pressing questions, reflecting the perspective of investors and associations, enterprises, clients and citizens: why and where is impact investment useful and possible, and when it might not be?

Presentations and speaking points available:

Ariane Rodert, Vice-President of EESC Group III. Presentation of EESC opinions on social impact and social impact measurement

I Panel – The different ‘social investment’ approaches in G7 countries: what objectives, what propositions?

Moderator – Sybille Mertens, Associate professor, HEC-Management School, University of Liege (Holder of the Cera Chair in Cooperative and Social Entrepreneurship)

Kieron Boyle, International G8 Social Impact Taskforce under the UK’s presidency of the G8, ‘Impact investment: the invisible heart of Markets’

Michael Sommer (Germany); Hugues Sibille (France – see presentation); Mario Latorre (Italy) – National Advisory Board reports

Further steps of the European Commission in the field of “social impact investment”: Lieve Fransen, Director Social Policy and Europe 2020, DG Employment, European Commission (see speaking points)

II Panel – Impact investment: why, where and how?

Moderator – Antonella Noya, Senior analyst, OECD/LEED

Eve Chiapello, Policy Professor EHESS, Centre d’Etudes des Mouvements Sociaux (see presentation)

Heather Roy, Social Platform President (see speaking points)

Giovanni Garcea, DG FISMA, Policy Officer

Marie-Christine Vergiat, MEP, member of LIBE Committee, member of the Social Economy Intergroup (see speaking points)

Next steps, points of discussion, follow-up: Nicole Alix and Matthieu de Nanteuil, Confrontations Europe

 

Key points and conclusions arising from the conference: read them here.

 

Recommended reading on Social Impact Investing:

  • International report on impact investing by the G8 Task Force and National Advisory Board Reports available at this link: socialimpactinvestment.org
  • link to the report of the German Advisory board in English
  • EESC opinion on social impact investment
  • Social Platform’s position paper on the financing of social services (page 8 focuses on social impact investing)