Impact investment – the future of development cooperation?
Ahead of the fourth UN-led Financing for Development Conference in early July, we take stock of the trajectory of impact investment to date and explore what role private capital might have on social development in the future.
The race to the bottom in development budgets across donor countries is in full swing. The already significant financing gap for global development gets bigger by the day. The upcoming fourth UN-led Financing for Development Conference in early July in Spain aims to unlock greater volumes of capital – including private capital – to deliver an impact-focused SDG investment push. Ahead of the conference, we take stock of the trajectory of impact investment to date and explore what role private capital might have on social development in the future.
Date: 17 June 2025
Venue: ETH Zentrum, CAB H 41 (ETH food&lab)
Agenda
- 18:00 - Welcome
- 18:05 - Introduction: Private capital for social impact. An overview with Chris Humphrey, ETH NADEL
- 18:15 - Panel discussion: What is the future of private capital for social impact? The potential and limits of impact investment.
How much? and how much additionality? Which countries? What impact? What is the future of private capital for social impact? How to measure, manage and increase impact? - 19:25 - Closing
- 19:30 - Apéro
Panelists
- Impact investors: Tara Hesse, responsAbility
- Academia: Dr. Thomas Giroux, CREST-ENSAE
- Public sector: Patrick Egli, SDC
- Civil society: Laurent Matile, Alliance Sud
- Moderator: Dr Fritz Brugger, ETH-NADEL