Conscious Investment Management releases its third annual Impact Report

At a glance:

• Conscious Investment Management (“CIM”) has deployed ~A$330 million into 10 investments via its managed funds, across social and affordable housing, Specialised Disability Accommodation, distributed rooftop solar, carbon farming and social impact bonds.
• These investments have been made alongside 12 Impact Partners and with the support from over 750 investors.
• CIM has recently added two unique investments to its portfolio. The first is a carbon farming investment, focused on carbon sequestration through native forest regeneration, while empowering First Nations people to reclaim ownership of their Country. The second targets youth housing, with the goal of eliminating stigma and addressing the barriers to accessing housing that young people often face during their transition to independence.

View the Impact Report here.

Watch a short video here.

Dedicated impact investment fund manager, Conscious Investment Management (“CIM”), today released its third annual Impact Report which shares details of its investment activities and portfolio impact performance for the 2022/23 year.

Approximately A$330 million has been deployed into a total of 10 investments, each which map to UN Sustainable Development Goals. Investments to date have been made across social and affordable housing, Specialised Disability Accommodation, distributed rooftop solar, carbon farming and social impact bonds. These investments have been made alongside 12 Impact Partners, who are values aligned organisations (typically not-for-profits) with operating experience and a frontline understanding of the needs of the end beneficiaries that each investment aims to support. Additionally, CIM has had the support of over 750 investors who have embraced impact investment as part of their portfolios.

CIM has recently made two new investments, which have been shared in this year’s Impact Report. First, a carbon farming investment which aims to sequester carbon through the regeneration of native forest, while empowering First Nations people to regain ownership of their Country and play a role in regenerating their traditional lands. Secondly, a youth housing investment which aims to reduce stigma and overcome the barriers to accessing housing that young people often face when transitioning to independence.

In addition to sharing highlights from the portfolio, the report sets out CIM’s framework for impact measurement and includes powerful stories about people being supported at its assets. The report also shares information about the impact that CIM is having as a business from a corporate sustainability perspective, including being carbon neutral as a manager and continuing on its reconciliation journey.

Casey Taylor, Director, said, “We’re really proud of the scale of the impact we’ve had so far, but we know that numbers are simply outputs that only tell part of the story. This year’s Impact Report not only focuses on the outputs, but drills down to the next level to focus on outcomes – the deeper and less observable ways in which our investments are impacting people’s lives and the systems in which they operate. It’s the assessment of those outcomes, particularly for our social housing portfolio, that’s brought to bear in this year’s report.”

Today, assets financed by CIM's investors have provided over 260 new social and affordable homes, 72 Specialist Disability Accommodation apartments, and 63 distributed rooftop solar assets (renewable energy equivalent to planting ~515,500 trees). Through social impact bond arrangements, investor capital has supported over 245 vulnerable children and their families through challenging times in the education and out-of-home care systems.

“Our impact measurement methodology uses the leading global impact measurement framework, the Impact Management Norms, which considers impact achieved across five dimensions: what, who, how much, contribution, and risks. We also align with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and layer in the Global Impact Investing Network's Impact Reporting and Investing Standards metrics – enabling investors to aggregate their impact at a portfolio level.”

CIM is continuing to grow alongside its investors and Impact Partners with a shared commitment to advancing positive outcomes across its three core impact themes: Environment and Climate, Health and Education, and Social Infrastructure.