A legal framework for impact

A Legal Framework for Impact, a ground-breaking report, set out to clarify how regulators in 11 jurisdictions view “investing for sustainability impact”, which involves the use of investment powers, stewardship and engagement with policy makers to produce assessable positive sustainability impacts.

The report is aimed at providing concrete support to impact investors, and mainstream investors wishing to invest for sustainability impact. A joint effort by the PRI, UNEP FI, the Generation Foundation, and Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, it contains analysis of laws around the world and demonstrates that investors should feel empowered to set impact goals and measure their progress against them.

A Legal Framework for Impact: Summary report

This summary report, authored by the PRI, UNEP FI and the Generation Foundation, concludes the implementation phase of the Legal Framework for Impact (LFI) programme.

A Legal Framework for Impact in practice: Guidance and case studies

Investing for Sustainability Impact guidance

2024-11-21T10:00:00+00:00

This guide was created for PRI signatories – both asset owners and investment managers – on investing for sustainability impact.

Case study

Nippon Life Insurance Company

Nippon Life’s portfolio-level goal is for its general account portfolios to be net-zero by FY2050, and they believe this goal remains achievable through the actions detailed in this case study.

Case study

NOW: Pensions

Engaging with policymakers to advocate for policies that address the gender pay and gender pensions gap.

Case study

Brunel pension Partnership

Creating a Climate Change Policy that enables effective action, focused on real-world decarbonisation and transparency to its members for the remainder of the decade.

Case study

Andra AP-fonden (AP2)

Integrating human rights considerations into all AP2’s activities, and contributing to net positive human rights development, to avoid risks linked to human rights violations.

A Legal Framework for Impact reports

A Legal Framework for Impact
A joint work programme from PRI, UNEP FI and the Generation Foundation
Australia: Integrating sustainability goals across the investment industry
Five policy and regulatory reforms could help investors pursue environmental and social goals, and two further measures should also be considered.
Canada: Integrating sustainability goals across the investment industry
Canadian investors may be interpreting their legal duties in ways that discourage them from considering sustainability impact goals, even where pursuing such goals can help them discharge their duty to achieve financial returns.

European Union: Empowering investors to pursue sustainability goals
New measures are needed to enable mainstream EU investors to pursue environmental and social goals
Japan: Integrating sustainability goals across the investment industry
Many Japanese investors remain unaware of the extent to which they are permitted or required to invest for sustainability impact. This report sets out five policy recommendations to clarify this question.
UK: Integrating sustainability goals across the investment industry
A number of policy measures could enable UK investors to pursue positive sustainability impacts through their investments, in particular where that is relevant to financial returns.

Policy briefings

Policy briefing: LFI Summary Report launch event synopsis

2024-08-27T08:00:00+01:00

This briefing is a synopsis of the speeches and panel discussions about the Legal Framework for Impact summary report.

Policy briefing: Sustainability outcomes workshop

2023-12-01T10:15:00+00:00

At the PRI’s Sustainability Outcomes Forum in Australia, October 2023, signatories came together to share their experiences and practices in pursuing sustainability outcomes.

Legal framework for impact: Briefing for policy makers

2023-04-25T11:02:00+01:00

Financial investments drive real-world outcomes on issues such as climate change, sustainable development and human rights – whether the impacts are intended or not. Investors increasingly recognise that financial returns depend on the stability of social and environmental systems, especially in the long term. This is driving investors to increasingly ...