The rise and rise of the conscious investor during Covid-19

Pioneers in the increasingly popular impact investing space, the investment team behind Pengana Capital Group’s WHEB Sustainable Impact Fund, are hosting a webinar today having just released their seventh annual impact report.

The seventh annual  impact report shows that impact investing continued on its growth trajectory, with investors motivated by bushfires, Covid-19, and racial inequality to influence the world for the better through their investments. 

We invite you to register HERE>>

Over the course of 2020, investors not only tracked returns of 13.7% for possibly the most extraordinary calendar year in recent history (compared to the benchmark’s return of 5.6% for the same period), but also contributed to the Fund’s associated impact in the 9 core sustainability challenges that the Fund seeks to solve.

For the 2020 calendar year, the impact associated with the Pengana WHEB Sustainable Impact Fund is reported as follows: 

• Generated enough clean energy to power nearly 500 homes;
• Avoided the CO2 emissions of one Australian household for the next 1400 years;
• Saved over $150,000 in carbon costs;
• Avoided 22.7m of water waste, the equivalent of around 360,000 showers;
• Treated enough water to support nearly 760 homes;
• Recycled the waste produced by over 2000 homes; saving over $120,000 in landfill costs;
• Produced 3,200 COVID-19 tests;
• Provided 16,000 people with access to healthcare treatments;
• Saved $850,000 in healthcare costs through efficiency; and
• Provide 10,5000 days of tertiary education.

It is also notable that the Fund has tripled in size since the cut-off date of this impact report, and impact numbers for the current calendar year are expected to significantly exceed those reported for 2020.

Over the last decade investor perceptions of responsible investments have changed drastically.  

The myths associated with underperformance have been well and truly busted as responsible strategies have performed strongly over multiple time periods, and what was once fringe is rapidly becoming mainstream.

Last year was also an exceptional year for sustainable investing due to the extent of the shift towards combating man-made climate change. This is expected to continue to provide tail winds to the companies providing solutions to sustainability challenges.

Intentionality and measurability are prerequisites for impact investors and WHEB Asset Management, the investment manager of the fund, is globally recognised as a leader in the field of impact measurement and reporting.

In the webinar today, the team will detail the positive social and environmental impact delivered by key companies and provide attendees an opportunity to delve deeper into our impact reporting and recent investments, followed by audience Q&A.    

The full report can be accessed here.

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