Key Takeaways from JTC and OpportunityDb’s 2023 Impact Survey

Have investor opinions of Opportunity Zones changed from a year ago? Is the term “ESG” being greeted with diminished favor? How do US opinions of Impact and ESG compare to those in Europe? Do people even know the difference between Impact and ESG?

These are just a few of the questions addressed in JTC and OpportunityDb’s 2023 Impact Investing Survey, which canvassed nearly 300 advisers, fund managers, and investors from the US and Europe to get at the heart of the state of Impact in 2023.

To help investors, fund managers, and other stakeholders better understand the conclusions that can be drawn from this data, JTC is hosting a free webinar on April 19th where a panel of experts will unveil some of the results and discuss their implications, allowing attendees access to information before the survey report’s official release. From what has been revealed so far, there are a few points we know will be major topics of discussion once the report is out.

Key findings from the report

The survey report, “The Evolution of ESG + Impact Investing: Rising Above the Noise,” contains relevant statistics about perceptions of Impact and ESG from a variety of industry stakeholders throughout the US and Europe. While the full report has yet to be made available to the public, JTC has released five key takeaways that can be understood from the new data:

1. Perceptions of ESG and Impact investing are overwhelmingly positive. Nearly three-fourths of total respondents incorporate ESG metrics and standards into their investment strategies more than half the time, and most agree that accepting a lower financial return isn’t usually necessary for achieving social impact.
2. Most respondents believe Impact investing and ESG investing are the same. The findings reflect a persistent confusion around the differences between the two terms, suggesting the need for more clarity, transparency, purposeful measurement, and focus.
3. Impact investors have a wide range of passions, meaning personalization is key. When asked about the best markers of social impact, responses were fairly evenly spread across numerous indicators, from Internet accessibility to improved access to healthcare to a decrease in food deserts and crime.
4. Reporting remains a fundamental challenge, with slow movement towards standardization. Less than a third of respondents find impact reporting easy. Top challenges include a lack of defined standards, access to data, and constantly changing regulations.
5. Opportunity Zones continue to gain momentum. Investors are interested in a wide range of OZ funds, from real estate to operating businesses to energy, and most describe OZ accurately as both a tax incentive and economic development tool.

Understanding the report’s data and conclusions

These are only a few of the insights contained in the full report, which will soon be made available. Other details from the survey can be learned by attending our upcoming webinar.

JTC is hosted “The Evolution Toward Impact Investing: Rising Above the Noise,” a free virtual event where a panel of industry experts unveiled portions of the survey report and discussed what this information can tell us about the state of Impact investing in 2023.

This is a great opportunity to learn about the state of Impact and ESG ahead of the report’s release with commentary and analysis you won’t get anywhere else, so be sure to register to attend the webinar.

Watch our webinar titled, “The Evolution Toward Impact Investing: Rising Above the Noise”!