Conscious Investment Management releases 2022 Impact Report

Dedicated impact investment fund manager, Conscious Investment Management (“CIM”), today released its second annual Impact Report which shares details of its investment activities and portfolio impact performance for the 2021/22 year.

Approximately A$300 million has been deployed into a total of eight investments, across social and affordable housing, specialised disability accommodation, distributed solar and social impact bonds. These investments have been made alongside eight Impact Partners, who are values aligned organisations with operating experience and a frontline understanding of the needs of the end beneficiaries of the investments, as well as the support of over 500 investors who have incorporated impact investment into their portfolio.

The largest investment made by CIM is in Victorian social housing, under a unique partnership with the Victorian Government and community housing association, HousingFirst. Under this partnership, CIM will invest approximately A$150 million to fund the acquisition of up to 307 apartments for social and affordable housing tenants. To date, CIM has financed a total of 260 new social and affordable apartments in 18 buildings across Melbourne. 200 of these apartments have settled and are leased up.

In addition to sharing highlights from the portfolio, the report sets out CIM’s framework for impact measurement and provides case studies on key investment themes – outlining the challenge and outcome of each investment alongside its impact measurement score. The report also includes interviews with CIM’s Impact Partners, stories about people supported, and information on the impact that Conscious Investment Management is having at a corporate level.

Casey Taylor, Director, said:

“As the impact investment industry grows, thoughtful and accurate measurement is more important than ever. Through this report, we continue to build our track record in measuring, and transparently communicating our impact, recognising that we can only manage the impact that we can measure.

Our portfolio aims to deliver positive social or environmental benefit, and this report helps to communicate the powerful stories and outcomes that CIM’s investors have had through their investment.”

Today, assets financed by CIM's investors have provided over 260 new social and affordable homes, 72 Specialist Disability Accommodation apartments, and 55 distributed rooftop solar assets (renewable energy equivalent to planting almost 300,000 trees). Through social impact bond arrangements, investor capital has supported over 100 vulnerable children and their families through challenging times in the education and out-of-home care systems.

She adds:

“Our impact measurement methodology uses the leading global impact measurement framework, the Impact Management Project, 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.

We hope to continue to grow together with our investors and Impact Partners to contribute to better outcomes across our three core impact themes, being Environment and Climate, Health and Education and Social Infrastructure. In 2023, CIM is intending to continue this impact by launching new funds focused on these and new investment areas.”

You can read The Impact Report here.

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We respectfully acknowledge that Conscious Investment Management and many of our investments exist on traditional lands where First Nations people have lived for many thousands of years. We honour their ongoing connection to these lands and strive to respect the traditional custodians in our work.

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