AAA: Inaugural Impact Investing Forum Was A "Success"

Online, July 30, 2012 (Newswire.com) - A recent forum on social impact investing has attracted a large number of delegates, according to Alternative Asset Analysis (AAA).

The alternative investment advocacy group claims that the appetite for impact investments in Asia is growing as investors in the region increasingly look for more ethical options.

The forum was the first hosted by Impact Investment Shujog and Impact Investment Exchange Asia. The event was also supported by the Asian development Bank and the Rockefeller Foundation.

AAA's analysis partner, Anthony Johnson, explained, "Social impact investing involves lending cash to businesses that provide loans or jobs for the poor.

"It has become a popular option as an ethical choice that can also bring with it some very healthy returns."

LGT Venture Philanthropy's managing partner, Wolfgang Hafenmayer, said, "I think we will agree that we will not find a lot of people who'll say: 'I want to destroy the environment', 'I want to destroy the social fabric', 'I want to destroy society by investing for financial profit."

He added, "Then we should all agree that impact investing should be the only kind of investing that should be allowed, and that we need frameworks which don't allow people to externalize the negative consequences of our investments."

AAA stands behind Mr Hafenmayer's point and advocates ethical investment as the way forward for socially and environmentally conscious investors. AAA also supports investment in forestry through direct investment and forestry REITS. Mr Johnson said, directly investing in non-native forestry plantations through firms like Greenwood Management, which operates in Brazil, is one way of doing this.

Sustainable plantations help to reduce deforestation as they provide alternative sources of timber and charcoal to using wood from native forests, according to AAA.

The forum was thought to have attracted over 400 delegates, including social entrepreneurs and investors from all over Asia and the rest of the world.