Impact Report 2020

Impact investing is evolving rapidly. Each year, we think that the current rate of development will be impossible to match, only to be surprised by even faster growth. The year 2020 was no exception. Indeed, it was the year when sustainable investing came of age. It also was the year when the UBP Impact team extended its reach to emerging markets. Two key areas of development over the course of last year have been our thematic approach and the evolution of our engagement process. Biodiversity has become of primary interest to us, underscored by the launch of the Impact platform’s Biodiversity Policy in 2021 and the addition of a fourth member to UBP’s Impact Advisory Board.

Impact investing and sustainable investments are not one and the same thing. Unlike leading multinational companies, whose focus on environmental, social and governance (“ESG”) criteria often accords them high scores, impactful companies are not necessarily ESG champions. At UBP, impact investing typically starts with the identification of a powerful solution for which sustainability plays an important, but merely supporting role. What matters to us is the degree to which a company’s approach to its operations is in harmony with its products and revenue streams.