Zürich 2024
Forum for Impact ZURICH
APRIL 19, 2024
Forum for Impact Zürich Spotlights Switzerland’s Sustainable Finance Leadership and the Role of Blended Finance
As part of its ongoing global series of impact dialogues, Forum for Impact convened leaders in Zürich on April 19th, 2024, adding unique European perspectives to its international conversation on sustainable and impact investment. The event underscored Switzerland’s rapidly growing prominence as a global hub for sustainable finance and delved into innovative approaches like blended finance needed to tackle pressing global challenges.
Switzerland: A Powerhouse in Sustainable Finance
The dialogue highlighted Switzerland’s strategic leverage of its deep-rooted expertise in private banking, institutional finance, and multilateral leadership to carve out a leading position in the global impact landscape. The progress is remarkable: sustainable investments in the country have surged past CHF 1.9 trillion in recent years, with sustainable funds now comprising over half (53%) of the entire Swiss fund market. This financial momentum, combined with the nation’s longstanding leadership in sustainable public policy and attracting foreign direct investment, firmly establishes Switzerland among the global frontrunners in impact finance. The Zürich event provided a platform to explore these trends with key figures from finance, business, and policy.
Blended Finance Takes Center Stage
A key focus of the Zürich dialogue was the critical role of innovative financial mechanisms, particularly blended finance, in addressing the climate challenge. The discussion, led by Florian Kemmerich of Palladium Group and Bamboo Capital Partners, explored how combining public and private capital is essential for building resilience and enabling communities, especially vulnerable populations, to thrive amidst climate change and natural disasters. The conversation emphasized that blended finance approaches are necessary to fund the innovative solutions required for a sustainable future. Mr. Kemmerich’s extensive background in raising significant capital (nearly $1 billion) for impact funds and companies provided practical insights into making these complex financial structures work.
Broader Impact Themes
Beyond blended finance, the Forum explored other crucial facets of impact investing:
Value Beyond Returns:
Marc Moser, Head of Impact at Lightrock, led a discussion on how investors can contribute value that extends beyond financial returns, embedding deeper impact within their portfolios, reflecting Lightrock’s mission focused on sustainable capitalism.
Innovation for Decarbonization:
Erez Vigodman, co-founder of Terra-A AG, shared insights on creating pioneering companies through technology, focusing on an “innovation engine” for decarbonization, energy transition (like white hydrogen discovery), and water solutions.
The Forum for Impact dialogue in Zürich successfully brought together regional leaders to share valuable perspectives on the evolution of impact finance in Europe, contributing significantly to the Forum’s global mission of engaging investors and advancing sustainable solutions worldwide.
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