• Case Study

Fixing Fictions Through Blended Finance: the Entrepreneurial Ensemble and Risk Interpretation in the Blue Economy

  • Source : Geoforum
  • 1 February 2021
This article explores how blended finance can address challenges within the Blue Economy, particularly focusing on entrepreneurial ensembles and their interpretation of risk. It investigates how innovative financial structures facilitate sustainable development by bridging financing gaps for ocean-related initiatives. The research delves into the dynamics of risk perception and management among diverse stakeholders, highlighting how blended finance instruments can mobilise capital for environmentally and socially impactful projects in the marine sector.
  • Case Study

The Geographies of Social Finance: Poverty Regulation Through the ‘invisible Heart’ of Markets

  • Source : Progress in Human Geography 2019, Vol. 43(1) 141–162
  • 2 October 2017
This article critically examines the emerging field of social finance, arguing that it represents a form of poverty regulation embedded within financialised capitalism. It proposes that social finance reframes private profit-making as a force for public good, attempting to resolve capitalism’s inherent contradictions from within. The paper outlines a typology of social finance forms and suggests a geographical research agenda, emphasizing that practitioners’ simplistic geographical framings obscure the complex spatial dynamics constituting this emerging financial marketplace and its logic of poverty regulation.
  • Case Study

Assessing Mission Drift at Venture Capital Impact Investors

  • Source : Business Ethics
  • 4 March 2017
This article examines how impact investing venture capital firms navigate the inherent tension between their social missions and prevailing market pressures. Using an institutional logics perspective, it analyses the competing demands from the social sector, which prioritizes measurable impact, and the market sector, which emphasizes financial returns. Through a detailed case study of a US-based impact VC firm, the study identifies the specific hybrid practices and organizational behaviors these firms adopt to balance these conflicting logics. It highlights the constant negotiation required to prevent “mission drift” and successfully integrate dual objectives.
  • Case Study

Increasing Positive Climate Impact by Combining Anti Consumption and Consumption Changes with Impact Investing

  • Source : Sustainable Development
  • 1 January 2020
This article proposes a novel approach to climate change mitigation by combining anti-consumption and consumption changes with impact investing. It addresses the risk of rebound effects, where money saved from reduced consumption leads to GHG emissions elsewhere. The study develops a method to calculate potential “double impacts” by ensuring saved funds are invested in climate-mitigating actions. It quantifies GHG emission reduction potentials for various anti-consumption strategies and impact investments, highlighting the need for this dual consideration.
  • Case Study

The Architecture of Social Finance

  • Source : Routledge Handbook of Social and Sustainable Finance
  • 1 January 2017
This chapter explores the foundational elements and structural design of social finance. It discusses the various components that constitute the social finance ecosystem, including different investment vehicles like Social Impact Bonds (SIBs), and the broader marketplace. The piece delves into how these elements interact to channel capital towards social and environmental objectives. It aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the conceptual and practical architecture underpinning social and sustainable finance, positioning it within the broader landscape of finance.
  • Case Study

Annual Reports: Dfi Working Group on Blended Concessional Finance for Private Sector Projects

  • Source : International Finance Corporation
  • 8 April 2023
IFC’s annual blended finance reports synthesize data on partnerships, instruments, and impact across development sectors. They detail financing volumes, geographic distribution, blended vehicles, and lessons learned from private sector engagement. The reports serve as institutional frameworks for promoting private sector involvement in development missions, providing transparency on risk sharing and concessional commitments to mobilise capital effectively for sustainable development.
  • Case Study

The Impact of Impact Investing

  • Source : Stanford University and NBER
  • 1 January 2025
This paper theoretically and empirically assesses the impact of socially responsible investing, particularly divestment in secondary markets. It argues that while direct investments in primary markets and increased voting rights through engagement are likely to be effective, divestment often has negligible real impact on company operations. The analysis provides a formula to calculate the change in cost of capital from divestment, concluding that a substantial effect would require an unrealistically high proportion of socially conscious capital. Empirical evidence from index inclusions and exclusions corroborates these findings, suggesting that current divestment levels yield minimal influence on firm decisions.
  • Case Study

Integrating the Social Dimension in Climate Transition Under G20’s Sustainable Finance Working Group

  • Source : Observer Research Foundation
  • 3 January 2022
This paper discusses the integration of the social dimension within climate transition efforts, specifically under the G20’s Sustainable Finance Working Group. It highlights the importance of aligning climate finance with social objectives to ensure a just and equitable transition. The author explores how sustainable development goals can be advanced by incorporating social considerations into climate finance strategies, emphasizing the need for holistic approaches that address both environmental and social challenges.
  • Case Study

The Allure of Finance: Social Impact Investing and the Challenges of Assetization in Financialised Capitalism

  • Source : Economy and Society
  • 1 January 2022
This paper analyses how social impact investing transforms social welfare funding from grants into return-bearing assets within financialised capitalism. Through a qualitative case study in Britain, it demonstrates how proponents utilise a collective action frame to foster “collective ignorance” regarding the extractive nature of assetization. Despite financial power, success hinges on the discursive frame’s credibility and salience. The research reveals how the allure of finance is used to reconfigure social goods into assets, highlighting the inherent tensions and challenges in this process.
  • Case Study

Alternative to Private Finance of the Welfare State: a Global Analysis of Social Impact Bond, Pay-for-success and Development Impact Bond Projects

  • Source : University of Adelaide
  • 4 September 2015
This report analyses global Social Impact Bond (SIB), Pay-for-Success, and Development Impact Bond (DIB) schemes. It details investor returns (ranging from 15–30%), outlines stakeholder roles, governance models, and assesses scalability across various global cases. The study reviews the benefits, risks, and adoption trends of these innovative financing mechanisms, providing insights into their potential to address social challenges and leverage private capital for public good.
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