SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS
Logos Capital was among the first investment firms to track its investments’ contributions to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). We examine specific impact indicators suggested by the UN and perform a granular examination of how business activities (or government activities) from the strategy’s underlying investments can contribute to specific SDGs.
BACKGROUND OF THE SDGs
In 2015, the UN announced the SDGs as a call to action for countries, governments, funders, and investors to unite to accomplish 17 global goals to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure prosperity for all. The UN has outlined specific indicators to measure progress and a timeframe to achieve them by 2030, both of which help to drive a shared understanding and urgency of this work.
In 2014, the UN estimated the annual price for meeting the SDGs globally is $5-7 trillion; actual funding falls short of that, equating to an annual gap of $2.5 trillion. Given the sheer size and scope of these goals, philanthropy and government funding alone will not be enough. The UN called on the private sector to step up as investors, but impact investing in particular can produce outcomes aligned with the SDGs.