Concentric has launched Jersey’s first investment advisory firm focusing on Impact and sustainable investment solutions.
Based in St Helier, Concentric offers private investors, charities and trustees expert advice on investment solutions that create a positive social and environmental impact without compromising investment returns.
Concentric’s co-founders James Painter and Gordon Bennie, each have nearly 20 years’experience working in investment management – managing portfolios, evaluating funds, and advising investors.
Their new firm offers strategic and bespoke investment manager selection services, incorporating pension solutions based on Impact investment strategies, as well as traditional investment strategies.
Impact investment allocates capital to businesses that create measurable, positive social and environmental impacts, moving far beyond the Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) criteria, which most major global companies already report on.
James said: “Our environment is increasingly under threat from humans and our activities. We are becoming aware that our destructive habits are altering the dynamics of our planet and whilst these problems can at times seem insurmountable, it is possible to make a difference.
“Impact Investment is increasingly attractive to investors who want to use their assets to make a difference to global issues. Concentric helps investors find ways to grow their capital, allowing them to move beyond ESG and negative screening criteria, into investments that really deliver a positive impact on society and the environment.”
Impact investing is a growing feature of the investment management landscape. The Global Impact Investing Network, an industry body, estimates the global Impact Investment market is worth $502 billion (USD).
The positive impact of a portfolio can be more complex to assess, making investment manager selection decisions harder for investors. Concentric bridges this gap, bringing the rigorous process of financial reporting to bear upon measuring the social and environmental impact of an investment.
Gordon said: “Increasingly companies are using the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals as a road map for their business, bringing the concept of sustainability to the core of every investment.
“The global market for Impact Investments is growing quickly as more people realise how this type of investment can deliver the level of returns associated with conventional investments. As it becomes more mainstream the number of options increase and selecting investments that truly align with investors values and objectives is becoming more complicated. Concentric is there to make the process more straightforward for private investors, charities and trustees in Jersey.”
