Impact Investing Archives - Veris Wealth Partners

Category: Impact Investing

January 30, 2025

The Future of Sustainable Investing

By Stephanie Cohn Rupp

This is an excerpt of an article originally published by SustainableViews.

Despite headlines to the contrary, we believe market forces and consumer interest continue to shine a bright light on the future of sustainable investing. And as the incoming Board Chair of US SIF: The Sustainable Investment Forum and leader of impact-focused Veris Wealth Partners, I couldn’t be more excited about what is ahead. I’ve kept my ear to the ground as our industry grapples with challenges and opportunities that may arise in a second Trump administration and see significant opportunity.

September 30, 2024

Impact Investing vs ESG

by Stephanie Cohn Rupp

What’s the difference between ESG investing and impact Investing and why do both of these approaches matter?

Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) and impact investing are often lumped together, but there are meaningful differences between these approaches. With so much positive and negative spin and contradictory coverage of ESG and impact investing, many investors are understandably confused about what these terms mean and how they differ in practice.

I have worked in the sustainable finance industry both in the United States and in emerging markets – for over 24 years and now lead one of the longest-serving ESG- and impact-focused investment advisory firms in the US. To help investors better understand the differences between ESG and impact investing, I will briefly compare them in terms of purpose, measurement practices, investment approach, and market size.

September 12, 2024

A Conversation with Christi Electris and Sharlene Brown of the Croatan Institute on Ensuring a Just Transition

Croatan Institute is an independent, nonprofit research and action institute whose mission is to build social equity and ecological resilience by leveraging finance to create pathways to a just economy. We recently sat down for a conversation about climate justice and what it will take to bring about a just transition with the Institute’s Executive Director Christi Electris and Senior Fellow and Director of the Institute’s initiative on Racial Equity, Economics, Finance, and Sustainability (REEFS), Sharlene Brown. An excerpt of this conversation was published in Veris’ 2024 report A Framework For Investing in a Just Transition.

May 1, 2024

Veris Interview Series: Dr. Ruth Shaber, Gender Lens & Impact Leader

April 24, 2024

Six Trends in Sustainable, ESG, and Impact Investing

Despite politicization and anti-ESG and anti-DEI rhetoric, I believe investor interest in sustainable, socially responsible, and impact investment is on the rise.¹ The ESG and impact investing industry continues on a path to the mainstream, as I predicted in my last article on impact investing trends in 2022.

I still believe now, as I did then, that ESG and DEI mitigate risk and help identify long-term investment opportunities and returns. A growing number of investors seem to share that belief.

December 18, 2023

2023 End of Year Letter From Veris CIO Michael Lent

By Michael Lent, Co-founder and CIO of Veris Wealth Partners

This letter was originally published as part of Veris’ 2023 Impact Report.

I write this at a time of great turbulence in the world. We are seeing acts of violence and warfare, extreme partisanship and political turmoil, and a barrage of attacks on ESG investing and DEI practices.

It can sometimes be hard to feel hopeful in this period, but I still believe that progress is being made and that impact investors are making meaningful contributions towards solving social and environmental challenges.