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The Tradeoffs of Impact Investing: Double Bottom Line vs Corporate Social Responsibility

2021 Milken Institute Global Conference

The Tradeoffs of Impact Investing: Double Bottom Line vs Corporate Social Responsibility

Tuesday, October 19, 2021
3:30 PM - 4:30 PM PDT
Wilshire Ballroom
In 2019, the Business Roundtable made headlines when it issued a statement on the importance of stakeholder capitalism—that maximizing shareholder value should not be a corporation's sole and ultimate goal; it must also invest in employees, protect the environment, and deal ethically with suppliers. While some said the statement was an attack on capitalism itself, the fact is, over the past few decades, private equity, an approximately $4 trillion industry, has shown a growing interest in a capitalism that serves all stakeholders. This can be seen in the rise of impact investing, which, though still a relative a niche, has become a priority for a growing number of private equity players and financial institutions generally. In this session, panelists will debate the tradeoffs and discuss how private capital and public sector institutions can align corporate success with social progress.