Impact investing

Addressing global sustainability challenges

As a universal asset owner, UNJSPF is uniquely positioned to influence capital markets and drive systemic change. By leveraging our global scale and integrating environmental and social risks into investment decisions and actively seeking impact opportunities, we aim to contribute meaningfully to a more sustainable and equitable world.

To learn more, access our impact investing policy and most recent impact report.

On 24 December 2021, the General Assembly of the United Nations adopted Resolution 76/246, requesting that the UNJSPF explore impact investing across all its asset classes.

Our inaugural Impact Investing Report offers in-depth insights into our impact management strategy, the allocation of impact investments for 2024, and features case studies highlighting our approach to impact investing.

Key Highlights

Data as at 31 December 2024

Portfolio composition by focus area

Community Empowerment & Development

Climate & Energy Transition

Natural Resources

Fundamental Needs & Infrastructure

Impact investments by asset class

Private Markets

Public equities

Public fixed income

Impact investments by geography

Emerging markets (other)*

Asia & the Pacific

Central & South America

Europe & Central Asia

Africa & the Middle East

North America

SDG alignment (% of impact portfolio)

Our focus areas

Our core themes are where global nee and our ability to make a difference intersect. We deploy impact capital and measure impact performance across each of these four themes. Discover real-world results and inspiring stories in our 2024 Impact Report.

Climate Change & Energy Transition

Clean mobility, clean energy, battery storage, adaptive infrastructure

Natural Resources

Water management, circular economy, regenerative agrilculture

Fundamental Needs & Infrastructure

Affordable housing, healthcare, food security

Community Empowerment & Development

Financial inclusion, education, decent jobs

145,093

Tonnes of CO2e emissions avoided

19,053

Hectares under sustainable mgmt

265,000

Farmers supported

128,047,661

Healthcare patients reached

3,598,824

Learners provided with access to education and vocational training

71,451

Jobs created for unemployed individuals

*KPIs listed above are examples from select investments in our portfolio. They do not represent an apportionment to UNJSPF.

UNJSPF’s Contribution

As a universal asset owner with a global mandate and a long-term horizon, the UNJSPF is uniquely positioned to drive systemic change. In addition to allocating capital, we seek to contribute further by shaping industry-wide impact investment practices. This strategy applies across our portfolio—public and private markets, equity and fixed income— and is adapted to the tools and levers available within each asset class.

In addition to making impactful investments, we define our contribution by three pillars:

Universal Ownership

We address systemic risks by integrating ESG analysis in investment decision-making across the Fund, exercising responsible stewardship over investments, and making multi-asset class investments in impact opportunities.

We participate in key impact investing, ESG and climate investing initiatives, including PRI, Net-Zero Asset Owner Alliance (NZAOA), among others.

Proactive Sourcing

We signal the importance of and feasibility of investments outside of the developed markets context for example, by making local currency fixed income investments and investments in supranational bonds issued by Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs).

We take a global approach to investment selection during the screening and selection process, including through direct investment in labelled bonds issued by developing countries.

Impact Influence

We contribute to the advancement of impact practice by signaling to managers UNJSPF’s prioritisation of impact rigor alongside financial return via robust due diligence and impact assessment across asset classes.

We conduct rigorous Impact and ESG on prospective managers and investments that is calibrated to asset class, communicating UNJSPF’s expectations for sustainability-related practice.

Impact frameworks and initiatives

UNJSPF's IM framework provides a rigorous, structured system of processes and tools to screen, assess, measure and report on impact investments across all asset classes. The IM framework aligns with global best practice and embeds impact considerations from sourcing and assessing opportunities to managing them to achieve intended impact outcomes. Reference frameworks and industry initiatives include: