The rise of the impact economy

Our white paper on how we’re evolving to the next level in regards to the rise of the impact economy

Highlights of our white paper

People and planet, as well as profit

Trading up to impact economics means recognising the economic value of people and the planet. Our needs include equal opportunity, fair treatment, and an environment that is not collapsing. Impact economics aims to allocate scarce resources to meet all of those needs.

Emerging from the data sludge

The impact economy works when peoples’ needs are properly, transparently measured. This is necessarily more complex than reducing everything to a single statistic like GDP, but must be more simple than the current murky swamp of acronyms and conflicting measures.

Impact economics – an economic evolution

Economics has had one job throughout the ages – to find the best way to allocate scarce resources between people’s endless needs. Over the past eighty years the focus has been output economics, which assumed peoples’ needs were things they could buy. But people’s needs have evolved, so output economics needs to evolve into impact economics.

Our videos

Podcasts

sustainability-impact

The podcast with Fiona Reynolds and Paul Donovan on the impact economy

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This is the second if a two-part series exploring the impact economy. Prompted by a new white paper from The UBS Sustainability and Impact Institute, this episode features the CEO of Conexus Financial, Fiona Reynolds and UBS Global Wealth Management chief economist Paul Donovan. They discuss the shortcomings of GDP, why we need an impact economy and what needs to happen to bring one about. Fiona Reynolds is a one of the founding members of the UBS Sustainability and Impact Forum, established in 2022 to drive the discourse on sustainable finance. Paul Donovan is a fellow of the Institute.

The podcast with Prof. Sir Partha Dasgupta on the impact economy

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This is the first of a two-part series exploring the impact economy. Prompted by a new white paper from the UBS Sustainability and Impact Institute, this episode features Sir Partha Dasgupta, Professor Emeritus of Economics at the University of Cambridge, to discuss the interconnectedness of a flourishing natural environment, economic growth and human development. Much of Sir Partha’s celebrated research has covered ecological economics. Prof. Dasgupta is a one of the founding members of the UBS Sustainability and Impact Forum, established in 2022 to drive the discourse on sustainable finance.

Meet our specialists

This white paper is a collaborative effort from our in-house team, working together through the UBS Sustainability and Impact Institute:

portrait of Paul Donovan

Paul Donovan

Chief Economist, UBS Global Wealth Management

portrait of Maya Ziswiler

Maya Ziswiler

CEO UBS Optimus Foundation
 

portrait of Gillian Dexter

Gillian Dexter

Lead Content Strategy, UBS Chief Sustainability Office

portrait of Andrew Lee

Andrew Lee

CIO Head UBS Sustainable & Impact Investing

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