IFU is an impact investor with a clear objective to contribute to sustainable development in the investment countries through its investments. This means that IFU focuses on its impact priorities throughout the entire investment process, from project selection, due diligence, defining impact objectives, active ownership until exit evaluation.
As the only Danish investment fund, IFU has signed the Operating Principles for Impact Management together with more than 125 international investors aiming to strengthen impact management and measurement systems in commercial investments. All signatories must prepare an annual status report documenting how they are working with impact management as part of their investment process, and obtain an independent verification of whether they comply with the principles.
IFU has reached a high level
The American consultancy firm BlueMark, a market leader within impact verification, has now carried out an independent assessment of IFU. It concludes that IFU’s systems to manage and measure development effects are generally of a high standard, in particular the strategic focus and the assessment of the projects’ contribution to sustainable development in the preparatory phase.
“Our ambition is to be a leading impact investor, and I am very pleased that we have now obtained an independent verification showing that our work to create sustainable development is of a high standard.”
Torben Huss, CEO of IFU.
Recommendations going forward
Furthermore, BlueMark’s assessment includes a number of recommendations on strengthening the efforts even further. This includes a recommendation for IFU to improve the work on assessing the continued sustainability of the companies, once IFU has exited them, as well as active use of studies and analysis of former projects in IFU’s strategic work.
Find BlueMark’s conclusions here.