15:30 pm – 16:30 pm Plenary Panel (Session 14) Social Finance: can (should) impact accounting be used to verify impact investors making a difference? Panelists: Diane-Laure Arjales, Ivey School of Business, Western University Kelly Gauthier, Rally Assets Laurie Mook, Arizona State University James Tansey, University of British Columbia Moderator: Kate Ruff, Carleton University
Social Finance: can (should) impact accounting be used to verify impact investors making a difference?
Moderator: Kate Ruff, Sprott School of Business, Carleton University
Description: This panel will discuss the possibility (and desirability) of measuring impact for the purpose of verifying the claims of impact investing funds. Impact investing is investing with the intent to affect positive change in society and the environment. Impact accounting includes both the impact measurement practices within the investees and how those measures are reported to investors. The panel will explore three questions. 1) Are impact measures reliable enough and comparable enough to meet impact investors’ reporting expectations? 2) Given the known tensions between measurement for verification (measure to prove) and learning (measure to improve), what risk does demanding an impact accounting pose to the investees ability to improve impact? 3) What benefits to impact accounting, in its current form, offer to the impact investing industry?