The Impact Management Platform at the Fourth International Conference for Financing Development (FfD4)
Seville, Spain, 30 June – 3 July 2025
The UN International Conferences on Financing for Development are the only space where leaders from all governments, along with international and regional organisations, financial and trade institutions, businesses, civil society and the UN System unite at the highest levels to foster stronger international cooperation and financing for development.
The Fourth International Conference for Financing Development (FfD4) provides a unique opportunity to reform financing at all levels, including to support reform of the international financial architecture and addressing financing challenges preventing the urgently needed investment push for the SDGs.
Over 15 side events will be held by IMP Partners on a variety of topics, from sustainable finance policy and regulation, the role & progress of the private sector, and a range of deep-dives on specific financing instruments, sustainability issues and sustainability management approaches and methodologies. See full list of Partner events below.
In addition, the IMP Partners will be holding a joint event in response to paragraph 34b of the Conference outcome document which calls on private entities to: “give due consideration to integrating sustainability and impact management into their decision-making and governance processes and to actively measure it, as appropriate. We welcome ongoing efforts towards enhancing the interoperability of voluntary sustainability and impact standards and terminology.” The session outline is available below.
For the full FfD4 programme, click here.
IMP Partners Joint Event
When Innovation Meets Standardisation: Advancing Interoperability in Impact Management Standards
2nd July 2025 – 12:30 to 14:00, International Business Forum, Room Madrid C
Context
This session is organised in response to paragraph 34b of the Conference outcome document which calls on private entities to: “give due consideration to integrating sustainability and impact management into their decision-making and governance processes and to actively measure it, as appropriate. We welcome ongoing efforts towards enhancing the interoperability of voluntary sustainability and impact standards and terminology.”
Objectives
- Have a coordinated dialogue with policymakers regarding impact management and clarify and build consensus on the meaning and practice of impact management.
- Respond to the call for private entities to integrate sustainability and impact management into their decision-making and governance processes.
- Encourage standard-setters and multilateral agencies to continue harmonizing and exploring the interoperability of voluntary impact standards and terminology.
Expected outcomes
Creating an exchange of views between the Impact Management Platform Partners, policymakers, and private sector leaders on the strategic value of Impact Management and the existing landscape of standards. Initiating a dialogue on how the impact management landscape needs to evolve for effectiveness and practicality, with a focus on coordination, interoperability, and gap-filling efforts by the Impact Management Platform as well as the initiation of a dialogue with leading sustainability norms/standards in response to paragraph 34b of the Conference outcome document.
Agenda
| 12 :30 | Opening & Introduction Eric Usher, Head, UNEP Finance Initiative Careen Abb Lead, Impact & SDGs, UNEP Finance Initiative |
| 12 :40 | Keynote addresses on government positions, expectations & needs relative to Impact Management and voluntary sustainability norms and standards Mr. Shigemi Ando, Director, Global Issues Cooperation Division, International Cooperation Bureau Kotaro Sueyoshi Managing Director, Advisor to Group Chief Sustainability Officer (Sustainability & Impact), Mizuho Financial Group, Inc. G77 Representative(tbc) |
| 13 :00 | Roundtable discussion with views and perspectives of private sector practitioners and responses from the voluntary standard setters Facilitated by: Martin Lok, Executive Director, Capitals Coalition Tim Polaszek, Director of Engagement & Education, Capitals Coalition Private Sector: Lara de Mesa Global Head of Sustainability, Banco Santander Arsalan Mahtafar Head, Development Finance, JP Morgan Atsuko Kajiwara Managing Director and Head of Sustainability, Financial Services Unit, Deloitte Tohmatsu Risk Voluntary standard setters & initiatives: Sean Gilbert Director of Member Engagement, Global Impact Investing Network (GIIN) Robin Hodess CEO, Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) Javier Garcia Vice-president, International Standards Organisation (ISO) Jo Fackler Director of Global Affairs, Social Value International (SVI) Simon Rawson CEO, Taskforce on Inequality and Social-related Financial Disclosures (TISFD) Thomas Beloe Director, Sustainable Finance Hub, UNDP Gerbrand Haverkamp Executive Director, World Benchmarking Alliance (WBA) |
| 13 :50 | Next Steps & Closing remarks Careen Abb Lead, Impact & SDGs, UNEP Finance Initiative Maria Caterina Migliorero, UN DESA Eric Usher, Head, UNEP Finance Initiative |
Background material
For additional context on this topic, please consult the following background papers:
- The Imperative for Impact Management. Clarifying the relationship between impacts, system-wide risk and materiality. Thought piece — Impact Management Platform
- The Actions of Impact Management. Actions — Impact Management Platform
- The Naming & Classification of Sustainability Topics in the Context of Impact Management. Sustainability Topics — Impact Management Platform
- Industry Classifications in the Context of Impact Management. Industry / Sector Classification — Impact Management Platform
IMP Partner Events
Tuesday, 1st July
| Partner organisation | Event | Time | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| GIIN | Unlocking Private Capital for Sustainable Development: Navigating Supporting Resources | 10:30 – 12:00 | Auditorium 2 |
| GSG | Impact-Driven Business Models and Innovations: Building Resilient Impact Economies in Times of Global Turmoil | 10:30 – 12:00 | Side Event 9 |
| UNEP FI | The Role of Banking in Finance Inclusive Economies | 10:30 – 12:00 | Side Event 2 |
| UNGC Spain with PRI | Investing Forward: Opportunities in Emerging Markets | 10:30 – 12:30 | Side Event 21 |
| UNEP FI, UN DESA & PRI | Enabling the Transition: Global & Interoperable Sustainable Finance Policy | 4:30 – 6:30 | Side Event 20 |
Wednesday. 2nd July
| Partner organisation | Event | Time | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| UN DESA (featuring GIIN & GSG) | Impact Investing: From Pioneering Innovations to Scalable Solutions | 8:30-10:00 | Side Event 22 |
| UNGC | Innovative Debt Instruments | 10:30-12:30 | Side Event 1 |
| IMP | Impact Management Standards: When innovation meets interoperability | 12:30 – 2:00 | Side Event 24 |
| JPMorgan & BCG | “Future of Development Finance” | 2:30 – 4:00 | Side Event 19 |
| Capitals Coalition & SVI | Impact Valuation: Beyond the Financial Bottom Line | 2:30 – 4:00 | Side Event 21 |
| GRI with UN DESA, UNDP | Group of Friends of Paragraph 29: from a global streamlined corporate reporting system to national implementation pathways. | 4:30 – 6:30 | Auditorium 2 |
| UNGC | Driving Business Leadership in Sustainable Finance in Uncertain Times | 4:30-6:00 | Side Event 1 |
Thursday, 3rd July
| Partner organisation | Event | Time | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| GRI with JP Morgan & Morningstar | Private Sector Capital: A dialogue with Global Investors | 8:30 – 10:00 | Auditorium 2 |
| SVI | Addressing externalities for efficient markets: A workshop on the True & Fair Project | 8:30 – 10:00 | Side Event 24 |
| WBA | Aligning private business and finance with sustainable development: Defining the responsibility of large multinational corporations and financial institutions in the implementation of UN frameworks | 8:30 – 10:00 | Side Event 19 |
| UNEP FI | Financing Decent Work: scaling impact for a more inclusive economy | 10:30 – 12:00 | Side Event 24 |
| ISO, UNDP & SVI | Announcement of the Impact Works Alliance: Global Leaders Deliver Sustainable Finance through SDG Management Systems | 12:30 – 2:00 | Side Event 12 |