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 HIGHLIGHTS & INTERVIEWS 2026

 

  1. Steering Capital Toward Solutions‑First Investing


    Amsterdam, 14 – 15 April, 2026

    The 12th edition of Impact Summit Europe brought together a highly curated audience of 380+ financial leaders, including institutional investors & asset owners, a select group of impact asset managers, research organisations, and industry partners from around the globe.

    Under the theme “Re‑engineering Finance & Impact : Steering Capital Toward Solutions‑First Investing,” the summit explored how capital can be intentionally structured, allocated, and governed so that real‑world solutions sit at the core of investment strategy.
    The conversation has moved beyond “impact‑first” versus “finance‑first.” Today, the focus is on empowering institutional investors to redesign capital flows, ensuring that climate, social, and system‑level solutions drive resilient, long‑term value creation.
    : 
    Opening the conference with a virtual address, Hon. Al Gore set the direction global markets must take: 
    “We need solutions‑first investing. Capital that flows toward climate solutions is not charity — it’s prudent investment."

    Across panels and plenaries, participants explored what it means to redesign finance for purpose- rethinking fiduciary duty, embracing intelligent risk, and structuring capital to support bold, innovative solutions capable of delivering both impact and long‑term returns. Younger generations’ expectations, evolving regulatory landscapes, and the realities of systemic risk all reinforce the same conclusion: the future of finance must be solutions‑led.

  2. Institutional investors are no longer observers of global change, they are architects of it. With improved data, stronger alignment, and intentional governance, they can accelerate a transition toward an investment ecosystem defined not only by performance metrics, but by outcomes, resilience, and real‑world relevance.

    We thank our speakers, sponsors, partners, and audience for being bold in their ambitions, for sharing their expertise, challenging the status quo, addressing polarizing topics, and for advocating and acting in the interests of all!

    We look forward to continuing this journey with you, join us globally at one of our convenings around the world!

Impact Summit Europe 2026, Circa, Amsterdam

All information and recordings of Impact Summit Europe are proprietary products and owned by Phenix Capital Group.The reproduction, misuse, dissemination, distribution, and modification are strictly prohibited without the knowledge and permission of Phenix Capital Group. For more information visit our Event terms and condition at www.phenixcapitalgroup.com

 

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Stewardship is the new frontline of impact

As regulatory ambition softens across Europe and corporate governance structures shift, investors can no longer rely on policy to do the heavy lifting. The summit underscored that active stewardship, through engagement, voting, and industry-wide collaboration, has become the primary lever for institutional investors seeking real-world impact without resorting to divestment.

 

Impact investing has reached a strategic inflection point 

The field has matured beyond pilots and niche allocations. Leading pension funds and asset owners are now integrating impact objectives across entire portfolios, not just carving out dedicated sleeves. The conversation has shifted from whether to invest for impact to how to do it at scale while maintaining fiduciary discipline and competitive returns.

 

Capital must reconnect with the real economy

Geopolitical fragmentation, deglobalisation, and the widening gap between market valuations and real-world outcomes are pushing institutional investors to rethink what portfolios are actually doing. Sessions across both days pointed to a growing consensus: capital needs to be deliberately structured to drive systems-level change in energy, healthcare, biodiversity, and local communities, not just track it.

 

New pools of capital are reshaping who sets the agenda

The next generation of LPs, next-gen families, faith-based organisations, and wealth managers navigating the great intergenerational wealth transfer, are entering impact markets with different motivations, timelines, and expectations than traditional pension funds. Institutions that adapt their products, reporting, and narratives to this audience will define the next growth cycle.

 

The financial toolkit needs re-engineering, not just refinement

From blended finance structures and revenue-based impact metrics to AI's paradoxical role in both enabling and distorting impact, the summit made clear that the instruments available to impact investors need fundamental innovation. Liquidity constraints, measurement gaps, and the scaling challenge for nature-based solutions all point to the same conclusion: incremental improvements to existing tools won't be sufficient the architecture of impact finance itself is being redesigned.

 

 

EXPERTS INTERVIEWS

 
 
Joanne Kellermann, Chair, Pension Fund Zorg & Welzijn 
 

"At the Pension Fund, we believe that, ultimately, sustainability is the best way to reach long-term outcomes. We aim for a portfolio that is fully 3D, so we look at return, risks, and we look at impact in equal measures."

 
 
 
Jamie Broderick, Deputy Chair, Impact Investing Institute 
 
"One of the big themes in investment management is the efficient use of financial capital. I can't think of anything that is more appealing, just in terms of financial efficiency, in generating a financial return alongside a benefit for society and the environment. Impact investing is really deploying capital into the real world and that should be part of what every investor is doing with their portfolio."
 
Erwann Le Ligné, Managing Partner, Co-Head of Eurazeo Planetary Boundaries Fund 
 
"Science is really to us the answer to the credibility of the industry to make sure there is no greenwashing, no marketing claim, and we scaling the strategic players of tomorrow."
 
Jennifer Pryce, President & Chief Executive Officer, Calvert Impact 
 
"We sit in-between community and capital markets, and the key drivers that really impact our investment decisions are around what community need is. We start with community and really look at why capital is not reaching it."
 
Francois Xavier Douin, Europe Sales Director, France Valley 
 

"We believe it is possible to invest reasonably large amounts of money that do make a difference not only in terms of impact but also in terms of total allocation for those large investors we have represented here in Europe."

 
Fleur Heyns, Partner, Leelafy 
 
"I think impact investors are stuck. It is a silo that was sort of artificially created. It makes people feel good, but unless you further evolve and you really make it scalable, you make it adjustable for those larger pots of money, you haven't achieved anything because it won't be sustainable."
 
Dimple Sahni, Managing Director Multi Asset Impact, Anthos Fund & Asset Management 

 

"I think people still associate a lot of outsized risk with impact investments, instead of a way to de-risk their investments. If they actually just changed their mindset and viewed it as a way to de-risk something in a risk-off environment, they would get off the sidelines and onto the playing field."

 
Gautier Quéru, Managing Director Natural Capital, Mirova 

 

"Currently, the topics of sovereignty, security, resilience, are becoming top priorities. The risk for impact finance is that collectively we put a priority on sovereignty and leave environmental and social issues behind. But the truth is that these are linked and connected and we need to address all of these topics all together."

 

 
Bahaa Eddine Sarroukh, Head of Philips Foundation 

 

"25 years in health-tech industry has shown me that capital allocation is the bottleneck. Grants of course can open doors but sustainability remains often the question, investments can also move fast but often they miss the markets where the need is the greatest. That space between where we do grants and where we do investments is what drew me in."

 
Ralitsa Rizvanolli, Head of Investments, Sarona Asset Management 

 

"I think some of our biggest challenges are around perception or risk and  asymmetry of information. I think a lot of impact investing opportunities are in emerging markets, but for investors who have a very small allocation to those markets, traditionally there is a big sort of leap of faith to consider investing in those geographies."

 

  1. OPENING THOUGHT LEADERSHIP MESSAGE 

     
  2.  
  3. Hon. Al Gore
    Former Vice President of the United States; 
    Founding Partner and Chair, Generation Investment Managementatch the virtual message here.

SESSIONS AT A GLANCE

DAY 1 | April 14th, 2026

 

DAY 2 | April 15th, 2026

SUMMIT'S OPENING  

 

As we shaped the theme for the 12th edition of Impact Summit Europe, we asked ourselves: are we truly steering capital toward solutions- or just responding to a world under pressure? And what does it take to move from intention to action?


To open the summit, Yana Kaloshina, Managing Director, of Phenix Capital Impact Events has created a powerful, emotional video poetry message to set intentions for the two days of conversations “WHAT WE FUND, WE GROW. CAPITAL FLOW DETERMINE THE LANDSCAPE WE DRAW”, for this and the next generation. 


Capital is not neutral- it actively defines our future. Every allocation is a choice.
At the heart of this vision, we touch a deeply human nature. As children, we believe anything is possible - we imagine without restriction, create without fear, and meet the world with curiosity and no limitations. Through this message we wanted to encourage seasoned professionals to think and act outside of limitations imposed by the system, and to invest with courage and ingenuity. 


Creative direction & poetry:  

 "The landscape we draw", by Yana Kaloshina.
 
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LOOKBACK 2025

Take a look at what was happening at Impact Summit Europe 2025.

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LOOKBACK 2024

Take a look at what was happening at Impact Summit Europe 2024.

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