Another important step has been taken for Turkey with the search conference themed “Strength in the Unity” 

Founded by leading organizations to elevate Turkey to the global industrial platform of impact investment, EYDK-Impact Investment Advisory Board collaborated with YASED and PwC to organize a search conference themed “Strength in Unity”. Thus, another important step has been taken to include Turkey in the world of global impact investments whose volume has reached 2.3 trillion dollars.

Adopting a data-based, transparent and inclusive approach, the Impact Investment Advisory Board (EYDK) aims to bring together the wide network of participants in the impact investment ecosystem with the search conference they held with the support of YASED and PwC.  EYDK also seeks to expand on the insights and propositions presented about the working groups in its report titled “EYDK as a Catalyser”.

In the report, Impact Partnership Working Group that will make Turkey the center of impact investing in the region and build a global business and information network, Sustainable Development and Policy Working Group based on Turkey’s national interests and potential, Capacity Building Working Group that will increase technical knowledge level especially impact measurement and management field and Corporate Communications Working Group that will direct international awareness studies are identified.

“We aimed to elaborate the insights by discussing”

Making a statement about the search conference, Şafak Müderrisgil, President of EYDK commented, “The field of impact investing aims to generate financial gain by putting the positive and measurable social and environmental impact at the center of investments and impact investment activities started in Turkey in April 2019. The two reports published by UNDP in November 2019 and March 2021 and the establishment of EYDK by leading public and private sector institutions and non-profit organizations in April 2021, and the publication of the ‘EYDK as an Enabler’ report in September 2021 have become two important milestones. With the search conference titled “Strength in Unity” that we organized with the cooperation of YASED and PwC, we aimed to elaborate on the action plan proposed within the report we published and the insights created for the working groups, by discussing with a wide network of participants.”

Louisa Vinton, Resident Representative of UNDP Turkey and keynote speaker at the conference said “With global funding needs estimated at up to USD 7 trillion per year, the sweeping ambition of the Sustainable Development Goals to end poverty, eliminate hunger, reduce inequality and fight climate change has spurred worries that there is simply not enough money available to achieve them. Fortunately, impact investing offers one way to close the gap, and UNDP is helping the private sector in Turkey to identify investments that can generate returns while delivering measurable progress in protecting the planet and improving people’s lives.”

“The interpretations of the conference will be shared with the public”

Stating that impact investing is a new concept not only for Turkey but also for the world, Müderrisgil said, “Together, we will seek answers to the questions such as ‘How Turkey will position itself in the global impact investment environment which has reached a volume of 2.3 trillion dollars’, ‘How it will determine its strategies and policies, which sectors it will prioritize’, and ‘In which areas it will develop capacity, and how it will operate national and international cooperation mechanisms’. The search conference, together with representatives of our 34 member institutions from the public and private industries as well as non-profit organizations, will also lend an ear to other key stakeholders in the impact investing ecosystem. Since this conference will also allow us to collect data, I would also like to announce that the interpretations and results of the conference will be compiled into a report and shared with the public.”