Conscious Investment Management Releases 2023 Impact Report

 

The team at Conscious Investment Management has announced the release of the 2023 Impact Report detailing CIM’s investment activities and portfolio impact performance for the 2022/23 year.

In addition to sharing highlights from the portfolio, the report sets out the framework for impact measurement and provides case studies on investment themes – outlining the challenge and outcome of each investment alongside its impact measurement score. The report also includes interviews with impact partners, stories about people supported by CIM assets, and information on the impact that the team are having at a corporate level.

 

“We’re really proud of the scale of the impact we’ve had so far, but we know that numbers are simply outputs that only tell part of the story. This year’s Impact Report not only focuses on the outputs, but drills down to the next level to focus on outcomes – the deeper and less observable ways in which our investments are impacting people’s lives and the systems in which they operate. It’s the assessment of those outcomes, particularly for our social housing portfolio, that’s brought to bear in this year’s report.”

Casey Taylor
Director, Conscious Investment Management

 

Download the Report

Watch a Short Summary Video

Conscious Investment Management recognised by RIAA as a Responsible Investment Leader 2023

 

Conscious Investment Management has been recognised by the Responsible Investment Association Australasia (RIAA) as a Responsible Investment Leader for 2023. This accolade positions them in the top 20% of Australia’s responsible investors for the second consecutive year.

 

This recognition, awarded by the RIAA is featured in its annual benchmarking report. The report charts the size, growth, depth and performance of the Australian responsible investment market over 12 months and compares these results with the broader financial market. Being featured for a second consecutive year underscores CIM’s continued dedication to making a positive impact through its investment strategies, and delivering impact investments that are authentic, accessible, and scalable.

 

Read RIAA’s full annual Responsible Investment Benchmark Report here.

Read RIAA’s full announcement of Responsible Investment Leaders for 2023 here.

 

Media Release: Kullilli people acquire Thargomindah Station and Return to Country backed by innovative carbon farming and finance partnership.

 

 

In a ground-breaking advance for native title holders of far south-west Queensland, the Kullilli people are returning to Country after acquiring the pastoral lease to the iconic Thargomindah Station. This landmark property acquisition was secured through an innovative finance partnership underpinned by carbon farming.

Kullilli Bulloo River Aboriginal Corporation (KBRAC) describe the purchase at auction of 47,100 hectares of their traditional lands, as an extraordinary win for the descendants of the Kullilli people, most of whom were forcibly removed from their lands between the 1880s until the late 1960s.

“We, the Kullilli people, can finally go home to the banks of the Bulloo River after more than a century of dispossession,” says Cassandra Stevens, Director of KBRAC.

“We are thrilled to begin a new chapter at Thargomindah Station, where we look forward to implementing our traditional knowledge alongside innovative land management and sustainable agricultural practices to regenerate native forest and heal Country.”

With support from long-time partner Climate Friendly, the Kullilli people secured approval from the Clean Energy Regulator for the Thargomindah Station Regeneration Project on 12 September 2023. The carbon farming project is central to enabling the Kullilli people to re-acquire direct management of the property. Leading impact investor, Conscious Investment Management (CIM) has provided innovative financing for the acquisition based on forecast income from the carbon farming project.

“Climate Friendly deeply values our long-term partnership with the Kullilli people,” said Skye Glenday, Co-CEO of Climate Friendly.

“Their traditional land is spectacular red earth country, with vast floodplains fringed by Gidyea, Eucalypt and Mulga woodland forests. It is brilliant that the Kullilli people are now in the driver’s seat regenerating these culturally and environmentally important woodland forests through carbon farming.”

Iain Wood, Director at CIM says the Kullilli carbon farming investment is a first-of-its-kind and offers a blueprint for First Nations economic empowerment across Australia.

“This finance model is unique. It has given the Kullilli people a pathway to acquire their land and directly manage the property from day one. This structure differs from other carbon farming projects with Traditional Owner involvement, which often require the property be sold at the end of a project’s life”, says Iain.

“The Thargomindah carbon project is real economic empowerment and reconciliation in action, aligned with the Kullilli people’s social, cultural and economic aspirations for current and future generations.”

Together, the Kullilli people, Climate Friendly and CIM hope to replicate this innovative finance and carbon farming model with other First Nations groups, and work to scale it up to promote First Nations economic empowerment alongside climate and nature repair around Australia.

“Thargomindah means “dust storm” in our traditional language”, said Toby Adams, Director of KBRAC, who has been working to recover Kullilli language.

“Re-acquiring a part of our traditional lands has been a dust storm for our people. We are now looking forward to a bright future, and to sharing this experience and innovative model with other First Nations communities.”

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Wanderlust True North returns in September to Melbourne, Sydney and the Gold Coast

Graca Machel – Fundraiser Lunch

We feel incredibly grateful to have had the opportunity to host, in partnership with Igniting Change, an impactful fundraiser lunch with the esteemed Hamish McLachlan as MC, who conducted a thought-provoking interview with international human rights advocate, Former First Lady Graca Machel. #humanrights #ignitingchange #inspiringconversations #socialimpact

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The B Well Coalition – Our State Of Mind

Poor mental wellbeing costs Australian businesses $5.6 billion in lost productivity each year. Find out how The B Team Australasia is on a mission to help organisations transform their approach to mental wellbeing at work
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Wanderlust True North Melbourne & Sydney

Media release: CIM partners with Bridge Housing to deliver social housing in Sydney

Hydralyte achieves record unaudited monthly net sales of US$1.0m achieved in January 2023

Conscious Investment Management recognised as Impact Asset Manager of the Year 2022