Impact: Investing in quality education

Family offices looking to expand their impact portfolio can consider ways to contribute to the 4th SDG, which aims to provide education for children everywhere by 2030.
impact investing education

What you need to know

  • 61 million primary school-age children remain out of school, of whom live in conflict-affected areas.
  • Geographically, more than half of the world’s out-of-school children live in sub-Saharan Africa, making it the continent most affected by the lack of basic skills.
  • Impact investing places a third dimension at the core of your investment strategy: to have a positive impact on the world.
Impact Updated on October 21, 2022

In response to the climate and social crises, the United Nations has established a set of Sustainable Development Goals, to be achieved by 2030. These are organised in 17 concrete objectives to tackle global issues in order to reach a sustainable and peaceful future for everyone, everywhere. In this piece, we analyse alternate avenues for family offices exploring impact investing who wish to contribute to the 4th SDG, which aims to provide access to a full course of free primary and secondary education for all children in the world by 2030, regardless of their gender or family income.

Quality education aims to develop students’ transversal skills in an inclusive and equitable manner. In addition to breaking the cycle of poverty and improving quality of life, education has the power to open the world, facilitate the development of innovative solutions, and enable a violence-free climate. Education is therefore the foundation for many other SDGs. Since 2000, major progress has been made in improving access to education and enrollment at all levels, especially for girls.

The need for impact and investing in education

Despite progress in access to education in recent decades, 61 million primary school-age children remain out of school, 50% of whom live in conflict-affected areas. Enrollment rates increased from 60% to 78% in sub-Saharan Africa and from 80% to 94% in South Asia between 2000 and 2012, rates that are still insufficient but that mark a clear improvement.

About the Authors

Julien Lescs

Julien Lescs

Pyschodynamics & Impact Investing

Julien is co-founder of Kimpa, a family office dedicated to impact investing. Grandson of an agricultural family business that was destroyed in a fratricidal war, Julien has become a specialist in psychodynamics related to family business governance.

Connect with Julien Lescs

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