• ILX receives PRI award for Innovation in Responsible Investment Strategy
• ILX also receives the PRI Special Award for Emerging Markets
• Awards recognise the key role of the Development Finance Asset Class
Amsterdam, October 8th 2024 – ILX Fund I, the Amsterdam-based SDG-focused emerging market private debt fund managed by ILX Management, has been honoured with the UN-sponsored Principles for Responsible Investment Award for Innovation in Responsible Investment Strategy. This prestigious award celebrates excellence and innovation in how asset managers incorporate ESG factors into their asset selection, portfolio construction, and allocation processes.
ILX Management has also received the Emerging Markets Special Award, acknowledging the innovative approach of ILX Fund I to capital allocation in these markets. Its strategy is centred on co-investment partnerships with Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs) and Development Finance Institutions (DFIs), leveraging their expertise and experience in driving impactful and SDG-focused investments across Emerging Markets and Developing Economies.
An independent panel of 37 judges assessed 175 submissions, selecting ILX’s investment strategy for its pioneering approach to mobilising private capital in emerging markets. The fund was recognised as an innovative vehicle for deploying institutional impact capital, with a strong focus on the SDGs and Climate finance. Read the full case study here.
ILX’s recognition stems from its comprehensive strategy, which provides pension funds access to attractive, highly impactful development finance opportunities across emerging markets through collaborations with MDBs and DFIs. This approach involves key steps to ensure transparency, such as embedding ESG and impact criteria into underwriting and reporting standards, implementing best practices in engagement through corporate action plans, and identifying and tracking SDG and climate-related outcomes.
“We are extremely proud to receive these prestigious UN PRI awards in both categories,” said Manfred Schepers, CEO and Founder of ILX. “This recognition underscores the urgent need for innovative solutions to scale private capital allocation in emerging markets and bridge the critical SDG and climate funding gaps.”
Nicole Martens, one of the independent judges, commented:
”Unavailability of credible, comparable data often results in the exclusion of emerging markets from the investment universe of many investors. At the same time, the complex nature of these markets presents a significant challenge for the application of international best practice principles and frameworks without a comprehensive understanding of local market dynamics. This often necessitates a robust strategy that prioritises collaboration and active ownership.
In this context, it is particularly striking to observe ILX’s approach, which presents a unique combination of emerging market focus coupled with a steadfast commitment to collaboration with key stakeholders across the spectrum of capital and throughout the value chain. Further, ILX’s deliberate investment in processes for impact measurement, it’s strategic outcomes-focused approach to engagement, and the high-levels of transparency with which progress is communicated, all deserve specific mention.
Overall, ILX has succeeded in setting an important precedent for investors regarding what is possible with respect to their ability to deliver real-world impact at scale.”
The PRI Awards showcase leadership in responsible investing amongst its signatories. To learn more about ILX and its SDG-Focused Emerging Market Private Debt funds, please visit here.
About ILX: ILX is an Amsterdam-based asset manager specialising in global development finance co-investment strategies. It primarily focuses on UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Climate Finance in Emerging Markets, and it is driven by a diversified, long-term, and impactful investment approach. This approach is underpinned by strong partnerships with global Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs) and Development Finance Institutions (DFIs) and centres around B-loan participations in SDG-aligned investments, particularly within the realm of Climate Finance. ILX Fund I was launched in 2022 with incubation support from the German, Dutch and UK governments and with cornerstone commitments from Dutch pension fund managers APG on behalf of ABP and bpfBouw and Achmea IM on behalf of Pensioenfonds Vervoer. For more information here: ILX Fund – SDG-Focused Emerging Market Private Debt
