Terms of Reference - Group on Impact Financing (under Sustainability Reporting Standards Board)

• To create robust, standardized frameworks for impact measurement, reporting, and management, tailored to India's needs and aligned with global best practices.
• To develop sector-specific guidelines to address unique impact measurement and reporting challenges across industries, ensuring comprehensive and comparable disclosures.
• To establish standardized impact measurement methodologies, Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), and valuation models for impact investing, ensuring consistency and transparency.
• To contribute to the expansion of India's impact financing ecosystem by encouraging collaborations, streamlining regulations, and advocating policy reforms with relevant government bodies and regulatory agencies.
• To engage in advocacy with policymakers to shape a conducive regulatory environment for impact finance and facilitate the adoption of global best practices.
• To explore and provide insights on various government schemes related to impact financing.
• To explore professional opportunities for Chartered Accountants in this emerging domain.
• To support innovation in impact finance by developing frameworks for new asset classes, blended finance structures, and green/social bonds, ensuring adaptability to evolving market needs.
• To collaborate with multilateral institutions and other international organizations to align India's impact finance practices with global sustainability and investment frameworks.
• To develop an annual impact assessment framework beyond statutory audits, offering comprehensive evaluations of social and environmental outcomes for investors and stakeholders.
• To build capacity among Chartered Accountants, auditors, investors, and businesses through training programs, workshops, and certifications in impact finance and emerging financial instruments.
• To integrate impact financing topics into ICAI's curriculum and Continuing Professional Education (CPE) programs, preparing professionals for the evolving sustainability and impact financing landscape.
• To facilitate dialogue with investors, investees, and policymakers, enhancing the flow of impact capital and encouraging knowledge exchange on emerging trends and best practices.
• To organize a global Conference on Impact Financing, bringing together industry leaders, regulators, policymakers, and practitioners to discuss advancements, challenges, and future directions.
• To launch an Impact Financing Award recognizing outstanding contributions to the field, promoting best practices, and encouraging innovation in impact measurement and reporting.
• To promote the adoption of technology-driven solutions-including blockchain, AI, and data analytics-for real-time impact measurement, reporting accuracy, and improved investor decision-making.
• To develop and implement digital tools that enhance impact reporting transparency, streamline processes, and support informed decision-making for investors and stakeholders.
• To work closely with government ministries and public-sector institutions to shape national impact financing policies, drive public-private partnerships, and foster innovation in sustainable finance.
• To conduct in-depth research on emerging trends, challenges, and opportunities in impact financing, ensuring India's policies and practices remain globally competitive and locally relevant.
• To develop research papers, policy briefs, and industry reports on impact finance, providing data-driven insights for policymakers, investors, and industry stakeholders.
• To engage with academic institutions, think tanks, and industry experts in conducting research on the intersection of impact finance, sustainability, and economic development.