Former US Secretary of State John Kerry has been awarded the Impact Ireland Award at the inaugural Impact Ireland convention in Dublin’s Mansion House.
Sustainability was the main theme for the event with topics including impact investing, decarbonisation and the transition to renewables and Ireland’s role as a global leader in sustainable finance. It was attended by over 200 participants from Ireland, the UK, the US and the Far East.
John Kerry signed the Paris Agreement on climate change on behalf of the US in 2015.
In January 2021, he returned to government, and was the first person to hold the position of US special presidential envoy for climate, a role he held until earlier in 2024.
The Impact Ireland funds are sustainable private equity growth expansion funds managed by VentureWave Capital.
The funds are located in located in Ireland and the US and invest in Irish businesses that subscribe to the 17 Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations. Impact Ireland invests projects in enterprises in the energy, education, agriculture, sustainable finance and health sectors.
Speakers at the convention included former taoiseach Enda Kenny, who is chair of the Impact Ireland Global Advisory Council; Alan Foy, Chairman and Managing Partner and Kieran McLoughlin, co-founder and Managing Partner of Venturewave Capital; Anne Finucane, Senior Advisor at TPG Rise Climate Fund; The Edge, Chair of Endeavour Ireland; Terence O’Rourke, Chairman of ESB and Chair of the RTE Board; Ann Heraty, the founder of CPL and Chair of the EY Entrepreneur of the Year and Leo Clancy, CEO of Enterprise Ireland.
The event was supported by Bank of America and was attended by Paul Donofrio, Vice Chair, Bank of America, as well as Fernando Vicario, the Dublin-based CEO of Bank of America Europe DAC; Karen Fang; Global Head of Sustainable Finance, and Panos Seretis, Managing Director and Head of Global Sustainability ESG Research.
Kieran McLoughlin, co-founder and managing partner at VentureWave Capital, said that Impact Investing is about doing well by doing good.
“Sometimes described as Conscientious Capitalism, it demonstrates that delivering profits and a better world are not in conflict, rather they are aligned. We believe Ireland can become a leading global centre of Impact Investing,” he added.
Paul Donofrio, Vice Chair, Bank of America, said the inaugural Impact Ireland Convention in Dublin showcased the high-quality insights of both local and global leaders.
“It’s a strong demonstration of the growing role Ireland is playing in a more sustainable future,” he added.