Mirova Research Center partners with AFNOR and ESSEC Business School to advance methodological rigor in social impact measurement. As impact measurement becomes an increasingly important component of sustainable finance and organizational strategy, the need for robust, transparent and comparable approaches continues to grow. Through this partnership, Mirova Research Center contributes to the development of a French standard aimed at strengthening the rigor, transparency and credibility of social impact measurement practices.
Led jointly by AFNOR, the French national standardization body, and ESSEC Business School through its Evaluation & Measurement of Social and Environmental Impact Laboratory (E&MISE), the initiative brings together academic researchers, standard-setting experts and practitioners to establish a shared reference framework for the field. As a member of the working group, Mirova Research Center brings practitioner perspectives and experience from the investment industry, helping ensure that the future standard remains both rigorous and grounded in real-world applications.
For Mirova Research Center, this partnership reflects a commitment to fostering greater rigor and transparency in social impact measurement, strengthening dialogue between research and practice, and supporting the recognition of impact measurement as a strategic management tool rather than solely a reporting exercise.
The project aims to establish a common language for assessing the quality and robustness of social impact measurement approaches. Rather than defining which impacts organizations should pursue, the initiative focuses on how impact can be measured in a rigorous, transparent and credible way. Through a consensus-based process, AFNOR, ESSEC and their partners are developing a French reference framework that will complement existing national and international initiatives on impact measurement and ESG practices. By defining quality criteria for impact measurement methodologies and providing clear benchmarks to assess their robustness, the future standard will help organizations strengthen the credibility of their impact claims and integrate impact measurement into strategic decision-making. More broadly, the initiative seeks to foster greater transparency, strengthen trust among investors, funders and other stakeholders, and contribute to reducing the risk of impact-washing.