Top execs in the field give their predictions for what will drive the burgeoning sector this year.

Matt Christensen, Global Head of Responsible Investment, AXA Investment Managers:

Next year, interest from institutional investors will move the sector beyond private equity and into the public markets, Christensen says. He also expects fund managers to focus on specific impact investment themes in 2018, like gender equality. Some may also take a quantitative approach to selecting public securities. For example, it’s possible to measure how a given company is preparing for a low-carbon world. By quantifying these efforts, "we can push that as a key lever in how we construct a portfolio, which will therefore make the portfolio look different," Christensen says.

Hugh Lawson, head of ESG & Impact Investing, Goldman Sachs Asset Management:

Lawson expects impact investing to grow next year as investors recognize that the "impact edge," is integral to the financial returns they can receive (an edge they can't achieve through passive investing). "You'll see more demand and potentially more supply," Lawson says.

Andrew Lee, head of Americas sustainable and impact Investing at UBS Wealth Management's chief investment office:

Individual and institutional interest in impact investing will only accelerate in 2018, Lee says. “The challenges that are out there remain just as significant as they were at the end of last year,” he says, citing climate change, health care, education, food security and energy as a particular focus at UBS.

Read the full article about impact investing predictions for 2018 by Abby Schultz at barrons.com.