Sustainable & Responsible Investing News

April 03, 2015 Market for Conservation Investments Expected to Grow Dramatically    by Robert Kropp A first ever report on the practice of conservation investing, co-authored by The Nature Conservancy, anticipates that private investment will triple by 2018, from $2 billion to nearly $6 billion. SocialFunds.com — The concept of conservation investing is of fairly […]

March 30, 2015 No Financial Sacrifice in Sustainable Investing    by Robert Kropp The Morgan Stanley Institute for Sustainable Investing analyzes thousands of sustainable mutual funds and separately managed accounts, and finds that most meet or exceed the performance of traditional investments. SocialFunds.com — According to a recent survey by the Morgan Stanley Institute for […]

March 27, 2015 US Coal Crash Structural, not Cyclical, Report States    by Robert Kropp The Carbon Tracker Initiative’s latest report reveals that bankruptcies are rampant in the US coal industry as cheap natural gas and a strengthening renewable market indicate that the decline of coal will be permanent. SocialFunds.com — The “war on coal” […]

March 26, 2015 Corporate Sustainability Measures Fail to Address Impacts    by Robert Kropp The 2015 State of Green Business report, published by GreenBiz with environmental data supplied by Trucost, confirms that corporate sustainability efforts and disclosures are insufficient. SocialFunds.com — The recently published 2015 State of Green Business report, authored by the staff of […]

March 23, 2015 Community Capital Management Outlines Plans for $100 Million in Rural Development Bonds    by Robert Kropp The Florida based fixed income investment adviser published a report in which it reveals that it plans to invest $100 million in bonds financing rural community development. SocialFunds.com — As the 2014 Trends Report of US […]

March 21, 2015 Record Breaking Number of Shareowner Resolutions in 2015    by Robert Kropp The eleventh edition of As You Sow’s Proxy Preview identifies 433 shareowner resolutions filed this year, with corporate political activity and the environment accounting for slightly more than half of them. SocialFunds.com — It’s not just sustainable investors who should […]

March 20, 2015 Corporations Improving on LGBT Rights    by Robert Kropp Evolution in social acceptance of diversity, as well as years of shareowner engagement by Walden Asset Management, leads to many companies adopting sexual orientation and gender identity policies. SocialFunds.com — One of the first social issues my youngest child became passionate about was […]

March 17, 2015 Shareowners Continue Push for Fracking Disclosure    by Robert Kropp Six companies are recipients of resolutions this proxy season, calling for greater disclosure of environmental and community risks associated with hydraulic fracturing. SocialFunds.com — Thanks to the unrelenting efforts of sustainable shareowners and others to bring transparency and safety to the practice […]

March 09, 2015 Report Analyzes Impact Investing Funds    by Robert Kropp The Global Impact Investing Network reports on more than 300 impact investment funds that direct investments by foundations and high net worth individuals to social and environmental opportunities in North America and emerging markets. SocialFunds.com — Early in 2011, a report from the […]

March 07, 2015 Good News for Shareowner Engagement on Food Issues    by Robert Kropp Dunkin Brands agrees to remove nanomaterials from powdered sugar, and Dow Chemical commits to increased disclosure on its management of environmental and social impacts associated with an herbicide used with genetically engineered seeds. SocialFunds.com — Food security and safety is […]

March 06, 2015 Individual Investors Struggle with Sustainability    by Robert Kropp More than half of individual investors surveyed by Morgan Stanley believe financial returns will be compromised by a sustainable investment strategy, but demand from millennials and women are likely to drive an increase in the strategy. SocialFunds.com — It may not have amounted […]

March 03, 2015 Second Global Sustainable Investment Association Review Published    by Robert Kropp Negative screening persists as the investment strategy most often practiced, but integration of environmental, social, and corporate governance considerations into financial analysis has grown at the fastest rate over the last two years. SocialFunds.com — The Global Sustainable Investment Alliance (GSIA)—a […]

February 28, 2015 Investors Back Reporting Framework for Human Rights    by Robert Kropp The United Nations Guiding Principles Reporting Framework is launched to help corporations report effectively on human rights issues, and gains the support of a $4 trillion coalition of institutional investors organized by Boston Common Asset Management. SocialFunds.com — Platforms for disclosure […]

February 27, 2015 Citi Announces $100 Billion Sustainability Commitment    by Robert Kropp Having met several targets of a $50 billion goal two years early, the bank now commits twice that amount to activities such as financing large renewable-energy projects and reducing its absolute emissions by 80%. SocialFunds.com — With some exceptions, the banking industry […]

February 25, 2015 BP Calls for Price on Carbon    by Robert Kropp Arguing that emissions are rising significantly more than scientists recommend, the oil and gas company states that a meaningful global price on carbon will incentivize participation in a low-carbon transition. SocialFunds.com — Against odds with which US-based shareowners are unfamiliar, the UK-based […]

  SURVEY: HALF OF SURVEYED FINANCIAL PROFESSIONALS HAVE OFFERED SRI OPTIONS TO CLIENTS But Major Perception “Gender Gap” About SRI Seen Among Brokers, Investment Advisors; Broad Agreement Found that “Millennial Investors” Will Require Major Changes by Financial Industry. Click Here to view the full survey results. COLORADO SPRINGS (October 23, 2014) – When it comes to […]