The drive for socially responsible investment (SRI) continues to gain support, both in developed and underdeveloped economies. According to the Global Sustainable Investment Alliance, as of 2016 more than $22 trillion in assets were being managed under various SRI strategies across the globe, with Europe, the United States and Canada taking the lead in recent […]
Why Investors are Still Missing the Mark on ESG Integration
By Chat Reynders The notion that environmental, social, and governance (ESG) analysis is a complement to – not a substitute for – fundamental security analysis is nothing new. However, ESG has now become a buzzword and a check-box across much of the investment industry. More investment products and managers are touting the fact that ESG […]
Unilever Defends Long-Term Corporate Strategy, Rejects Buffett Takeover Comments
The 2017 season for corporate annual reports and general meetings is in full swing. And the overarching question for companies is how to reconcile dueling visions of corporate purpose: sustainable long-termism versus short-term shareholder value maximization. Unilever CEO Paul Polman recently gave some insight into his company’s investment roadmap in an interview with CNBC. “In the […]
What You Need to Know About New ESG Fund Ratings
By Janet Brown What makes a fund sustainable? Many people think that sustainable means environmentally friendly, but sustainable investing actually covers three broad categories: environmental, social and governance (ESG). Environmental issues are typically the most widely understood, but social and governance policies are just as important. A socially responsible company seeks to treat its workers […]
The Quiet Progress of Green Property Funds
At the nexus between property developers and today’s socially-conscious investors stands an increasingly persuasive investment choice. Called a green property fund or impact fund, it’s an influential way for investment managers in emerging markets to match developers with those who aspire to both profits and positive change. The concept is simple: Fundraise from third-party clients […]
I’m Over Doing Good
By Patsy Doerr As global head of corporate responsibility and inclusion for Thomson Reuters, I can proudly say, “I’m over doing good.” These critical issues: diversity and inclusion, sustainability, gender, corporate social responsibility and philanthropy, which were once delegated as HR issues or a ‘nice to have’ are no longer optional. Pushing the corporate responsibility […]
Will Bad Companies Fail? Want To Bet?
Peabody Energy declared bankruptcy last week. Some were surprised; others not so much. One such investor is Dale Wannen, founder of socially-responsible hedge fund Sustainvest Asset Management, who has been shorting Peabody stock for months. Activists cheered when Peabody Energy, the world’s largest coal company, declared bankruptcy last week. These activists have been lobbying endowments […]