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Archive: WestLB publishes "German power utilities - caught in the CO2 trap?" - a joint research project with the 'Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research'With the current conditions in the German electricity market, the incentives to conduct replacement investments in new power plants appear very limited. Particularly when CO2 prices are low, new fossil-fuel powered plants have significant profitability issues....05.11.2009 | 11:06:23Vigeo to present Green Social and Ethical Funds in Europe - 2009 reviewVigeo, in cooperation with Morningstar, invites you to a presentation of the report: Green Social and Ethical Funds in Europe - 2009 review on November 9th, 2009 from 10.30 to 12.30 am at the London Rebuilding Society, 9 Bonhill St., London, UK....05.11.2009 | 11:01:52Carbon Disclosure Project releases Europe 300 reportThe Carbon Disclosure Project's first report detailing the climate change actions of the largest 300 European companies, produced by CA Cheuvreux, has revealed that European companies outperform other world regions on setting emissions reduction plans, with 84% of the companies that responded to CDP reporting emissions or energy reduction targets....05.11.2009 | 10:25:32Bank Sarasin rewarded for innovation and portfolio managementBank Sarasin has been named "Best Private Bank for Portfolio Management" and "Best Private Bank for Innovation" by The Banker and Professional Wealth Management - two premier industry magazines published by the Financial Times Group....05.11.2009 | 10:18:16Swedish funds exclude cluster bomb companiesSweden’s AP national pension buffer funds (AP1, AP2, AP3 and AP4) have sold shares worth tens of millions euros in nine companies that sell cluster bombs. The AP funds, which have excluded US companies Alliant Techsystems, GenCorp, General Dynamics, L-3 Communications, Lockheed Martin, Raytheon and Textron, as well as South Korean groups Hanwha Corporation and Poongsan from their investment portfolios....12.12.2008 | 10:31:41Ethical Investment Association (EIA) rewards fund providers for transparencyHenderson Global Investors, Insight Investment, Jupiter Asset Management and Standard Life Investments achieved a Gold ranking in the first EIA Transparency Awards which were presented at the September EIA Training Day hosted by Henderson....12.12.2008 | 10:28:21Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) announces Global 500 and S&P 500 results‘CDP6 Global 500 Report’ and ‘CDP6 S&P 500 Report’ include data from 1550 major companies on their climate change issues and strategies. Although results found that the majority of global companies are reducing their emissions, regulatory uncertainty was cited as a major hindering factor....12.12.2008 | 10:20:21Henderson publishes 2008 fund carbon audit results showing ongoing superior carbon performanceThe SRI team at Henderson Global Investors has published the latest annual carbon audits for two of its retail funds, as part of its ongoing commitment to transparency about the extra-financial performance of its investments....12.12.2008 | 10:10:56KBC AM has drawn up a policy on investing in companies that are active in ‘controversial countries’KBC AM uses a decision-making matrix to judge which companies with operations in controversial countries may be included in a sustainable selection. The matrix sets the controversial character of a regime against the relevant commercial activity....12.09.2008 | 11:13:26MACIF Gestion introduces innovative SRI funds of fundsMACIF Gestion has recently launched: MACIF SELECTION DEVELOPPEMENT DURABLE. Since 1998, MACIF Gestion is dedicated to managing SRI funds invested in all asset classes. MACIF Gestion has decided at the end of 2007 to apply its long term expertise of fund selection to SRI funds....12.09.2008 | 11:11:46VINIS launches first SRI equity fund with focus on Central and Eastern EuropeThe ESPA VINIS STOCK EUROPE EMERGING invests in 75 companies in Central and Eastern Europe, which show above average socially and environmentally awareness. The fund is managed by ERSTE-SPARINVEST, the asset management company of Erste Bank....12.09.2008 | 11:04:48New ESG Manual from CFA Institute Centre Helps Investors Evaluate Environmental, Social, and Governance FactorsThe CFA Institute Centre for Financial Market Integrity, the global policy authority on professional and performance standards, financial reporting, and capital markets, recently launched “Environmental, Social, and Governance Factors at Listed Companies: A Manual for Investors” to assist investors i...12.09.2008 | 11:02:13GRI launches Global Action Network for Transparency in the Supply ChainThe global Reporting Initiative is calling on multinational firms to promote sustainability in their supply chains through greater transparency in disclosing their economic, environmental and social performance....12.09.2008 | 10:57:38FTSE Launches Environmental Technology IndexIn response to unprecedented interest and demand, FTSE Group has launched the FTSE ET50 (Environmental Technology) Index in collaboration with the environmental technology specialist, Impax Asset Management.www.ftse.com...26.02.2008 | 10:18:11Henderson Global Investors part of investor initiative examining climate changeHenderson Global Investors, Insight Asset Management, RAILPEN Investments, and the Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS) have launched an initiative to explore the investment consequences of unavoidable climate change....26.02.2008 | 10:16:41Trucost examines shift in investments needed to reduce Asian carbon risksThe high carbon intensity of Asian listed companies, compared with their peers elsewhere, leaves investors in many Asian equity funds more exposed to carbon risks. The carbon intensity of Asian equity funds can be reduced by some 30 per cent without sacrificing performance....26.02.2008 | 10:06:00Vigeo forms a strategic partnership with OWW to extend coverage to Asia-PacificVigeo currently covers all the stocks of the DJSTOXX 600 Europe Index. Vigeo and OWW will work to extend the coverage: by the end of 2008 all the stocks of DJSTOXX 600 Asia – Pacific will be included into Vigeo’s research.www.vigeo.com...26.02.2008 | 09:53:05Growing Interest In Green Investingby Anne Moore OdellSocialFunds.com -- Investing in the environment is rich soil to till, reports a survey released by Allianz Global Investors. Almost half of those surveyed said that in the next year they are likely to invest in a company or fund that is proactive on environmental issues.The survey of over 1,000 adults on the environment and investing was conducted by GfK Roper Public Affairs & Media for Allianz.Seventy-one percent of investors surveyed said that environmental technology was a "buy" and the most desirable sector to invest in....26.02.2008 | 09:35:40French Institutional investor faith in SRI continues, but shareholder engagement lags behindNovethic, Amadeis and Eurosif member affiliate BNP Paribas AM recently released their sixth annual Socially Responsible Investment survey of the French institutional market. 50 French institutional investors, whose total assets are currently valued at more than 700 billion euros, were surveyed showing that in 2007, 61% had already ventured into SRI, compared with 48% in 2006....12.12.2007 | 12:50:30150 global business leaders call for legally binding UN framework to tackle climate changeOn 30th November 2007, the business leaders of 150 global companies published a communiqué to world leaders calling for a comprehensive, legally binding United Nations framework to tackle climate change....12.12.2007 | 12:48:11Amazon watch calls on investors to be vigilant with ChevronIn early 2008, Chevron may be ordered to pay the largest damages in environmental law history for Texaco’s deliberate dumping of 18 billion gallons of toxic wastewater into an inhabited area of the Ecuadorian Amazon during three decades....12.12.2007 | 12:40:10SRI Retail Funds Expand Rapidly in German-Speaking MarketsAssets in SRI retail funds distributed in Germany, Switzerland and Austria grew rapidly during the first three quarters in 2007. Latest figures from the Sustainable Business Institute (SBI) report 166 SRI funds with assets totalling nearly EUR 30bn being registered in these three countries at the end...12.12.2007 | 12:37:08Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) limits rights of shareholders to participate in the nomination of directorsWhile socially responsible investors and shareholder advocates applaud the decision by the SEC (November 28, 2007) not to pursue its controversial process to curtail or even eliminate the right to file shareholder resolutions, many of them strongly oppose the SEC decision to limit the rights of shareholders to participate in the nomination of directors....12.12.2007 | 12:31:35Oikocredit joins a global partnership of financiersThis initiative creates a large and innovative fund to develop local currency products in developing countries worldwide. The Currency Exchange Fund N.V. (TCX) will start up with a transaction capacity of US$ 1.2 billion for long-term local currency financing by its investors....30.10.2007 | 11:54:24HSBC Launches Climate Change Benchmark IndexHSBC has established four climate change indices to create portfolios for a diverse range of investment needs: the HSBC Climate Change Index, the HSBC Low Carbon Energy Production Index; the HSBC Energy Efficiency and Energy Management Index, and HSBC Water, Waste and Pollution Control Index.www.hsbc...30.10.2007 | 11:51:56Fortis creates CSR advisory boardBanking and insurance group Fortis has created a corporate social responsibility (CSR) advisory board made up of seven international experts. The panel chaired by Fortis' chief strategy officer Lex Kloosterman includes representatives from the academic world, NGOs, CSR research and business....30.10.2007 | 11:23:59SiRi Company partner Centre Info is selected by UN Refugee agency for ESG consulting servicesThe United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) selected Centre Info to provide Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) services. The UNHCR regularly partners with donors from the business sector in order to obtain the necessary funds and assistance to adequately fulfil the increasing demands from refugees around the world....30.10.2007 | 11:18:38Excessive CEO Compensation Hurting US Companies and Societyby Francesca RheannonSocialFunds.com Last year, the average American worker had to toil for an entire year to make what the majority of Fortune 500 CEOs made in one day. Moreover, the gap between what the lowest and the highest paid employees is widening.This pay disparity is threatening the foundations of American democracy, endangering leadership development, and creating the conditions for economic and social instability, according to Executive Excess 2007, the fourteenth annual survey of executive compensation from the Institute of Policy Studies, a liberal think tank, and United for a Fair Economy, a non-partisan organization focused on income/wealth distribution issues.The figures stand in stark contrast: the CEO of a large company pulls down an average $10.8 million per year in salary and bonuses....25.09.2007 | 11:09:23JPMorgan Chase Committed to Helping Low- and Moderate-income Communitiesby Anne Moore OdellSocialFunds.com -- Since 2004, Chase has invested over $241 billion in low- and moderate-income families, neighborhoods, and small businesses nationwide. Chase is the commercial banking arm of JPMorgan Chase & Co....25.09.2007 | 10:23:29Green Outsourcing: Companies Demanding More Environmentally Sound Suppliersby Anne Moore OdellSocialFunds.com -- Companies, shareholders and other stakeholders are asking for suppliers to follow stricter environmental standards. The Brown-Wilson Group, an outsourcing industry consulting firm, finds that corporations are shifting their responsibility for environmental concerns to the supply chain in their "Black Book of Outsourcing: 2007 Green Outsourcer Report."The report was written after an independent study of outsourcing industry decision makers and analysts with a survey of 120,000 outsourcing users....25.09.2007 | 10:19:20The Subprime Meltdown and SRI: Engage, Avoid, Predictby Bill BaueSocialFunds.com -- The subprime market meltdown: you could see it coming for miles--if you were wearing the right colored glasses. Socially responsible investing (SRI) is one such set of lenses....25.09.2007 | 09:53:23Corporate governance: Directive on shareholders' rights formally adoptedThe European Commission has welcomed the Council's formal adoption of the Directive on the exercise of shareholders' rights, which means that the Directive is now officially part of EU law....04.09.2007 | 13:19:22Bank Sarasin launches a new thematic sustainability fund: Sarasin New Power FundSarasin New Power Fund focuses exclusively on the theme of sustainable energy. A new addition to the thematic investment range, Sarasin New Power Fund invests in innovative companies active in the energy sector – either as suppliers, manufacturers or distributors within the value chain....04.09.2007 | 13:16:06Calvert Launches Global Alternative Energy FundCalvert has launched the Calvert Global Alternative Energy Fund (Ticker: CGAEX) and is releasing the findings of a national survey that indicates a majority of U.S. investors are concerned about climate change and interested in alternative energy investments....04.09.2007 | 13:14:15Crédit Agricole Asset Management forms a Scientific Think Tank Committee for Socially Responsible FinanceCAAM has reasserted its commitment to socially responsible finance by setting up a Scientific Think Tank Committee for Socially Responsible Finance. The committee is under the honorary chairmanship of René Carron and is headed by Pascal Blanqué, chief investment officer of CAAM....04.09.2007 | 13:08:37Ethix SRI Advisors selected for Scandinavian Carbon Disclosure ProjectFor the first time, Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) will produce a Scandinavian report, with investment-relevant information concerning risks and opportunities facing companies due to climate change....04.09.2007 | 13:06:19Ethos launches discussion paper on “Sharing Competence in Setting Executive Remuneration”Ethos launches a new series of publications «Ethos Discussion Paper» which will regularly feature in-depth articles on current issues in the fields of Socially Responsible Investment (SRI) and active shareholding....04.09.2007 | 13:04:56FTSE Launches New FTSE4Good Environmental Leaders Europe 40 IndexThe index has been designed to be used as the basis of retail and institutional investment products for investors who are looking to: only invest in European companies that demonstrate best practice environmental management, minimise environmental risks within their portfolios, capitalise on the benefits of strong environmental management such as eco-efficiencies and an improved brand image and actively encourage companies to be more responsible....04.09.2007 | 13:02:36HSBC Investments Launches Global Sustainable and Responsible Investment PlatformHSBC Investments has integrated its international Sustainable and Responsible Investment (SRI) capabilities into a global SRI platform to provide clients with in-depth SRI expertise and a broad set of investment solutions....04.09.2007 | 12:59:10KLD Announces Licensee for Global Climate 100 IndexKLD Research & Analytics, Inc., together with Fixed Income Securities, L.P., announced that it has licensed the KLD Global Climate 100 Index, the world's first global index focused on the climate solutions value chain, for a unit investment trust....09.08.2007 | 16:09:33SNS Institutional Microfinance Fund collects record-breaking amount of €125 millionSNS Asset Management has closed its SNS Institutional Microfinance Fund with a record-breaking commitment of €125 million. This success has lead to the decision to reopen the fund until 1 October for a second tranche, to give more institutional investors the opportunity to participate....09.08.2007 | 16:06:53UKSIF and UNEP-FI Launches First In-Depth Report on Responsible Investment Practices of Leading Public Pension FundsThe report “Responsible Investment in Focus: How leading public pension funds are meeting the challenge” aims to inspire more pension funds worldwide to deepen their responsible investment practices and, building on this international experience, develop their own strategies and approaches....09.08.2007 | 16:05:01Grant & Eisenhofer (G&E) represent European investors in $450 million class action settlement with Royal Dutch ShellG&E represents ABP, PGGM, Morleys, F&C, AXA, Railpen, USS, Deka and several other European institutional investors in the recently announced Pan-European class action settlement with Royal Dutch Shell....09.08.2007 | 15:59:01Mistra invests in a new ethical fund for growth marketsAs the first investor in a new ethical fund, Mistra (the Swedish Foundation for Strategic Environmental Research) is once more taking the initiative. BankInvest, the Danish company, has started a new ethical fund for Global Emerging Markets Debt SRI....09.08.2007 | 15:55:14Selling As A Clear Message: Investors Rid Their Portfolios Of Companies With Ties To Sudanby Anne Moore OdellSocialFunds.com -- Almost three years ago, the US Senate and House of Representatives adopted a joint resolution declaring the atrocities in Darfur region of Sudan to be genocide....09.08.2007 | 15:22:22MMA Helps People Far and Near With its New OneWorld Community Development Investment Programby Anne Moore OdellSocialFunds.com -- An exceptional program was recently launched by MMA and the Mennonite Economic Development Associates (MEDA) to help bridge the capital gap between US investors and low-income and low-wealth people....09.08.2007 | 15:15:27Socially responsible investment in France: Up 88% in one yearAssets owned by French institutional and private investors invested in accordance with SRI principles increased from €8.8 billion to €16.6 billion. Novethic presents the results of its exclusive annual survey on the French SRI market....17.07.2007 | 11:02:36Fonds de réserves pour les retraites (FRR) awards three more mandatesThe French Retirement Fund has awarded mandates to Pantheon Ventures, Access Capital Partners and Lehman Brothers International Europe allowing them to commit on its behalf to a portfolio of private equity funds....17.07.2007 | 10:59:22European Clean Energy Investment Tops €1.9bn over 2003 to 2006Clean energy investment accounts for 10% of all European venture capital investments according to new research released by the Carbon Trust. The report shows that investment in clean energy reached a total of just under €2 billion in 2003 – 2006, putting clean energy on a par with European IT, biotech and semiconductor venture capital investment levels....17.07.2007 | 10:55:39Biofuels: Keeping Good Intentions on the Right Pathby Francesca RheannonSocialFunds.com -- Climate change, energy independence and the environment—as well as social justice issues such as food prices, land use and labor rights—are all factors that enter into the sustainability profile of biofuels....11.07.2007 | 16:21:04New Eurosif Reports Identify ESG Challenges in the European Food and Insurance Sectorsby Anne Moore OdellConsumer health and nutrition is just one of the key challenges pinpointed by the European Social Investment Forum's (Eurosif) new report on the European food production sector....11.07.2007 | 16:07:03MMA Now Offers Small Cap and Growth Index Fundsby Anne Moore OdellSocialFunds.com -- Praxis is the translation of an idea into practice. The goal of MMA Praxis Mutual is the translation of the ideas of the Anabaptist faith tradition into the management of financial resources....11.07.2007 | 14:04:30Forget Fossil Fuels, Calvert Now Offers Global Alternative Energy Fundby Anne Moore OdellSocialFunds.com -- When the recent "Calvert Climate Change/Alternative Energy Survey" interviewed US investors, more than three-quarters of respondents expressed concern about global warming and its ramifications....11.07.2007 | 13:18:36European Clean Energy Investment Tops €1.9bn over 2003 to 2006Clean energy investment accounts for 10% of all European venture capital investments according to new research released by the Carbon Trust. The report shows that investment in clean energy reached a total of just under €2 billion in 2003 – 2006, putting clean energy on a par with European IT, biotech and semiconductor venture capital investment levels....02.07.2007 | 14:21:33Citigroup Targets $50 Billion Over 10 Years to Address Global Climate ChangeCiti announced that it will direct $50 billion over the next 10 years to address global climate change through investments, financings and related activities to support the commercialisation and growth of alternative energy and clean technology among the clients and markets it serves, as well as with...02.07.2007 | 14:08:52Principles for Responsible Investment hit $8 trillion mark on first year anniversaryThe Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI) initiative, convened by the United Nations Environment Program Finance Initiative and the UN Global Compact, announces that it has achieved over 180 leading institutional signatories from all round the globe, representing in excess of US$ 8 trillion in ...02.07.2007 | 13:52:56Shareholders Push Social and Environmental Issues to the Forefrontby Anne Moore OdellSocialFunds.com -- With weeks still left in the US proxy season, the 2007 season is on track to set new record highs for the number of social and environmental resolutions in front of shareholders....21.06.2007 | 10:59:45SustainAbility Predicts How Sustainable Development Will Play Out Over Next Two Decadesby Bill BaueSocialFunds.com -- To celebrate the 20th anniversary of its founding (coinciding with the release of the Brundtland Report, which coined the term "sustainable development"), UK-based think tank and consultancy SustainAbility published a report projecting the future of sustainability over the next 20 years.The report, entitled Raising Our Game: Can We Sustain Globalization?, proposes four potential scenarios (based on a card game metaphor) for how the future will unfold depending on how business attends to social and environmental sustainability....21.06.2007 | 10:10:02Brundtland Report Celebrates 20th Anniversary Since Coining Sustainable Developmentby Bill BaueSocialFunds.com -- Sustainability is an ancient concept, best articulated in the Gayaneshakgowa, or the Great Law of Peace of the Six Nations Iroquois Confederacy: "In our every deliberation we must consider the impact of our decisions on the next seven generations." This concept was reawakened two decades ago through the publication of Our Common Future, popularly known as the "Brundtland Report." This report, named after Norwegian Prime Minister Gro Harlem Brundtland chair of the UN's World Commission on Environment and Development that authored it, coined the term "sustainable development," which introduced a slight twist on sustainability."Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs," the report famously states in its oft-cited quote....20.06.2007 | 12:33:18Principles For Responsible Investment Quadruples Assets in First Yearby Anne Moore OdellSocialFunds.com -- Just over a year ago, the United Nations Environment Program Finance Initiative and the UN Global Compact launched the Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI)....13.06.2007 | 16:00:22Shareholder Resolutions on Climate Change to Heat Up ExxonMobil’s Annual Meetingby Anne Moore OdellSocialFunds.com -- Today at ExxonMobil’s annual shareholder meeting held in Dallas, an important group of institutional investors plan to vote against returning Michael Boskin to ExxonMobil’s (ticker: XOM) board of directors....13.06.2007 | 15:34:24Innovative Fund Looks to Johnny Appleseed for Inspirationby Anne Moore OdellSocialFunds.com -- Launched December 2006, the Appleseed Fund (APPLX) was named after Johnny Appleseed, the visionary environmentalist and entrepreneur. The Appleseed Fund’s portfolio managers are guided by four principles: disciplined value investing, socially responsible investing, low shareholder expenses, and portfolio manger ownership.Headquartered in Chicago, the Fund considers a company’s environmental record, labor issues such as sweatshop and child labor, and human rights record....13.06.2007 | 15:14:17ABN AMRO Asset Management launches the world’s first climate change and environmental equity index as part of its eco-markets business platformABN AMRO launched a new equity index that tracks the performance of listed companies involved in addressing climate change and environmental issues. The Climate Change & Environment Index is the world’s first dynamic, rules-based index that tracks the performance of stocks directly related to busines...31.05.2007 | 10:55:36Bank Sarasin expands sustainability investing activitiesBank Sarasin & Co. Ltd, a Swiss Private Bank known as one of Europe’s leading sustainable investment products developers, and ASSET4 Ltd, a leading provider of environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) data on global corporations, jointly announced that Bank Sarasin is to acquire a global ...31.05.2007 | 10:34:34Fidelity Divests Large Chunk of Sudan-Related Holdingsby Bill BaueSocialFunds.com -- "It's one of the most effective ads I've ever seen," said Simon Billenness, a veteran shareowner activist formerly with Oxfam America and Trillium Asset Management, referring to a commercial produced by the Save Darfur Coalition targeting Fidelity Investments....31.05.2007 | 09:53:24Proven Community Investment Fund Now Open to Allby Anne Moore OdellSocialFunds.com -- Access Capital Strategies is offering a market-rate method for investing in communities, with part of the funds helping finance lower and moderate-income people’s homes....23.05.2007 | 11:11:44Banking on the Future: The Two Biggest US Banks To Dedicate Billions to Halting Climate Changeby Anne Moore OdellSocialFunds.com -- Last week Citigroup announced an allocation of $50 billion in investments and financing to mitigate climate change over the next decade. This follows Bank of America’s announcement in March that they are pledging $20 billion to support environmentally sustainable businesses and combat climate change....23.05.2007 | 11:03:55SRI assets grow to more than $500 billion in CanadaGrowing institutional interest in socially responsible investment has propelled SRI assets in Canada to more than $500 billion, according to a study released by the Social Investment Organization.www.socialinvestment.ca/documents/SRIReview.pdf...04.05.2007 | 11:51:49Shareholders Work to Make AIDS Drugs Available Worldwideby Anne Moore OdellSocialFunds.com -- Abbott Labs announced that it is lowering the price on the key AIDS drug Kaletra by 55% in low and middle income countries. This move comes after pressure from many governments and organizations, including stakeholders in Abbott and Doctors without Borders, who called on Abbott to make the drug accessible worldwide.Abbott’s announcement to offer Kaletra at the new reduced price of $1,000 per patient per year was met with initial approval by many who work to bring medicine to the poorer areas of the globe....02.05.2007 | 09:00:05WestLB publishes "What really counts": the materiality of extra-financial factors from a financial markets perspectiveWestLB provides an extensive look at how environmental, social and governance (ESG) considerations are taken into account. Even though they do not yet form part of mainstream investment decision-making, things have started to change - not least because of the issue of global warming....27.04.2007 | 16:14:39Meeschaert Asset Management broadens ethical fund offerA forerunner in ethical asset management in France, Meeschaert Asset Management has enriched their offer with a new mutual fund: “MAM Obligations Éthique”. This fund allows Meeschaert’s private management clients to make investments that are in line with their personal convictions.For more informatio...16.04.2007 | 13:03:12Henderson publishes “New Industries of the Future” ReviewHenderson recently published Time for Acceleration, which contains a review of the key sustainability trends in 2006, examines the performance of the Industries of the Future fund, and finally explores the prospects ahead in 2007.Download the report...11.04.2007 | 11:06:16Ethos fights for transparency concerning remuneration policies in Swiss companiesEthos has recently opposed the re-election of various members of remuneration committees in Swiss companies. Several companies disclose very high salaries and remuneration plans that are not in line with international best practice standards....06.04.2007 | 09:42:59'Worldwide implications' to EU electro/chemical waste restrictionTough EU policies on electronic and chemical waste will influence markets, the environment and regulations worldwide, according to a study by two US academic experts with several countries already introducing similar laws.More information...26.03.2007 | 11:34:16New Climate Report From Citigroup Investment ResearchAcknowledging WRI's contribution, Citigroup Investment Research (CIR) recently released a major report entitled, Climatic Consequences: Investment Implications of a Changing Climate....23.03.2007 | 10:00:49Sweden’s AP funds coordinate ethics activities and set up a joint Ethical CouncilSweden’s national pension buffer funds, AP1, AP2, AP3 and AP4, have coordinated their SRI analysis of environmental and ethical compliance in the foreign companies where the funds have holdings....13.03.2007 | 09:53:03Marks & Spencer Money announce new multi-managed ethical fundMarks & Spencer Money has announced that it will be launching an ethical fund in response to the number of consumers who say they want to be socially conscious with their money. Research conducted by the bank indicates more than one in five investors gives consideration to ethical investment when cho...09.03.2007 | 18:50:23Ethos Publishes the 2007 Edition of its Proxy Voting GuidelinesEvery year, the Ethos Foundation publishes an updated version of its proxy voting guidelines encompassing the latest developments in corporate governance. Ethos' general meeting analyses are based on these guidelines....05.03.2007 | 15:45:23Calvert Partners with Sudan Divestment Task Force and Save Darfur CoalitionCalvert announced that it has formed a partnership with the Sudan Divestment Task Force (SDTF), a project of the Genocide Intervention Network, together with the Save Darfur Coalition (SDC), to assist the growing Sudan divestment campaign in the U.S., Calvert will immediately begin working with SDTF ...28.02.2007 | 10:07:31BNP Paribas AM selected by French civil servants scheme (ERAFP) for one of the SRI mandatesWith the selection of its fund managers, ERAFP has just concluded the largest SRI equity tender to date in France, involving an amount that could top 1.2 billion Euros over the next four years....21.02.2007 | 18:33:16Business must adapt to realities of Earth’s ecosystems, warns new publicationEcosystem Challenges and Business Implications warns that companies must transform business models and operations if they are to avoid major economic losses caused by the current degradation of ecosystems and the vital services they provide.The publication, produced by Earthwatch Institute (Europe), ...29.01.2007 | 11:36:01Fonds de Réserve pour les Retraites (“FRR”) names three providers of "extra-financial" adviceFRR, the €29bn French Pensions Reserve Fund, has named Vigeo, Eiris and Trucost as advisers to enable the FRR to achieve three objectives. These include: measuring the environmental, social and governance quality of its portfolio; assessing the extent the SRI investment approach contributes to sustainable development; and identifying the financial threats and opportunities to which it may be exposed.This reporting program is also aligned with the UN Principles for Responsible Investment, which the FRR formally signed in April 2006....16.01.2007 | 15:45:05WWF / SAM Group publish study Carbonizing ValuationGerman power producer RWE could lose up to 17% of its value if its business strategies fail to take into account climate change policies, environment group WWF and the independent and leading Sustainability Investment Manager SAM Group announced in their study “Carbonizing Valuation”....10.01.2007 | 12:00:35GES Investment Services was chosen in the SRI tender from the four AP fundsA joint socially responsible investing tender from four Swedish buffer funds (AP1, AP2, AP3 and AP4), with assets in excess of €80bn, has been awarded to GES Investment Services.GES will provide ethical and environmental analysis and advice.www.ges-invest.com...03.01.2007 | 16:48:04Global Compact de-lists 335 companiesThe United Nations Global Compact announced that it de-listed 335 companies for failing to issue a Communication on Progress (COP) report. The Global Compact is a voluntary initiative whereby businesses pledge to uphold ten principles in the areas of human rights, labor, the environment, and anti-corruption....18.12.2006 | 11:29:13Time for a rethink on responsible investingThose who care about sustainable development need to adopt a new approach, write Christoph Butz, Stephen Barber and Jean Laville in the Financial Time. The article argues that materiality for the company is unrelated to the sustainability of the action itself....11.12.2006 | 13:25:54VIGEO and OEKOM selected by ERAFP to support its SRI investment policyFollowing a European-wide tender, the organization that manages the supplementary pension scheme for 4.6 million French civil servants, has selected VIGEO and OEKOM Research to support its socially responsible investment (SRI) policy....04.12.2006 | 12:28:59TUAC and other Trade Unions publish “Trade Union Climate Change Strategies”A report from trade unions for the 12th world climate change conference in Nairobi calls on Governments to entrench green production and sustainable workplaces at the centre of their negotiations....01.12.2006 | 18:18:07Fortis Investments to create an SRI team in FrankfurtFortis Investments has set up a dedicated SRI team as an independent investment center in Frankfurt. Stewart Armer, product CIO has moved from Paris to Frankfurt together with an international team of colleagues from Germany, Bulgaria and France....24.11.2006 | 18:24:53Ethos publishes a study on Executive PayEthos conducted an in-depth study of executive pay among Switzerland’s 100 largest listed companies. The study has three complementary parts. The first examines remuneration policy in the perspective of international best practice, the second part analyses actual remuneration on the Swiss market in 2005 and the third part assesses the state of executive pay in the main listed companies in Switzerland....17.11.2006 | 10:17:50PepsiCo and Coca-Cola Get Cs on Report Card for Ten Percent Recycled Content in Bottlesby Bill Baue SocialFunds.com -- Ironically, the Patagonia fleece jacket on your back has a much higher percentage of recycled plastic soda bottles in it than, well, the plastic soda bottle filled with Coke or Pepsi in your hand....10.11.2006 | 18:20:02Votes for Social and Environmental Resolutions Rising, But Proxy Firm Support Still Laggingby Bill Baue SocialFunds.com -- The 2006 proxy season saw record levels of support for shareowner resolutions addressing social and environmental issues. Of the nearly 180 such resolutions that came to vote through June 30, 27 percent received over 15 percent support from voting shareowners according to Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS), a leading proxy advisory firm that makes voting recommendations on resolutions....02.11.2006 | 10:01:52Investors Call on S&P 500 Companies to Use New Global Reporting Initiative G3 Guidelinesby Bill Baue SocialFunds.com -- The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) officially launched the third generation of its Sustainability Reporting Guidelines, dubbed G3. The Investor Network on Climate Risk (INCR), a coalition of 50-plus institutional investors managing over $3 trillion, and its secretariat Ceres used the occasion to ask S&P 500 companies to use GRI to report on environmental, social, and governance (ESG) issues....16.10.2006 | 09:36:03The latest Thomson Extel survey ranked global provider of “extra-financial” investment researchThe survey highlights the fact that investors are increasingly using independent extra-financial research providers, and the growing importance of these factors in mainstream investment analysis....11.10.2006 | 09:56:56WestLB publishes new study on Sustainable MobilityIn the last 10 years we’ve entered a new stage in the globalisation process – the world has become ‘flat’. The two major implications are: (1) the demand for transport of goods has been increasing dramatically and will continue to do so (2) due to the increasing individual wealth in emerging markets like China, the demand for individual mobility is rising sharply as well....09.10.2006 | 18:15:03Standard Life Investments publish “Carbon Management & Carbon Neutrality in the FTSE All-Share”‘Carbon Management & Carbon Neutrality in the FTSE All-Share’, written by Trucost, notes that international efforts to regulate and reduce greenhouse gas emissions have led many companies not only to reduce the emissions they are responsible for, but also to claim they are moving towards ‘carbon neutrality’ by investing in schemes that reduce levels of CO2 in the atmosphere....02.10.2006 | 09:56:54Climate Change Policy Uncertainty and the Electricity Industry: Implications and Unintended ConsequencesIn August 2006, Insight Investment published a report "Climate Change Policy Uncertainty and the Electricity Industry: Implications and Unintended Consequences" that analyses the implications of uncertainties in climate change policy for the electricity industry, concluding that these uncertainties mean that electricity companies are delaying investments in new plant and are keeping old plant running for longer....29.09.2006 | 18:10:19The Ratio of Greed: Report Pierces Numbing Numbers of Executive Excessby Bill Baue SocialFunds.com -- Children know if they constantly push the envelope of outrageousness, this behavior becomes normalized such that parental power is ineffective even against the most egregious conduct....18.09.2006 | 09:29:33How Insurers Are (and Are Not) Tackling Climate Risk in Underwriting, Investing, and Policiesby Bill Baue SocialFunds.com -- The insurance industry inhabits a pivotal position in addressing climate change--but is only just beginning to fulfill the potential of this role, according to a new report from Ceres, a coalition of investors and environmental groups that promotes corporate sustainability....11.09.2006 | 09:28:23ICCR Benchmarks Pharma Responses to AIDS and Diseases of Poverty in Emerging Marketsby Bill Baue SocialFunds.com -- During the six days of the 16th International AIDS Conference that happened this week in Toronto, some 50,000 people throughout the world died of AIDS (given that an estimated three million die of AIDS per year.) About the same number died of malaria, and slightly less (about 33,000) of tuberculosis....01.09.2006 | 11:56:21Biofuels May Not Be Sustainability Panacea, According to Bank Sarasin Reportby Bill Baue SocialFunds.com -- Biofuels (such as bioethanol and biodiesel) are touted as eco-friendly alternative energies helping to solve a host of problems clouding the oil industry, including greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions contributing to climate change, over-dependence on oil importation, rising prices, and peak oil....21.08.2006 | 09:24:44BP, Suncor, and Shell Top Oil Sector Sustainability Rating; Chevron and ExxonMobil Rank Lowby Bill Baue SocialFunds.com -- Oil and gas companies have been fueled by record profits and strong investment returns recently--and are continuing to be exposed to social and environmental risks....07.08.2006 | 18:36:12Survey Examines Nomenclature and Numbers Fueling SRI and Extra-Financial Researchby Bill Baue SocialFunds.com -- What's in a name? In the case of socially responsible investing (SRI), terminology has sparked intense controversy such that the very act of debate at times overshadows the substance of the issues at hand....31.07.2006 | 10:16:31Filing Resolutions at Mutual Funds: The Next Frontier for Shareowner Activism?by Bill Baue SocialFunds.com -- It has been a long time coming for David Ortman, executive director of the Northwest Corporate Accountability Project, but the shareholder resolution he first filed in 1998 at the Merrill Lynch Global Allocation Fund (ticker: MDLOX) is finally on the proxy and going to vote August 15....24.07.2006 | 11:54:00Belgian funds ‘forced into SRI investing’Public authorities in Brussels must invest “at least” 10% of their pension schemes in socially responsible investment under new orders approved by government.http://www.ipe.com/...21.07.2006 | 16:21:54Do Stock Markets Reward the Creation of Jobs?How can we measure the creation of jobs by publicly listed companies in a meaningful way? What would happened if investors embarked on an investment strategy favoring companies that create more jobs than their peers? And what regional and industry-specific differences do we have to take into account when doing so? A newly released study by Pictet & Cie by Christoph Butz und Olivier Pictet tries to provide answers to these and other urgent questions....17.07.2006 | 17:53:05More large U.S. Companies report on Social and Environmental IssuesA growing number of the largest publicly traded U.S. companies are reporting on their environmental and social performance, according to a recent study by the Social Investment Research Analysts Network (SIRAN), conducted by SiRi Company Network Partner KLD Research & Analytics, Inc.SIRAN issued its first-ever analysis on the environmental and social reporting practices of companies in the S&P 100 Index a year ago in June 2005....17.07.2006 | 14:34:56F&C warns of the climate impacts on the insurance sectorIn anticipation of the 2006 hurricane season, which officially began on June 1st, leading investor F&C Asset Management has turned its attention to climate change and its implications for the world’s leading insurance companies....03.07.2006 | 10:03:14Bank Sarasin publishes new study on the Trading, Distribution and Retailing industryBank Sarasin published a report about the sustainability of the environmental and social challenges in Trading, Distribution and Retailing. Some key findings: Sustainability pays in the medium to long run and disregarding the issue can be detrimental....30.06.2006 | 18:49:05Unified Code of Corporate Governance in Spain finalizedIn 2006, a Spanish commission has approved the final proposal of the Unified Code of Corporate Governance. The Commission has taken into account the previous governance codes (Aldama and Olivencia) and the OECD corporate governance principles and company suggestions and comments....26.06.2006 | 10:04:452006 Report on the Sustainability of Dutch CompaniesSiRi Company network partner Dutch Sustainability Research (DSR) presented its 2006 report on the sustainability of Dutch companies. Of all major Dutch companies listed on the Amsterdam stock-exchange (AEX), Getronics is the weakest performer and ABN AMRO scores best with regard to sustainability issues....23.06.2006 | 18:43:32Norway bans Investments in US Retail Giant Wal-MartThe Norwegian Ministry of Finance has excluded the US retail giant Wal-Mart Stores Inc., Wal-Mart de Mexico and Freeport McMoRan Copper and Gold Inc. from the USD 200 billion Norwegian Government Pension Fund – Global’s investment universe, in line with recommendations from the Council on Ethics for the Fund....19.06.2006 | 11:06:03Climate Change - Best Practices amongst BanksSiRi Company network partner Dutch Sustainability Research (DSR) published a report with best practice guidelines for commercial banks to mitigate climate change. The guidelines aim to provide a reference framework for banks in order to reduce direct CO2 emissions from operations and, more importantly to reduce their indirect CO2 emission caused by their clients’ operations....16.06.2006 | 18:40:34WWF launches SRI fundWWF this month launches an umbrella fund with PhiTrust Finance, investing in companies that have a proactive commitment to environmental and social issues. Living Planet Fund - Equity is the first mutual umbrella fund invested on the international share market....12.06.2006 | 09:57:17Henderson publishes its findings on overindebtedness and responsible lendingSince March 2005, Henderson has been investigating UK banks’ approach to responsible lending and bad debt. It wrote to the Chief Executives of high street banks and met with the banks to explore issues in depth....09.06.2006 | 18:19:51Ethix Advisor to New SRI Emerging Markets FundThe Danish asset manager BankInvest has set up a global emerging markets fund "BI Global Emerging Markets Equities SRI". The fund applies positive criteria based on Norm Based Screening - advised by Ethix SRI Advisors....05.06.2006 | 11:18:27Bank Sarasin publishes new study on the textiles industryThe report examines sustainability in major sporting goods manufacture, looking at both supply chain and environmental impact issues. Visit: http://www.banksarasin.com/sarasin/show/news/news_main/1,1066,201-0-1,00.html....05.06.2006 | 08:58:10Chemical Companies Unprepared to Reduce Toxicity for European REACH Regulationsby Bill Baue SocialFunds.com -- In response to public concern over chemical toxicity, the European Commission (EC) has drafted the Registration, Evaluation, and Authorization of Chemicals (REACH) directive, slated to come into force in 2007. REACH will require companies making or importing chemicals in European markets to demonstrate they are adequately controlling environmental and human health risks posed by chemicals, and will undoubtedly lead to the blacklisting of certain chemicals, such as carcinogens....29.05.2006 | 10:47:24Proxy season updateThe political donations disclosure resolution received 33 percent support at Verizon and 21 percent at General Dynamics. A resolution asking Chevron to adopt a comprehensive human rights policy received 25 percent support, while the resolution requesting an accounting on spending related to the Ecuador lawsuit received over nine percent support....26.05.2006 | 09:04:26Digging for More than Gold: SRI Letter Asks Newmont to Address Western Shoshone Concernsby Bill Baue SocialFunds.com -- Mining nowadays entails much more than just digging for gold. It also requires diplomacy and respect to obtain community consent and a "social license" to operate, especially from indigenous people with ancient claims to the land....15.05.2006 | 09:43:50Another Clean Energy Index Launches to Capitalize on Transition from Dependence on Fossil Fuelsby Bill Baue SocialFunds.com -- As clean energy shifts from the periphery of the political landscape to the center, investment markets are reflecting this transition. Evincing this is the announcement of the launch of yet another clean energy index, the NASDAQ Clean Edge US Index, which will go live on May 18....12.05.2006 | 18:26:51Fonds de Réserve pour les Retraites: Pictet-Ethos Investment Process selectedPictet Asset Management has been selected for one of 5 management mandates in Sustainable European Equities to be awarded by the Fonds de Réserve pour les Retraites (FFR). The investment process applied for this mandate was developed jointly by Ethos and Pictet Asset Management as part of their new partnership initiated in the fall of 2005....08.05.2006 | 11:40:28Funds Worth USD 4 Trillion Endorse new UN Principles for Responsible InvestmentInvestment funds backing the Principles for Responsible Investment have doubled to reach more than USD 4 trillion when asset owners and fund managers joined the European launch of this new initiative at the Palais Brongniart in Paris on 2 May.It is expected that further funds will pledge support for the Principles, which were officially launched by United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan at the New York Stock Exchange on 27 April....03.05.2006 | 10:23:10Responsible investors back Shell shareholder resolutionRoyal Dutch Shell has accepted a strongly-worded shareholder resolution for debate at its 2006 Annual General Meeting. It has the backing of 130 shareholders representing almost 1 million shares....26.04.2006 | 11:38:45New Analysis of Sustainability Risks and Opportunities in Developing Asian Marketsby Bill Baue SocialFunds.com -- Integrating environmental, social, and governance (ESG) issues with the investment decision process in developing Asian markets recently took a 288-page step forward toward....24.04.2006 | 19:02:59Henderson publishes brief on consumer credit in the UK, and moreLevels of consumer debt are at an all time high in the UK at over £1 trillion, according to the Bank of England. Banks have been accused by consumer groups of lending irresponsibly to people who cannot afford to repay, contributing to financial hardship, stress and family difficulties....18.04.2006 | 09:57:43Bank Sarasin reviews sustainability of apparel, textile and luxury goods industriesBank Sarasin & Co. Ltd. has just published a new sustainability report in which it assesses how companies in the apparel, textile and luxury goods industries are addressing ethical and environmental issues....14.04.2006 | 18:14:06Ethos survey on SEE reporting of large Swiss companiesEthos Foundation has released a survey on SEE reporting of large Swiss companies – the report points out that 2/3 of surveyed companies do report some extra financial information, but there is scope for improvement in the depth and width of information reported....11.04.2006 | 10:28:13Why would Anita Roddick agree to sell Bodyshop to L'OréalThe Bodyshop recently agreed to be bought by L’Oréal. Apparently, their founders Dame Anita Roddick and Gordon Roddick now believe that "their" company will be in good hands with the French company....07.04.2006 | 18:50:43AXA investment Managers publish newsletter on environmental risk accountingAXA Investment Managers issue a bi-annual newsletter which presents their expertise in Socially Responsible Investment as well as an analysis of key sustainable development challenges. The January 2006 edition is dedicated to environmental management accounting and to the necessity for businesses to be more transparent in their treatment of environmental risk. For further information on this newsletter as well as on all the previous editions, please visit: www.axa-im.com/index.cfm?pagepath=expertise/equity/socially-responsible....03.04.2006 | 11:08:52Dutch pension fund ABP urges companies to pay higher benefits to stable investorsThe Chief Investment Officer at ABP, Roderick Munsters, urged companies to pay higher dividends to stable investors, as this would encourage investors to become more engaged with the company and make better use of their rights as shareholders....31.03.2006 | 18:44:37Cost of Clean Energy Decreases to Compete with Its Dirtier Counterparts, According to Reportby Bill Baue SocialFunds.com -- The drive toward "peak" oil production and climate change is fueling the emergence of clean energy as an economically viable and environmentally necessary alternative to oil addiction, according to the Clean Energy Trends 2006 report from Clean Edge....27.03.2006 | 11:02:19US Banks Sink to the Bottom of the Barrel on Latest Sustainability Ratings from Oekomby Bill Baue SocialFunds.com -- The top-performers and the bottom of the barrel share the spotlight in the latest report from oekom research on the sustainability performance of global banks....24.03.2006 | 18:25:58Spain: Repsol's Reserves Reduction Affects its Reputation Among InvestorsLate January, Repsol YPF lost EUR 2,300 million in market value after announcing a drop in its oil and gas reserves, which is relevant data to determine future oil production. The company trimmed down its oil equivalent barrels volume by 25%, reducing total 2006 profits by EUR 160 millions....14.03.2006 | 14:51:30First "Specialized Consultants for Sustainable Investment" trained in GermanyIn February 2006 the first participants of the online correspondence course "ECOanlageberater" have completed their studies for certification as a "specialized consultant for sustainable investment"....10.03.2006 | 18:10:45Dutch Mandatory Offer and Limitation on Anti-Takeover DefensesThe Dutch House of Representatives will discuss new proposals by the Dutch government regarding the introduction of a mandatory offer and a limitation on anti-takeover defenses on March 9....06.03.2006 | 17:41:39German Policy Paper on CSR publishedThe German Council for Sustainable Development (Rat für Nachhaltige Entwicklung) has prepared a draft policy paper with recommendations to promote CSR. The recommendations address the German government and business (trade and industry)....06.03.2006 | 10:30:36Norway: Petroleum Fund exclusionNorway’s NOK1.28trn (€161.3bn) Government Pension Fund (formerly the Petroleum Fund) has disinvested a total of roughly NOK3.3bn from seven companies, due to their involvement in the production of nuclear weapons....27.02.2006 | 10:17:34US SIF report: faster growth for SRI assets than rest of investment world over last decadeSocially responsible investment (SRI) assets grew faster than the entire universe of managed assets in the United States during the last 10 years, according to the Social Investment Forum’s fifth biennial report on SRI trends....24.02.2006 | 18:31:17Bank Sarasin publishes findings of sustainability reports in 2005The findings of Bank Sarasin's reports published in 2005, which have assessed the sustainability of a variety of sectors, are now available from www.sarasin.com. In addition, Bank Sarasin published a new study on photovoltaics and solar thermal power, forecasting a strong annual growth rate of 25-30...20.02.2006 | 15:16:21Corporate governance: Commission proposals to make it easier for shareholders to exercise their rights within the EUThe EC has presented a proposal for a Directive to facilitate the cross-border exercise of shareholders rights in listed companies. On average, about a third of the share capital of EU listed companies is held by non-residents, who encounter obstacles to voting, including share blocking, late access to information, and burdensome requirements on distance voting. The proposed directive seeks to ensure that shareholders, no matter where in the EU they reside, have timely access to complete information and simple means to exercise certain rights, including voting rights, at a distance. The Commission’s proposals include: - a month’s notice to convene general meetings - abolition of share blocking, replaced by a record date - right to ask questions open to non residents - removal of excessive administrative requirements or unduly restrictions for proxy voting - availability of voting results to all shareholders....17.02.2006 | 19:08:52Automobile Sector Report ReleasedEurosif has just released the Automobile sector report. We have partnered with SAM (Sustainable Asset Management) to produce this third report in the series. The sector reports aim at helping policy makers, mainstream asset managers, companies, and pension fund trustees understand risks that lie outs...13.02.2006 | 17:06:42Eurosif releases Handbook on Active Share Ownership in Europe‘Active Share Ownership in Europe - 2006’ targets investors seeking means to better manage ESG risks across domestic and foreign investment portfolios, especially with regard to their rights as shareholders....09.02.2006 | 18:00:39KLD moves Into JapanUS SiRi Company Network Partner KLD has hooked up with Sunrise Advisors of Tokyo to market the KLD Global Climate Change 100 Index (KLD GC 100) in the land of the rising sun. The index is an international index of companies working on solutions to climate change, such as renewable energy and alternative fuels....31.01.2006 | 10:46:19Canadian Pension Plan launches SRI PolicyThe Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB), which manages more than $90 billion CDN in assets for the Canada Pension Plan, launched its Responsible Investment Policy in October 2005, the centerpiece of which is a commitment to engage with companies to encourage improved environmental, social and governance (ESG) performance and disclosure....30.01.2006 | 09:41:12Spanish Unified Code of Governance causes a Public DebateIn Spain, the CNMV (Spanish equivalent to SEC) has issued a new Unified Code of Governance causing a heated public debate. Although it is a voluntary code, it has caused discord due to its perceived rigor....26.01.2006 | 13:26:47Germany's Pension Funds recognize SRI PotentialA current study by SiRi Company Network Partner scoris examines the subject of sustainable investment from the perspective of German Pension Funds. The focus of the study are the results of a survey of German "Pensionskassen" and "Pensionsfonds" regarding the inclusion of sustainability criteria in future investment decisions....26.01.2006 | 13:19:56The Corporate Library Report on Mutual Fund Proxy Voting Finds Stagnation and Even Retreatby William Baue SocialFunds.com -- When the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) passed a new rule requiring mutual funds to disclose their proxy voting records annually starting in August 2004, one "significant benefit" cited was "providing stronger incentives to fund managers to vote their proxies conscientiously." The SEC did not define what exactly constitutes "conscientious" proxy voting, but the between-the-lines assumption was that transparency would force funds to vote more independently of corporate management recommendations, thereby fueling support for shareowner resolutions....18.01.2006 | 18:28:37Investors monitor companies and freedom of expressionWith the support of Reporters Without Borders, an alliance of investors is pledging to monitor technology companies that do business in countries with poor human rights reputations, and is asking the companies to proclaim their commitment to freedom of expression....21.12.2005 | 17:49:11ETHOS publishes third study of Corporate Governance in SwitzerlandThe Swiss Corporate Governance Rating has shown regular growth for the last three years. Ethos suggests progress stems from more demanding international shareholders while companies with large majority shareholders remain laggards in implementing international best practice....19.12.2005 | 14:11:23EIRIS report: Only 25% of companies manage social and environmental risks wellGlobal socially responsible investment specialists EIRIS have found that 24 per cent of companies world-wide have good or advanced systems in place to manage social, environmental and other ethical (SEE) risks....16.12.2005 | 12:27:18EIBE (Universiteit Nyenrode): “Knowing the price, but also the value?” research on mainstream analysts and SEE issues publishedThis study, produced jointly with PriceWaterhouseCoopers, shows that analysts tend to be aware of the social, ethical, and environmental (SEE) aspects of a business. They do not, however, typically view these aspects as necessarily material, and therefore relevant for the valuation of a company....14.12.2005 | 16:28:35Citigroup Smith Barney Report Seeks to Bridge Divide Between SRI and Traditional Analysisby William Baue SocialFunds.com -- A CitigroupSmith Barney socially responsible investing (SRI) report published in the summer seeks to encapsulate the trend of mainstreaming SRI in its metaphorical title, Crossing the River....29.11.2005 | 18:51:20Non-European investors and governments take notice of EAIMainstream US institutional investors are starting to show interest in how sell-side analysts deal with some extra-financial issues. The initial focus is on the analysis of stock options but in a move which shows the potential for coordinated action in the future on other extra-financial issues, the Council of Institutional Investors, which represents over 130 public, corporate and union pension funds with combined assets of more than $3 trillion, recently wrote to over 30 major research houses with a request for action on this issue....22.11.2005 | 16:12:35One Year On: Global Compact Maps Progress on Mainstreaming ESG Considerationsby William Baue SocialFunds.com -- Over a year ago, the United Nations Global Compact released a report entitled Who Cares Wins that documented the ushering in of the era of transfusing socially responsible investing (SRI) practices into the lifeblood of mainstream financial institutions....18.11.2005 | 15:43:21UNEP-FI, Freshfields release important legal research on fiduciary duty and extra financial issuesThe UNEP FI Asset Management Working Group invited Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, one of the world's largest law firms, to consider whether institutional investors such as pension funds and insurance companies are legally permitted to integrate environmental, social and governance issues into their investment decision-making and ownership practices....16.11.2005 | 16:06:30Insight and WWF publish second benchmark of housebuilders’ performance on sustainability'Investing in sustainability: progress and performance among the UK’s listed house-builders revisited’ is part of WWF’s One Million Sustainable Homes campaign. The report evaluates twelve UK house-builders against criteria which assess impact, strategy and governance....14.11.2005 | 11:32:12Sarasin Research: European drug producers are more socially and environmentally friendlyBank Sarasin examines to what extent drug companies observe social and ethical criteria in their business practices, as in fact the pharmaceutical business is one of the most heavily criticised industries....10.11.2005 | 15:10:22Henderson Global Investors publishes new paper on tax‘Responsible Tax’ sets out what has been learnt from discussions with heads of tax at a number of FTSE100 companies. These discussions follow-up on Henderson’s original survey on tax, ‘Tax, risk and corporate governance – findings from a survey of the Chairmen of the FTSE350’ which was published in February 2005....08.11.2005 | 09:07:5912% of Dexia FUM are now managed with SRI criteriaDexia Asset Management, created in 1998 with 81.4 billion euros under management, has seen the share of its FUM in SRI increase to 12% of total FUMS. Dexia also announced that it is opening a branch in Stockholm., to be headed by Fredrik Wilkens, previously working for Key Asset Management in Sweden....07.11.2005 | 18:04:55SRI Research from UBS Strikes Balance Between Ethics and Economicsby William Baue SocialFunds.com -- Socially responsible investing (SRI) is far from monolithic, encompassing a wide diversity of approaches spanning the political spectrum and the palette of investment strategies....02.11.2005 | 09:28:34Institutional Investors Drive Research on Mainstreaming of SRI by Investment Managersby William Baue SocialFunds.com -- When it comes to gauging the mainstreaming of socially responsible investing (SRI), investment consultants (ICs) are perfectly positioned to do so as they work at the nexus between the demand side (institutional investors) and the supply side (investment managers)....31.10.2005 | 10:22:21Integrating Sustainability Analysis in Mainstream Investing"Mainstream finance can have an allergic reaction when dealing with the world of social responsible investing" said one of the panelists at a recent seminar of the Dutch Society of Financial Analysts (VBA)....17.10.2005 | 09:37:51SRI: An Evolving Concept in a Changing WorldKLD Research & Analytics, Inc. has released an important new paper analyzing the impact of the growing acceptance by institutional investors of environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors as investment criteria....14.10.2005 | 17:25:36Spreading SRI: Goldman Sachs Adds Its Own Twist in Social and Environmental Assessmentby William Baue SocialFunds.com -- Socially responsible investing (SRI) is showing signs of being memetic--in other words, spreading like a cultural virus. Specifically, traditional "mainstream" investors are starting to integrate social and environmental considerations into fundamental analysis of companies....10.10.2005 | 16:51:08Insurers Behind the Curve on Addressing and Disclosing Risks of Climate Changeby William Baue SocialFunds.com -- Climate change, severe weather events such as hurricanes, and insurance are three increasingly interwoven topics since Hurricane Katrina whirled destruction on New Orleans and the Gulf states late last month....07.10.2005 | 09:37:50Third Carbon Disclosure Project Survey Finds Increasing Action on Climate Changeby William Baue SocialFunds.com -- Last week, the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) released the results of its third survey (called CDP3) of how Financial Times 500 (FT500) companies are responding to climate change....30.09.2005 | 19:03:36Petroleum Fund excludes Firms for Cluster BombsThe Norwegian Ministry of Finance has excluded a further eight companies from the country’s Petroleum Fund pursuant to the Fund’s ethical guidelines. "According to the Petroleum Fund’s Advisory Council on Ethics, these companies manufacture key components for cluster bombs," says Minister of Finance Per-Kristian Foss....28.09.2005 | 10:12:33New UK Report urges Pension Funds to address Climate RiskThe Institutional Investors Group on Climate Change (IIGCC), a collaboration between pension funds and other institutional investors, representing GBP 1,000 billion in assets, together with the Carbon Trust, a UK-government-funded body that helps companies cut harmful emissions, mandated Mercer Investment Consulting to prepare a guide for pension funds on tackling climate change risk....19.09.2005 | 14:14:08SRI in Canada thrivingThis summer, Canada's SRI community gathered in Toronto for its bi-annual conference. There was much to celebrate, including the 27% growth in SRI assets to CDN $65.5 billion during the two preceding years....16.09.2005 | 18:10:45Fonds de Réserve pour les Retraites selecting SRI managersThe €19bn French reserve fund has started to select managers for up to six socially responsible investing mandates worth a total of €600m; the minimum size of the mandates will be €50m, with a five-year duration....12.09.2005 | 16:28:40UK: ethical savings and investments break through the £10bn barrierA study by Co-operative Financial Services (CFS) said the level of ethical investment rose 18% to £10.6bn during 2004. A total of £5.5bn had been put into 'socially responsible' funds and £5.1bn deposited in ethical banks and credit unions....09.09.2005 | 18:23:37Shareowner Resolution Asks Monsanto to Create Ethics Oversight Committeeby William Baue SocialFunds.com -- Earlier this week, Harrington Investments Inc. (HII) filed a shareowner resolution with Monsanto asking its board to create an ethics oversight committee of independent directors to monitor compliance with laws as well as the Monsanto Pledge and Code of Business Conduct....02.09.2005 | 10:12:54Human Rights Site Spotlights Bank Investment in Chinese Manufacturer Linked to Forced Laborby William Baue SocialFunds.com -- On August 17, 2005, the South China Morning Post (SCMP), Hong-Kong's English-language newspaper, printed an article alleging that mainland China wig manufacturer Henan Rebecca Hair Products employs the forced labor of prisoners in Xuchang....29.08.2005 | 17:11:14Generation Gap: Young Sell-Side Analysts Fail to Fill Void in Sustainability Researchby William Baue SocialFunds.com -- Traditional wisdom holds that if you want to effect transformation, plant seeds of change in the upcoming generation. In the case of seeding social and environmental sustainability through investment, securities analysts represent vital soil to plant, because their research and recommendations influence so many investment decisions....26.08.2005 | 18:21:01Lack of Human Rights Policy Concerns Chevron Shareowners in Light of Unocal Mergerby William Baue SocialFunds.com -- Chevron shareowners and socially responsible investment (SRI) advocates are voicing concern over the company's lack of a human rights policy....22.08.2005 | 15:07:27New Document Alleges Tie Between Chevron and Human Rights Abuses in Nigeriaby William Baue SocialFunds.com -- Timi Okoru was fishing with her children in a small boat in the village of Opia, Nigeria on January 4, 1999 when Nigerian soldiers opened fire, killing her....22.08.2005 | 14:58:16Most Canadian Extractive Companies Behind the Curve on Human Rights Policiesby William Baue SocialFunds.com -- International human rights law is changing faster than companies can keep up. In order to stay ahead of the curve, companies should have comprehensive human rights policies implemented, recommends a recent report on Canadian energy and mining companies conducted by Vancouver-based socially responsible investment (SRI) firm Ethical Funds....19.08.2005 | 18:45:25New Study Shows Benefits of Sustainable Forestry Certificationby GreenBiz.com SocialFunds.com -- A new study has found that independent, third-party certification for environmentally and socially sustainable management of timberlands has led to vital, measurable improvements in the protection of forests, wildlife, and stakeholder rights worldwide as well as to the long-term economic viability of forestry operations....10.08.2005 | 12:34:04The Lowdown from Corporate Governance and Proxy Advisory Experts on ISS-IRRC Mergerby William Baue SocialFunds.com -- Critically analyzing mergers (among many other corporate actions) is the bread and butter of Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS), the giant proxy advisory firm....03.08.2005 | 15:27:36Philips Most Sustainable Dutch CompanyOf all Dutch companies listed on the Dutch stock-exchange (AEX), Philips scores best with regard to sustainability issues. Versatel is in the tail of the pack. This result was obtained from a new report by Dutch Sustainability Research (DSR), published in cooperation with SiRi Company....01.08.2005 | 10:28:06Ethical Investment Research Service Follows Socially Responsible Investing Growth around the Globeby William Baue SocialFunds.com -- In 1983, long before globalization became a catchword, the Ethical Investment Research Service (EIRIS) was founded as a socially responsible investment (SRI) research house with a purview extending beyond its national boundaries in the United Kingdom....28.07.2005 | 10:49:17Sustainability Ranking of DAX 30 CorporationsGerman SiRi network partner scoris has presented its second comparative analysis of sustainable-business practices of DAX 30 corporations. The study contains assessment tables for individual examined themes as well as a Corporate Sustainability Ranking of the DAX 30 corporations....25.07.2005 | 15:38:31GES Forms Engagement Forum with Pension FundsA new meeting point for pension funds was presented by Scandinavian SiRi Company network partner GES Investment Services at an international conference in Stockholm this June. The GES Engagement Forum shall enable clients to collaborate around companies’ compliance with international norms, enhancing their influence and diminishing the necessity to sell off shares....20.07.2005 | 13:35:06French Pension Reserve Fund Commits 600 Million Euros to Socially Responsible Investmentby William Baue SocialFunds.com -- What happens when an institutional investor has a two-decade time horizon? It commits to socially responsible investment (SRI), judging from the request for proposals (RFP) released late last month by France's Fonds de Réserve pour les Retraites (FRR) seeking six SRI asset managers to handle €600 million in assets for a five year period....13.07.2005 | 13:21:18Vigeo-Ethibel Merger Forms New European Socially Responsible Investment Research Firmby William Baue SocialFunds.com -- Socially responsible investment (SRI) research analysts are often faced with the challenge of assessing the effects of a corporate merger on the social and environmental performance of the resulting company....11.07.2005 | 13:17:49New KLD Index Benchmarks 100 Global Companies Proactively Addressing Climate Changeby William Baue SocialFunds.com -- The Group of Eight (G8) industrial nations meets today in Gleneagles, Scotland to hammer out an agreement on climate change, the second draft of which "won't even admit that climate change is taking place" in deference to the "US position," according to British critic George Monbiot....06.07.2005 | 18:08:09CalPERS invests in iShares KLD Select Social Index FundUS SiRi network partner KLD Research & Analytics celebrated the first anniversary of its Select Social Index. KLD launched the index one year ago, the first index to control risk and factor the social and environmental performance of companies into the weighting of holdings....04.07.2005 | 13:00:57Petroleum Fund withdraws €42m from Kerr-McGeePetroleum Fund has withdrawn NOK337m (€42.8m) from US chemicals group Kerr-McGee Corp. for their potential role in “undermining the UN peace process” in Morocco. The move was initiated by an ethical probe into the investment by the Norwegian ministry of finance....29.06.2005 | 12:53:12Merrill Lynch and World Resources Institute Analyze Climate Change Investment Opportunitiesby William Baue SocialFunds.com -- A report connecting the dots between climate change and investment opportunities coming from the World Resources Institute (WRI), an environmental nongovernmental organization (NGO) with market expertise, is not surprising....27.06.2005 | 15:58:48Standard Life selected by the Environment Agency Pension FundLeading investment house Standard Life Investments confirmed its selection by the Environment Agency Pension Fund to manage a segregated specialist UK equity portfolio valued at £185 million....22.06.2005 | 17:43:41Eurosif produces first sector report on Hotels/TourismThe first in a series of sector reports is now available. Eurosif has partnered with Vigeo, a European leader in the field of CSR and SRI evaluation and rating, to produce a detailed analysis of the social and environmental issues as well as the potential risks and opportunities for companies’ long-term returns in the hotel and tourism sector....20.06.2005 | 12:16:57Child Labor Guide released by UNICEFTo help businesses ascertain where child labor is employed or suspected in their workplace or supply chain, the UK branch of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) has released a detailed resource guide....15.06.2005 | 09:26:33"SRI will be Mainstream in 10 Years"Socially responsible investing (SRI) will be a common component of mainstream investment processes within ten years, said a majority of investment managers worldwide in a recent survey by Mercer Investment Consulting....06.06.2005 | 11:17:07Report Ranks Best German Corporate Sustainability Reportsby William Baue SocialFunds.com -- How do German companies fare on sustainability reporting? That is the question posed in a recent report sponsored by the Berlin-based Institute for Ecological Economy Research (IÖW) and Münster-based future e.V....25.05.2005 | 10:30:40The National Association of Pension Funds (UK) says funds performance, not SRI, is keyThe National Association of Pension Funds says pension fund performance is more important that socially responsible criteria. “Our main concern is – and must remain – the performance of pension fund investments, so as many people as possible can continue to benefit from well-managed, well-funded pension schemes when they retire,” said NAPF chief executive Christine Farnish, speaking at a lecture organised by UKSIF....20.05.2005 | 09:57:12Swedish pension scheme shifts assets to SRI fundStockholm-based Telia pension scheme, the pension scheme of telecom company TeliaSonera, has invested $140m (€108.7m) of assets into a SRI fund from State Street Global Advisors. Telia is a €1.5bn defined benefit scheme....17.05.2005 | 13:56:25Triodos launches fund to be invested in renewable energyEthical bank Triodos launched its renewables fund: it seeks to raise £5m to invest in projects and companies in the UK. The minimum investment in the share issue is £980 - the annual cost of electricity for an average household....12.05.2005 | 09:46:54Mutual Funds, Proxy Voting, and Fiduciary Responsibility: How Do Funds Rate on Voting Their Proxies and Disclosure Practices?This study by the Social Investment Forum Foundation shows that SRI mutual funds are tougher on traditional corporate governance resolutions, and on social/environmental proxy issues than ''conventional'' mutual funds....08.05.2005 | 12:54:16Long-term Performance of 15 Year-Old Domini 400 Social Index Helps Validate SRIby William Baue SocialFunds.com -- A decade and a half ago, conventional wisdom held that engaging in socially responsible investing (SRI) required sacrificing financial returns, a belief based not on data so much as on predilection....06.05.2005 | 16:50:43Henderson Global Investors releases its third SRI Annual ReviewThis looks back over the SRI team's investment, research and engagement activity during 2004 and sets out new priorities for 2005. Please click here to download the Henderson report...03.05.2005 | 10:51:41Pharma and Biotech Companies Just Starting to Pass the Transparency Litmus Testby William Baue SocialFunds.com -- Pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies: can't live with them, can't live without them. Both provide medicines and therapies vital to human wellbeing; however, both are also embroiled in controversy over how they dispense the significant influence and power afforded by this crucial role they play in society....29.04.2005 | 16:22:06Study Argues Less is More in Socially Responsible Investment Researchby William Baue SocialFunds.com -- In his latest polemic, provocateur Christoph Butz of Geneva-based private bank Pictet & Cie takes aim at what he considers the bloating of socially responsible investment (SRI) research, and recommends a Slim-Fast diet....27.04.2005 | 12:51:44Climate Change Offers Opportunities: An Interview with Tim Wirth, President of the UN Foundationby Mark Thomsen SocialFunds.com -- The UN Foundation has been steadily chipping away at some of the world's most intractable problems since Ted Turner made headlines in 1997 by donating $1 billion toward its establishment....24.04.2005 | 12:54:31Sustainable Stocks of the YearNokia, the Finnish manufacturer of mobile phones, received the German "NADJA Award" for being the "sustainable stock of the year". Presented for the first time this year, the prize is awarded to companies that are most frequently selected in sustainable investment funds in the German-speaking market....20.04.2005 | 14:11:17Dutch Pension Funds lack Transparency on SRIThe VBDO (the Dutch Association of Sustainable Investors) analyzed the annual reports of 73 pension funds in 2003. About 30% of the pension funds (23) provided information on Socially Responsible Investment (SRI)....15.04.2005 | 15:32:05Canadian Business RankingsFor the second year in a row, SiRi Company network partner Jantzi Research has teamed up with Canada's premier business publication, Report on Business (ROB) Magazine, to conduct a ranking of the social and environmental performance of major Canadian companies....10.04.2005 | 15:33:36CoreRatings and SG Equity Research study impacts of SRI on valuationsCoreRatings and SG Equity Research have published a report which seeks to assess the potential impact of SRI on share price performance. Key findings are: - UK companies score better than companies in continental Europe - Some sectors account for their SRI risks: Auto, Pharma, Oil and Utilities....07.04.2005 | 15:42:52New Sector Study: Global Metals and Mining StudySiRi Company Network Partner Dutch Sustainability Research (DSR) recently finished researching the global metals and mining industry. Companies analyzed include Alcan, Alcoa, Anglo American, Arcelor, BHP Billiton, JFE Holding, Newmont Mining, Rio Tinto, ThyssenKrupp, and Umicore....05.04.2005 | 15:34:40 | |||
