Responsible Investor

Themed green funds continue sales boom

Screened ESG fund sales fall during December, however.

Sustainalytics in European hiring spree as it opens London and Paris offices

UK trades unions and NGOs unite for pension fund e-mail campaign over BP/Shell tar sands

Website lists pension funds and managers with shares in oil giants.

Shell freezes exec salaries and includes sustainability performance after shareholder pressure

Oil giant cites ‘open and constructive’ shareholder dialogue

SAM chief executive steps down over Robeco strategy dispute after just a year in top job

Swiss sustainability manager names interim dual CEOs

Fink-backed Earth Capital Partners hires team for sustainable agriculture launches

Managers join from IBIS Asset Management.

APG, PGGM and USS create index of greenest property companies

Launch follows disappointing environmental reporting levels found by survey.

Merseyside puts RI at heart of new £500m emerging markets mandate tenders

Managers will have to demonstrate understanding of ESG and governance in investment.

British Telecom pension scheme puts £75m into new UK green tech fund

Investment in Hermes-run portion of government innovation fund.

UK investor Stewardship Code consultation kicks off, backs long-term mandate review

Financial Reporting Council sounds out investors on long-term performance for ‘market stability’

Dutch corporate funds progress on ESG but fall short of parents’ CSR policies: report

Benchmark compares company funds with industry-wide and public schemes.

Dutch pension funds facing total cluster bomb ban after MPs vote

Lower chamber passes vote to outlaw investments in related companies.

Bloomberg buys New Energy Finance

Norway’s €1.9bn Nestlé stake under scrutiny

ATP seeds €400m sustainable forestry investment programme

Fund to buy FSC certified timberland in North America, Australia, New Zealand and EU.

Fund managers failing in company research: Marathon Club report

Trustees need to test manager research models, says report.

Norwegian investors publish ESG company survey results, plan expansion

Proposal to extend initiative into Sweden in 2009.

Swedish govt funds hail engagement success over ‘inhumane’ UK immigration centre

Sodexo agrees on company-wide human rights policy.

Multi trillion dollar investor coalition unites to lobby governments on emissions targets

Call comes ahead of major Poznan and Copenhagen climate change summits.

ESG improvements, but ‘striking’ disparity between best and worst UK managers: FairPensions

Environmental and social take up lags major governance improvements.

World Bank aims to structure joint climate change products with pension funds

Bank examines asset allocation with pension funds to find appropriate products.

Exclusions, engagements and tax evasions top Norwegian Govt fund review

Ministry of Finance formally launches consultation and outlines debate for future responsible investment strategy.

Fund managers predict $700bn rise in RI assets by 2010: RI landscape report

98 fund managers running $19.4 trillion in assets predict responsible investment market will jump by 35% in next two years.

RI Landscape 2008 asset owners survey hits $1.5 trillion

Second part of RI Landscape 2008 for asset managers now open.

Investors push politicians for Bali post-2012 climate action

Letter urges Bali delegates to outline framework for reducing carbon and promoting future greenhouse gas solutions.

Half of UK’s biggest pension funds have no ESG policy

UK lobby group FairPensions says lack of voting disclosure could prompt government action.

Finnish church names managers for initial overseas SRI commitment

Morley and Sarasin win out for European equities as fund pledges more SRI research for 2008.

Germany lags in global SRI adoption comparison

Report highlights major responsible developments amongst institutional investors worldwide.

Total hit as investors pull millions over Burma links

Human rights campaigners list other companies with business in the military-led country.

European funds join US shareholder proxy battle

Letters sent to SEC challenging regulator’s plans on independent board nominees.

Crédit Agricole buys 100% control of SRI subsidiary

Banks and fund managers building stakes in responsible investment

ABP builds in renewable energy infrastructure

Fund continues environmental trail-blazing with commitment to Triodos fund

KPA liquidates tyre and mining stocks over alleged abuses.

Tyre manufacturer Bridgestone and mining group Freeport-McMoRan sold in protest.

Hermes fund chief Anson quits

Former CalPERS CIO returns to the US after 18 months at UK activist manager

Italy’s Laborfonds expects RI mandate surge

Ethical investment options are proving attractive for Italian employees

HSBC hires Henderson SRI head for global eco research hub

Bangalore-based research team will gauge climate change risks and opportunities

Generation targets private equity and small caps

After Live Earth, Al Gore’s fund management firm launches a hybrid climate change solutions fund.

Hermes probes BAE and EADS on cluster bombs

UK pension clients examine reputation risks

Investor collaboration on the rise - UN PRI

Clearinghouse has helped investors join forces to engage with Walmart and car manufacturers

CalPERS calls for support on US director nominations

US superfund has Hewlett-Packard and UnitedHealth Group in its sights

ATP CEO speaks: making a one billion euro Copenhagen statement

Danish pension fund chief Rohde says pension funds need to be first movers on climate change investments.

ERAFP chief talks about the growth of France’s €6.5bn 100% SRI pension fund

Asset diversification and more corporate activism top the to-do list of ERAFP managing director, Philippe Desfossés

The credit crunch goes to court

Investors look to recoup sub-prime losses.

Green New Deals for new green investment

What could the various green global economic stimuli mean for institutional investors?

ATP chief outlines appetite for future climate change investments

Giant Danish fund expects to commit more after initial clean tech/renewables and sustainable forestry investments.

Could the crisis become a vintage era for clean tech private equity deals?

Attractively priced deals and long-term ‘green’ stimulus make market look attractive despite the doldrums.

Why the fund management ownership model has failed

If pension funds want good governance they will have to invest in it.

RI interview: Amy Domini on Obama, SRI returns and clipping hedge funds

After a decade ‘out-of-kilter’, Domini believes SRI strategies are in tune with the new US regime.

Ethos’ six-month campaign: a new tactic in European say-on-pay

Swiss investors adopt US-style publicity strategy to shame companies into action.

From crisis to catalyst

How ESG implementation could be the beginning of a solution to the market meltdown.

France’s FRR: blue skies thinking on engagement and ESG manager selection

Reserve fund breaks the mould with planned corporate engagements and forthcoming ESG advisory hire.

Mn Services: The former Dutch politician now engaging with Wal-Mart

RI talks to Kris Douma, who leads the governance of 2000 companies worldwide for Mn Services, the Dutch pension fund manager.

Sovereign wealth funds: the future of ESG investing?

Attacked for political investing, could sovereign wealth funds actually be the most important future trend in ESG finance?

RI interview: Global Compact chief points the way for UNPRI

Georg Kell, executive director of the corporate forerunner of the UNPRI talks about the issues the $14 trillion investor initiative may have to face.

UN PRI Seoul special: interview with Donald Macdonald, PRI chair

PRI signatories gather in Seoul for the annual progress meeting of the huge investor initiative.

DC pension saving: the next ethical consumer boom?

Defined contribution pension savings part of first UK National Ethical Investment Week.

Dutch transport funds lay SRI tracks

SPF Beheer outlines move from best-in-class to engagement.

Mainstreaming RI: The Enhanced Analytics Initiative needs you!

Why the biggest challenge now is to get relevant extra-financial analysis direct to mainstream analysts.

Changing the system: why sell side research must improve

The sub-prime crisis has re-opened questions about the quality and independence of sell side research.

EIRIS: Peter Webster looks back at 25 years of responsible research

UK research company celebrates 25th year of corporate and SRI scrutiny.

Why sovereign wealth funds have provoked schizophrenia in western markets

Market saviours or dangerous political investors? Sovereign wealth funds have got governments in a funk.

Sub-prime and carbon: an eerie similarity

Supporting renewable energy is a first step, but banks must also come clean about fossil fuel financing.

RI Interview: Paul McNamara, co-chair, UNEP FI Property Working Group

Why sustainability has an impact on real estate value and should play a central role in investment decisions.

Davos review: investor sustainability anyone?

Why was the potential role of investors virtually absent from Davos when it has been leading the way on many of the issues?

Metallrente shows the way on RI in Germany

Country’s fastest growing fund explains why RI is a gradual but growing process amongst German peers.

How a TV documentary on cluster bombs became an ESG benchmark

New ranking compares Dutch pension funds on pollution and human rights issues.

What does Bali mean for institutional investors?

Agreement on a ‘roadmap’ for a post-Kyoto climate agreement gives carbon trading a longer perspective. How should institutional investors react?

Nest - Swiss RI pension performance in action

After 25 years of solid returns, fund plans to increase risk and looks to private equity and hedge funds.

Carbon: a new asset class?

Investors are already testing the potential of markets in greenhouse gas emissions, but what are the risks and how can they be avoided?

Should pension funds be investing in companies with links to brutal governments?

Isn’t it time pension funds asked their members about their morals?

Environment Agency plans sequel to £1.5bn SRI success

Fund investment committee to consider sweating the assets to take advantage of strong performance at lower risk.

Indices rise to the sustainability challenge

A new breed of indices is being added to the established SRI benchmarks.

Responsible pensions in BP pipeline

Sally Bridgeland, CEO of BT pension trustees explains how the oil and gas company is exploring SRI within the scheme.

The lobby group fighting to make pensions fair

Alex van der Velden, executive director of FairPensions talks disinvestment, defined contribution, and benchmarking pension funds and asset managers for sustainability.

Why lack of action on SRI is the biggest market failure ever.

Swedish pension fund AP7 says investors have a duty to follow international guidelines for responsible investment.

Clean tech booms despite the bubble talk

Investor allocations soar, but research is key to finding the sectors that will match future political decisions on climate change.

Why are corporate pension funds hiding from SRI?

Corporate social responsibility is everywhere, but companies are failing to spot the potential for their pension funds.

Schroders heralds the changing investment climate

CIO Alan Brown says fund managers will also come under pressure on their own internal environment policy.

How to invest in clean tech

A guide to selecting investment strategies and fund managers in this nascent asset class.

Climate change: mother of invention and investment returns

Why the technological revolution will clean up the planet and drive profits.

Getting alpha from activism

Can pension funds profit from increasingly aggressive hedge fund strategies?

Sweden’s AP funds’ ethical umbrella

Council gives Swedish state funds responsible investment muscle.

Leveraging the Carbon Disclosure Project

Corporates are doing well in carbon disclosure, so why are investors lagging?

ABP’s total responsible investment strategy

Rob Lake, senior portfolio manager for environmental, social and governance at ABP, the €221bn ($311bn) pension fund for Dutch civil servants, talks clean tech, engagement and cluster bombs.

Good credit after bad

The subprime crisis shows the value of extra financial research.

USS shows enterprise in engagement

David Russell, co-head of Responsible Investment at the Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS), the £31bn (€46bn) second largest UK pension fund, explains how its SRI strategy is not just about risk but also reward.

Putting faith in engagement

3iG, the global interfaith movement, says it must do more than just exclude companies.

PGGM comes clean on private equity

Fund will increase ‘renewables’ if €500m venture with ABP is successful.

What difference will the UN Principles on Responsible Investment make?

Winning hearts and minds for sustainable prosperity.

Blood and Gore: talking ‘bout their Generation

Long-term investment performance is the firm’s mantra.

The RI interview: Bob Monks

One of the world’s most prominent corporate governance activists since the 1970s, Bob Monks talks about engagement, hedge fund activists, private equity and why ‘discouraged’ is not part of his vocabulary.