Responsible Investor

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.

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

Swiss sustainability manager names interim dual CEOs

APG, PGGM and USS create index of greenest property companies

Launch follows disappointing environmental reporting levels found by survey.

Investors herald new SEC corporate climate disclosure guidelines

Companies to report on business-wide risks and opportunities of climate management.

US foundations developing ESG emerging markets fund

A group of US charitable foundations are developing an environmental, social and governance-focused emerging markets equity fund with the aid of consulting firm Cambridge Associates.

CalPERS’ $3.8bn governance program “underperforming”

ATP seeds €400m sustainable forestry investment programme

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

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

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

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

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

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.

$45bn NYCERS scheme hires four SRI managers

Generation, F&C, Walden and KBC win fund mandates.

European funds join US shareholder proxy battle

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

$100bn investor coalition fights SEC on shareholder resolutions

Group aims to galvanise 500 institutional investors and thousands of retail investors and flood the SEC with e-mails

NYCERS in hunt for responsible asset managers

New York scheme broadens its activist investment approach

Hermes fund chief Anson quits

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

Generation targets private equity and small caps

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

CalPERS calls for support on US director nominations

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

Canadian investors rise to RI challenge despite legal limbo

Support for ESG considerations high, but caution on fiduciary responsibilities.

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.

Crisis to opportunity: policy suggestions for the inauguration of the Obama administration

Stronger governance, investor rights and a green-based economic revival.

From crisis to catalyst

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

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.

Ceres: the US investor coalition advising the UN, lobbying the SEC and investing $10bn in renewables

Ceres President, Mindy Lubber, explains how US policy is coming around to its way of thinking on the environment.

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.

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.

Foundations: $600bn of assets that need to get active

Why foundations should use the markets to support their philanthropic work.

Sub-prime and carbon: an eerie similarity

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

Canada needs a “say on pay”

Canadian shareholders are weary of the “huge disconnect” between what many executives earn and how the companies they run perform.

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.

US Special: Investors rally on say-on-pay and sub-prime votes

Compensation concerns in focus as US meeting season looms.

US Special: TIAA-CREF, head of the SRI class

Company plans new SRI strategy to add to microfinance, sustainable real estate and community banking.

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?

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?

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?

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.

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.

NYCERS: walkin’ the activist walk

Michael Musuraca explains how the New York City Employees fund got active.

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.