Responsible Investor

Attorney Jay Youngdahl, Visiting Fellow at the Initiative for Responsible Investing (IRI) at Harvard University's Hauser Center, says that conservative lawyers retained by US pension funds are reinforcing the wrong definition of "fiduciary duty" with their clients, remaining focused on short-term profit for beneficiaries. The interview, courtesy of FS Insight and Holland Financial Centre, was recorded during Responsible Investor's ESG USA conference, New York, 13 December 2011.

More information: FSinsight.

On January 12, 2012, nearly 500 of the world's investors and most powerful financial players gathered at the United Nations to showcase their actions and discuss promising trends to catalyze the large-scale investment needed to reduce carbon emissions and mitigate potentially catastrophic climate impacts. The speakers featured in the video - supplied courtesy of Ceres - are: Mindy S. Lubber, President, Ceres and Director, INCR; Janet Cowell, North Carolina State Treasurer; Rob McCord, State Treasurer, Pennsylvania Treasury Department; Jack Ehnes, CEO, California State Teachers’ Retirement System; Jane Ambachtsheer, National Partner, Mercer Consulting Services; Bill Green, Senior Managing Director, Macquarie Infrastructure and Real Assets; Mark Vachon, VP, GE ecomagination; Richard L. Trumka, President and AFL-CIO.

More information: Ceres.

The Boards of organizations can do a lot more to promote ESG, says Erika Karp, Managing Director & Head of Global Sector Research for UBS Investment Bank. That involves asking more ? and sometimes uncomfortably explicit questions about the environmental, social and governance-related performance of the organisation. "I don't think the business case for ESG has been articulated well, because if you take each of the pieces environmental, social and governance there's a business case to be made wherever you sit in the capital markets ecosystem," says Karp.

More information: FSinsight.

Rob Lake, Director of Strategic Development for the United Nations-backed organization Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI), has years of experience in socially responsible investing. His SRI experience in Europe and the UK has given him unique insights to share in the US – a market in which, he says, there is still ‘a certain amount of uncertainty and skepticism’ about SRI, as well as misunderstanding about the relationship between fiduciary duty and responsible investing.

More information: FSinsight.

Roger Urwin, Global Head of Investment Content at Towers Watson, says there are suspicions that the collateral benefits of sustainability may detract from the true purpose of pension funds, which is to make a profit. The benefits of sustainability are not the primary purpose; the primary purpose is to do a better long-term investment job. The interview, courtesy of FS Insight and Holland Financial Centre, was recorded during Responsible Investor's ESG USA conference, New York, 13 December 2011. More information: FSinsight.

More information: FSinsight.

Wolfgang Engshuber, Chair of United Nations Principles for Responsible Investment (UN PRI) summarizes the development of the company over the last six years: “The honeymoon is over.” He goes on to describe the desired direction for UN PRI: “Globally represented, covering the whole investment universe and signatories who have impact on major themes.” The interview, courtesy of FS Insight and Holland Financial Centre, was recorded during Responsible Investor's ESG Europe 2011 conference, Amsterdam, 4-5 October 2011.

More information: FSinsight.

The tipping point of sustainability and responsibility in finance is happening right now, says Noreena Hertz, Professor of Globalization, Sustainability and Finance at Duisenberg School of Finance and Erasmus University. The interview, courtesy of FS Insight and Holland Financial Centre, was recorded during Responsible Investor's ESG Europe 2011 conference, Amsterdam, 4-5 October 2011.

More information: FSinsight.

SAM (Sustainable Asset Management) CEO, Michael Baldinger interview on Sustainability Investing. Joining the debate will be Daniel Wild, Head of Research and Marc-Olivier Buffle, Senior Analyst, to explain SAM´s Corporate Sustainability Assessment and its meaning for investors.

More information: SAM on Sustainability Investing.

Natixis Asset Management, a pioneer in SRI for over 25 years, has launched Impact Funds Climate Change. This thematic ICVC aims at generating long-term performance by investing in companies whose activities contribute to mitigate or adapt to climate change.

More information: Impact Funds Climate Change.

Lord Nicholas Stern, IG Patel Professor of Economics and Government at LSE addresses climate change and opportunities for investors, interviewed by Brendan Maton, pensions journalist.

Marcel Jeucken, head of responsible investment at PGGM Investments, talks about ESG integration, RI performance and corporate engagements and exclusions.

Responsible-Investor and IPE brought together eight investment professions to discuss the results of the RI Landscape 2008 Asset Owners survey. Participating: Michael Atzwanger, PensPlan; Erik Christiansen, ERAPF; Xavier Desmadryl, HSBC Investments; Christian Gollier, joint holder of the French university chair devoted to responsible investment and sustainable finance; Dr Marcel Jeucken, PGGM; Aled Jones, UK Pension Protection Fund; Liam Kennedy, IPE; Michel Lemonnier representing the French Asset Management Association; Raj Thamotheram, AXA Investment Managers; Hugh Wheelan, Responsible Investor.

Read the survey results and report »

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.

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.

Read the interview transcript »

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.

Read the interview transcript »