| Our team is watching the watchers for you. We scan the globe for news, commentary and research in key areas of interest for both investors and asset managers and for corporate boards and executives and managers. As Sustainability and ESG frameworks are adopted by more investors, the market is determining winners, laggards and losers. Track the trends, the news, updates, the important developments – makeSustainability HQ™ your headquarters for ESG knowledge management. More Asset Managers profiles added
November 29, 2010 - Recently added profiles to Sustainability HQ™ include these asset managers: These profiles and accompanying information resources are found in the Asset Managers dedicated content silo and also on the “What’s New” page in the “New Profiles on SustainabilityHQ” section available here to subscribers: http://www.sustainabilityhq.com/index.php?id=3431 ESG / Sustainability A FAILURE IN GOVERNANCE! (Source: Tim Smith, Walden Asset Management) Many leading companies strive to follow best practices in corporate governance, demonstrating responsiveness to investors and protecting shareowner value in the process. Paradoxically these same companies often appear to leave their commitment to good corporate governance at the doorstep when they serve on the board of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce (“the Chamber”). In so doing, they perpetuate a dismal failure of governance.
Study Finds that ESG funds outperform traditional mutual fund (Source: Trucost) Trucost, the environmental research firm, and RLP Capital, a forward-thinking independent wealth management firm, collaborated to study the effects of ESG analysis in actively managed U.S. equity mutual funds. The study compared the carbon footprints, performance and risk characteristics of the eight largest traditional mutual funds (by asset size) with the eight largest responsible funds in several key asset categories. Findings shows that seven of the eight responsible funds that incorporate environmental, social and governance (ESG) analysis outperformed over both one and three-year periods. All eight responsible funds had significantly higher alpha, or risk-adjusted performance, over the three year period ending 30th June 2010.
10 Reasons Why the Cancun Talks Will Fail (Source: Reuters/Greenbiz) For the next couple of weeks, thousands of government officials, NGOs, environmental activists and reporters will gather in Cancun, Mexico for international climate negotiations, officially known as the Sixteenth Conference of the Parties (COP-16) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) [PDF]. It's fitting that the talks are being held in a vacation resort, where people go to escape -- because only by ignoring what's happening in the rest of the world is it possible to take these U.N. negotiations seriously.
Top Five Steps to Kick Start a Sustainability Effort inside a Company (Source: Forbes) Corporate leaders across the globe today are working to evaluate the best ways to incorporate sustainability principles into their organizations. As the Chief Sustainability Officer for SAP, I have learned some valuable lessons along the way since we formally launched our sustainability program in the spring of 2009. Please find the top five “tips and tricks” for getting started. Sovereign Wealth Funds European defence companies must 'be wary' of sovereign wealth funds, commissioner warns (Source: Janes) European defence industries must be wary of accepting "an attractive source of capital" from sovereign wealth funds during the current global financial crisis, Michel Barnier, Europe's Commissioner for Internal Markets and Services, has warned. Mr Barnier told Jane's on 29 November that there is a need to be wary of influences that could undermine the integrity and security of EU member states' defence markets, adding that investing in defence companies is "not merely a financial issue".
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Make SustainabilityHQ™ your daily headquarters for important news, commentary and research results – your HQs for Sustainability and ESG knowledge management. The key capital market players focused on Sustainability and ESG (environmental management, social issues and effective corporate governance) are profiled with an abundance of relevant information. Updates are continuous. The third party organizations helping to shape corporate valuations and corporate reputations are profiled and news about these players is updated every day. Log in and check it out!
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New EDHEC-Risk Institute Publication Proposes An Optimal Investment Strategy For Sovereign Wealth Funds (Source: Mondovisione) This new publication, “Asset-Liability Management Decisions for Sovereign Wealth Funds,” contains the results of the first-year research work conducted at EDHEC-Risk Institute within the Deutsche Bank research chair on asset-liability management (ALM) techniques for sovereign wealth fund management. Under the responsibility of Professor Lionel Martellini, the scientific director of EDHEC-Risk Institute, this chair examines optimal allocation policies for sovereign wealth funds.
The Importance of Sovereign Wealth Funds to the World Economy(Source: Oil Price.com) An Interview with Dr. Alexander Mirtchev - To begin with, SWFs are a modern iteration of economic power projection by states on the international scene. In one form or another, vehicles resembling SWFs have been around for a long time. Similar entities investing state funds, generated from reserves or trade surpluses (such as from natural resources), or utilizing substantial state support or privilege, could very well include conglomerates such as VOC (the Dutch East India Company) or the British East India Company. Another thing they appear to have in common with modern SWFs is that they were the pioneers in frontier markets, often creating regional trade beyond what the local governments and businesses were able to create. It should not be forgotten, however, that SWFs are often perceived to be driven by political, rather than economic, considerations. At the end of the day, they often are, which is only natural, as their shareholders are governments. Thus, the story is much more complex.
US Public Sector Pension Funds Pensions: State must ante up ... and get a better deal (Source: NJ.com) Legislators and Gov. Chris Christie are haggling over how much money to put into the state’s severely underfunded pension fund next year, and whatever number they agree upon, one thing is certain: It won’t be enough. State Senate President Stephen Sweeney says the bidding will start at the $540 million minimum contribution required by a law passed in March. But with the fund facing at least a $46 billion shortfall — some experts estimate it’s closer to $60 billion — even a half-billion dollars won’t make a dent.
Adviser Pleads Guilty in Pay-to-Play Pension Scheme (Source: NY Times) Hank Morris, a central player in a pay-to-play scheme involving the New York State pension fund, will return $19 million to the fund as part of a plea agreement approved in State Supreme Court in Manhattan on Monday. Mr. Morris, who was charged last year with a 123-count indictment, pleaded guilty to a single felony count of violating the Martin Act, a sweeping state securities law, and could be sentenced to as much as four years in prison, though no prison sentence is mandatory.
CalPERS OK'd hefty raises, bonuses for top execs (Source: Sacramento Business Journal) California Public Employees’ Retirement System approved six-figure bonuses and hefty raises for top executives, despite the nation’s largest pension fund losing almost 25 percent of its value, according to an Associated Press report.
Secrecy shrouds some pension investments in Illinois (Source: Chicago Tribune) Aside from the risks inherent in private equity and real estate investments, some pension experts have raised concerns about the lack of transparency surrounding these bets. Under a 2005 rewrite of Illinois' Freedom of Information Act, public pension funds are not required to provide basic information about what assets are being purchased, the fine print of contracts or, most importantly, how assets are valued. Watching the Watchers EUROSIF – European Social Investment Forum
Headquarters: Paris, France
Established: 2001
KEY PARTNERS
Vigeo/Avanzi and Morningstar Europe collaborate with Eurosif on the “SRI Funds Service.”
OVERVIEW / MISSION
“Eurosif, European Social Investment Forum, was created in 2001 to serve as an umbrella association to cover socially responsible investment issues at the European level.”
Eurosif notes that, "The approach to SRI has specific national characteristics linked to the particularities of the structure of financial markets and the legislative and cultural environments of each country. Eurosif takes these factors into account and addresses SRI issues with the European scope in mind.”
Forum members are pension funds, financial service providers, academic and research institutions, and NGOs. Members’ collective assets total more than 1 trillion Euros. Eurosif assists members through four activities:
• European Union lobbying;
• Research related to socially responsible investment (SRI);
• Pan-European initiatives; and
• Events News Sweeps
SRI in the Rockies: SRI's surprising growth, the water footprint and how the ...
(Friday - November 26, 2010) Associated Profiles : EU Social Investment Forum
- The 2010 Trends Report showed an increase in SRI investments in the US, while our Eurosif brethren showed a growing network of SIF support and marketplace ...
[more] Could fixed income be the future of SRI investing'
(Tuesday - November 23, 2010) Associated Profiles : EU Social Investment Forum
- A recent report by Eurosif, a leading European sustainable investment forum, found that bonds are now the favoured asset class among SRI investors – a ...
[more] Investing by values
(Tuesday - November 02, 2010) Associated Profiles : EU Social Investment Forum
- A report published in October by the European Sustainable Investment Forum (Eurosif) looking at the sustainable investment market in Europe described the UK ...
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