| From across the nation and around the world, INSIGHTS-edge brings you news, commentary and research in key areas of interest regarding ESG, Sovereign Wealth Funds and US Public Sector Pension Funds. We watch the watchers...who are watching you. ESG / Sustainability Eurosif Submits Position To The EC On ESG Mandatory Corporate Disclosure
(Source: Mondovisione)
Eurosif (European Sustainable Investment Forum) recently submitted a statement to the European Commission (EC) with suggestions on how to arrive at a framework for mandatory annual environmental, social and governance (ESG) corporate disclosure in the European Union.(1) The submission follows a series of workshops facilitated by the EC with European stakeholders held from September 2009 to February 2010 to discuss ESG disclosure. 'Socially responsible' investing joins your money with your ideals
(Source: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)
Green stocks and socially responsible investments are a niche market that is growing dramatically as investors are increasingly aware that decisions made with their money could have an impact on the future of the planet. Fund firms tap ethical emerging market stock drive
(Source: Reuters)
London - - Fund firms are creating sustainable investment emerging market equity strategies to meet pension fund demand for diversified portfolios with higher corporate governance standards. Recent launches of products by F&C Asset Management (FCAM.L), Bank Sarasin (BSAN.S) and BNP Paribas/Fortis (BNPP.PA) have shown asset management companies are more confident they can find the companies to deliver on a notoriously difficult goal, even if obtaining the necessary data remains tough. Sovereign Wealth Funds Trade Unions Ask Norwegian Pension Funds to Divest of Grupo Mexico Shares
(Source: International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mining and General Workers’ Union)
Two global trade union federations whose affiliates represent over 45 million workers, together with four Norwegian trade unions, have asked the Council on Ethics of the Government Pension Fund of Norway to divest its holdings in the Mexican mining conglomerate Grupo Mexico because of alleged labor and environmental violations. India Said to Propose Sovereign Fund for Oil Assets
(Source: BusinessWeek)
India, with $254 billion of foreign-exchange reserves, may create a sovereign wealth fund to help state companies compete for overseas energy assets with China, a government official said. The oil ministry has formally asked the finance ministry to set up a fund using a part of the reserves, the official said, declining to be identified because a decision hasn’t been reached. The size of the fund is yet to be determined, he said. Sovereign Wealth Fund and Commercial Real Estate
(Source: Wyatt Investment Research)
The AP is reporting that China has trimmed its holdings of U.S. Treasury’s by $5.8 billion in January. I’m sure members of the doom and gloom economic faction will point to this as solid evidence that the U.S. is losing its ability to fund spending and is inching ever closer to default.
In my opinion, this line of thinking is completely unrealistic. |
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| US Public Sector Pension Funds Calif. pension fund up 22.3 percent year-over-year
(Source: San Francisco Chronicle)
The chief investment officer of California's giant pension fund said Wednesday the fund grew 22.3 percent in the past year due to rebounding markets. The growth came after the fund previously lost nearly a third of its value in the economic downturn. Calpers May Challenge Companies on Board Elections
(Source: BusinessWeek)
The California Public Employees’ Retirement System, the biggest state-run U.S. public pension, may use its financial clout to force BlackRock Inc., News Corp, and other companies where it has large holdings to change the way they elect directors. Public pension funds benefit from equities-study
(Source: Reuters)
U.S. state and local government pension plans received a bigger boost from rising stock markets than did private sector plans, a study reported on Monday. The analysis by the nonprofit National Institute on Retirement Security in Washington calculated that as a group, public sector pension funds gained 16 percent last year, versus a gain of 13 percent for private sector pension plans as a whole. Watching the Watchers  GES Investment Services
Headquarters: Stockholm, Sweden; Copenhagen, Denmark; research center in Poland
Established: 1992, as CaringCompany
KEY COLLABORATIONS
the former SiRi. Also: Participant in the UN Global Compact, UN PRI, and a member of Concito, Denmark’s first green think tank. OVERVIEW/MISSION
GES describes itself as a “research and service provider for responsible investment.” GES, which stands for Global Ethical Standard, believes “sustainability pays off.” GES states its mission as “To make it a little bit better, everyday.” GES fulfills this mission for client investors, companies, GES itself, and the world at large. Principles include providing quality research, improving governance and performance of companies, and holding constructive, educational dialogue with companies on behalf of investors. GES repeatedly (and clearly) expresses its values in its code of conduct: long-term commitment, integrity, respect, and responsibility. Its principles address legal compliance, relations with business partners, transparency, conflict of interest, environment, and human rights. GES also states its “independence policy,” which lists political, religious and financial independence, plus expectations that GES associates behave objectively, fairly, neutrally, and impartially. |
