Energy & Climate

This new blueprint will help companies develop and implement climate transition action plans, outlining the actions they’ll take across their business to achieve their sustainability goals and transition to a cleaner, more just economy. It focuses on 6 areas: setting goals and targets, decarbonizing, a just transition, public policy, integration and accountability, as well as tracking and reporting progress. Read More

Opportunity Finance Network, the nation’s leading investment intermediary and network of CDFIs, will receive an award from the U.S. EPA to finance the clean energy transition in low-income and underinvested communities. The grant marks a pivotal step forward in OFN’s commitment to addressing the climate crisis, advancing environmental justice, and increasing access to capital. Read More

Until the 2024 elections are over, investing with the Inflation Reduction Act’s clean energy provisions is too lucrative to pass up, according to Marshal Salant, head of energy for Citi. Speaking at the GreenFin Conference in June, Salant said that many manufacturing companies and facilities are actively moving from abroad to the U.S. to take advantage of the IRA Read More

EVs are gaining significant traction as a more sustainable and independent mode of transportation. As the demand continues to grow, so does the need for reliable and efficient charging solutions. Some have criticized that since most power plants use fossil fuels, one is simply trading emissions. However, GoSun is now providing a true solar solution with our innovative EV Solar Charger. Read More

As the impacts of climate change become more evident, the urgency to transition away from fossil fuels is clear. Investing in renewable energy is crucial for the future of our planet, yet it remains a challenge for many. The Clean Energy Credit Union focuses on making clean energy affordable and accessible to a wide range of people across the U.S. by providing an attainable entry point for individuals to invest in the clean energy movement while advancing sustainability. Read More

The US EIA forecasts a 75% increase in solar generation from 2023 to 2025. As the solar industry races to address climate change and meet the demands from electrification and data centers, there lies opportunities to also address socioeconomic inequalities across the nation. So, we ask: Who is benefiting from the growth of the solar economy? What other community needs could this opportunity meet? Read More

Global trends can have a significant impact on a company’s financial performance. That’s why Parnassus invests in industries and companies that are positioned to remain resilient to physical climate risks. Extreme weather is occurring in different forms, posing risks to company operations, assets, workforces and long-term stock performance. While individual risks can be hard to predict, many industries are likely to be affected by extreme weather in multiple ways. Read More

Over the past several decades, the energy system has steadily evolved to include more renewable energy sources. The energy supply is currently mostly fossil fuels and renewables. The fossil fuels are coal, methane, natural gas, and oil. Renewables are solar, wind, hydro, biofuels and nuclear. The biggest users of energy are transport, industry, and buildings. In fact, buildings alone consume 40% of the world’s energy. Read More

Our firm maintains that impact investing is synonymous with a focus on the long-term, since we believe that the businesses and industries that will drive value for investors are those that will help build a more sustainable and equitable future. Consistent with this view and an understanding that the green transition would be full of both economic and impact potential, we have tracked and selectively backed renewables-related companies and funds since our inception in 2013. Read More

BSR research on members indicated that roughly 35 percent of time-bound goals expire in 2025, and another 40 percent are pegged to 2030. As 2025 goals reach their expiration date and we evaluate progress toward those 2030 commitments, it’s time for many companies to reflect on what they’ve learned and start thinking about what’s next. Read More

CAJF has released their new Transformative 25 (T25) list of impact first community informed capital funds, banks, and initiatives transforming the finance sector towards one that enriches people and the planet. T25 funds employ a mix of holistic strategies such as diverse leadership, integrated capital, creative financial tools, regenerative returns, values-aligned mission, and more to drive transformative change in finance. Read More

Climate change will increase food inflation by as much as 4% in some parts of the world by 2060, a new joint study from a climate scientist and the ECB found. Looking at monthly price indices across 121 countries along with temperature and precipitation factors since 1996, the analysis found a consistent price increase in food and inflation as temperatures rose. The cost of food could increase by 1.5% to 1.8% annually. Read More

Napa cabernet. Florida oranges. Georgia peaches. Washington apples. Why are crops so associated with places? As an investor, it's crucial to recognize the impact that weather and climate have on Ag. Weather patterns dictate the success or failure of crops, influence land management decisions, and shape the financial landscape for Ag investments. Understanding these interactions, and their changes, is critical to not only the farmer working the land, but those investing in it. Read More

The Water Council, a nonprofit dedicated to solving global water challenges, and Marquette University’s Sustainability Lab, which researches and disseminates knowledge as well as develops managers around effective sustainability and stewardship practices, announced the ‘Nexus Sustainability Leaders Summit’, a national conference in Oct. 2024 on corporate sustainability, water and energy resiliency, and stewardship. Read More

This series of nine new global benchmarks, underpinned by the Sustainalytics Low Carbon Transition Ratings, will help investors target a broad range of companies that are leading their peers in their readiness for - and action towards - transitioning to a low-carbon economy. A few companies included in the indexes for leading the way in their approach to climate transition and net zero include Taiwan Semiconductor and BMW. Read More

Now in its 13th year, the ImpactAssets 50 is the most recognized free database of impact investment fund managers. This list is a gateway into the world of impact investing for investors, financial advisors, and philanthropists. The IA 50 offers an easy way to identify experienced and emerging impact fund managers and illustrates the breadth of impact fund managers operating across geographies, sectors and asset classes. Read More

Oneka Technologies has developed a floating desalination system that can turn seawater into drinkable water using renewable wave power. The machines require less energy to remove salt than large, shore-based desalination plants so they can provide freshwater to coastal communities and industries with less environmental impact. Read More

As far as life goes, priorities can’t get much bigger than Water. As far as the financial markets, Water is such a huge fundamental risk that it could cause another recession or financial crisis when we reach a tipping point. Studies have found that companies with poor Indigenous Peoples (IP) risk management also had low ESG social performance ratings and higher risk. Read More

Water is the essence of life, and yet it is almost universally taken for granted. This is at a time when we are seeing unprecedented and dire water issues globally. Water is managed as a resource (i.e., drinking water) and a waste product (i.e., stormwater) while also being managed as both a business and as a common good. Population growth and new housing development are two major issues underlying the need to find more water, yet water is often not linked to land use management.   Read More

The EPA has a decision to make, as it is considering new water pollution standards for slaughterhouses and rendering facilities in response to lawsuits from environmental organizations. Despite its stated mission to safeguard human health and the environment, EPA's current regulations do not address phosphorus discharges, and the agency has neglected to update water pollution standards for other harmful pollutants from this industry for 20 years, as required by the Clean Water Act. Read More

Impact investing can transform the landscape of safe water and sanitation by addressing the complex challenges posed by the water crisis, climate change, and gender disparities. By supporting innovative household solutions and investing in climate-resilient infrastructure, impact investors can contribute to the UN SDGs and improve the well-being of communities around the world, aligning values with the potential for financial returns that helps build resilient communities. Read More

As the global water crisis worsens, so do financial risks facing companies and their investors. Kirsten James, senior program director of Water at the sustainability nonprofit Ceres, answers questions from Cliff Feigenbaum, GreenMoney founder about the Valuing Water Finance Initiative, which is a global, investor-led effort driving companies to prioritize water risk and act as responsible water stewards in their operations and supply chains. Read More

“We work hard to provide investment options that pursue market-level returns while also aligning investors’ faith, values and investments. This report delves into many key themes for Praxis including encouraging the low carbon transition, addressing inequality, supporting low income and underserved communities, and engaging companies on good corporate governance.” said Mark Regier, VP of Stewardship Investing. Read More

As You Sow and Corporate Knights recently released their 11th update of the Carbon Clean200™, a list of 200 publicly traded companies worldwide leading the way among global peers to a clean energy present and future. These companies generated almost double the returns of the main fossil fuel index from July 1, 2016, to January 15, 2024, despite geopolitical tensions that have favored fossil fuel stocks in the past two years. Read More

The 134 global members of NGFS collaborate and produce guidance on various critical topics including on supervisory practices for managing climate-related risks, design and analysis of climate scenarios and the implications of climate change for monetary policy. The collective also provides guidance for central banks on the transition to net zero and the emerging issue of nature-related financial risks. Read More

Climate action plans with specific metrics will unleash both business innovation and societal advances for all including our families, communities, and the broader economy. Clear climate action plans, coupled with state and federal policy, will accelerate the clean energy economy, bringing innovation and jobs. Clean energy is growing at the fast pace and now provides 30% of the world’s electricity, on to 40% in the next four years. Read More

EFM, the forestland investment company, I co-founded almost 20 years ago was started on the premise that commercial forests could and should be valued and managed for the full range of goods and services they produce – timber, carbon, biodiversity, water provision, recreation, scenic beauty, tribal and indigenous values, and rural livelihoods. The enduring and critical truth is healthy, intact and functioning ecosystems, particularly forests, are fundamental to the earth’s life support system. Read More

In MSCI’s Sustainability and Climate Trends to Watch 2024 Report, we explore the key themes that could shape the world of ESG investing this year and beyond. Our report brings together the key questions that our global research team is asking and offers thoughtful analyses and useful insights to help navigate the investment landscape that lies ahead. This article looks at numerous impactful trends that we have identified. Read More

Faith-based investors have a long history of corporate engagements seeking to advance rights for workers in the U.S. and in global supply chains. For decades, ongoing engagements with companies in at-risk sectors including apparel and footwear, food and agriculture, and electronics have centered on the risks of human trafficking and forced labor, paying a living wage, and the need to respect unionization efforts. Read More

What does faith have to do with capital? Given the way environmental and social uncertainties affect capital markets around the globe, quite a bit. For many, faith is required in these moments of challenge. We often think of faith institutions’ roles as leaders of moral realms, such as caring for others or honoring creation. What if we also considered the power of faith leadership paired with the capital these institutions hold. For these long-term investors, how can their faith principles be lived out through their portfolios? Read More

The natural environment is a finite resource, the inheritance of future generations, and a gift from God. We’re stewards of God’s Creation, not just consumers of it. Human flourishing requires thriving ecosystems. This perspective infuses our impact strategies from company engagement to impact bonds to community development investments. We’re working toward a sustainable planet where our heirs can enjoy the magnificence of Creation and businesses operate profitably without diminishing the earth. Read More

In an effort to stanch the depletion of forests and ocean life, designers and manufacturers will continue to dream up alternatives to the materials they’ve traditionally relied on, especially those coming from supposedly sustainable resources—all in an effort to lower the impact of our consumption on the planet’s various systems. Part of which involves the shortening of supply chains and the surge in new biomaterials and fabrication techniques. Read More

New ESG and sustainability regulations, set to go into effect across the globe over the next year, will put pressure on companies to be officially transparent. And the sustainability agenda will move beyond fossil fuels to other areas such as methane emissions, addressing deforestation and increasing and protecting biodiversity. All of which, businesswise, will mean balancing short-term profits with long-term sustainability investment. Read More

Pre-pandemic supply chains could be as dirty and unsustainable as they always were. No more. As foretold here, companies have begun to home in on more and better risk-mitigation strategies, such as on-shore, near-shore and off-shore being closer to actual demand and coming up backup sources and suppliers for key materials. Overall, supply chains will also be coming under more ESG scrutiny and be expected to be smarter about how they (positively and negatively) affect sustainability. Read More

What with solar and wind energy becoming such inexpensive electricity sources nowadays, and with the Inflation Reduction Act finally taking root in the business community, expect a boom in renewable energy investments. All of which will be even more possible given decreasing Fed rates and a slowdown in inflation. Read More

Among the two dozen predictions and happenings from Grist for the next year: the official kickoff of the American Climate Corps, wherein 20,000 18- to 26-year-olds will spread out across the U.S. to install solar projects, mitigate wildfire risk and make homes more energy-efficient; installing a climate reparations fund at the World Bank; the spread of “greenhushing” (corporations hiding their climate commitments to avoid scrutiny); and a boom in carbon-capture technology. Read More

Participant experts who took part in the World Economic Forum's Strategic Intelligence Outlook offered what they feel will be the trends for 2024—on everything from climate litigation and AI to disinformation and developing people’s “foresight.” One obvious and often overlooked fact: that over 50% of the world’s GDP comes from nature, and, as one attendee said, “if we start losing nature, so many businesses are dependent on it if not directly, then indirectly through their supply chains and clients.” Read More

One concrete development to come out of the COP28 meeting in Dubai late last year was the launch of the Industrial Transition Accelerator (ITA), the world's largest industrial decarbonisation initiative to date. The ITA plans to pair up global industry leaders with policymakers, finance and technical experts. The goal being to unlock investment and rapidly scale implementation and delivery of projects needed to cut emissions and “to catalyse decarbonisation across heavy-emitting sectors, including energy, industry, and transportation, and accelerate the delivery of Paris-aligned targets.” Read More

In addition to the rise of transition financing, not only will companies now be creating and hiring ESG controllers to adhere to various climate accountability acts (like those in California and the European Union), but the TNFD will help speed up the development of the “planet economy,” according to former Microsoft chief environmental officer turned private equity investor Lucas Joppa. An economy that will provide investors with more and better tools to invest in nature—at scale. Read More

Just because companies worldwide have to operationalize ESG more fully in 2024, it won’t come without resistance, as it will require overhauls in everything from design processes and procurement strategies to financial management and marketing and communication practices. Transition is the keyword, as ESG evolves from “optional extras to integral elements of corporate strategy, essential for generating sustained value.” And since the release of the Task Force on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD) last September, biodiversity is going mainstream. Read More

ImpactAssets, the impact investing trailblazer with a decade-plus track record of mobilizing capital for good, surpassed $3B in total AUM this year, according to its 2023 Impact Report. The report also reveals that the firm directed a total of $458M in investments and $224M in grants towards funds, companies, and nonprofits advancing a more equitable, net-zero world. Read More

Now more than ever, corporate leadership on environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues is imperative. And so is transparency. As companies decarbonize, align with the Sustainable Development Goals and rebuild an equitable economy post-pandemic, they must be open about their efforts. Each year, 3BL evaluates the largest public U.S. companies on ESG transparency and performance. Read More

Former US Treasury deputy secretary Sarah Bloom Raskin and Madison Condon of the Boston Univ. School of Law are calling for more credible public data on climate risk. Recently, Climate & Capital Media hosted a panel of experts to discuss claims that the booming private-sector climate data services industry is hyping its accuracy and failing to deliver equitable, reliable or transparent datasets. Read More

At Trillium we believe that diversity, inclusive of gender and race, is an essential component of sound governance and is vital to a well-functioning organization. As a firm, we seek to achieve diversity at all levels and look to invest in companies that are doing the same. Studies have shown diverse Boards, C-Suites and workforces supported by an inclusive work environment lead to better business outcomes. Read More

Eco-architect William McDonough, co-creator of Cradle to Cradle Design and the Certified Products Program is one of the world’s pioneering figures in green architecture and sustainable development. He and his firm have designed industry-leading buildings for Nike Europe, YouTube, factories for Ford Motor Company, Herman Miller, and NASA’s Sustainability Base. In this interview, he shares his vision for a regenerative biosphere and circular technosphere. Read More

Given worldwide focus on Net Zero ambitions combined with tobacco’s alarming environmental impacts, TFP encourages investors to embed ‘tobacco-free’ into Net Zero strategies. Cigarette filters are the most littered item on the planet and are a top contributor to ocean plastic waste. Tobacco production leads to deforestation and vast carbon emissions. Read More

Decarbonizing disaster relief, supply chains and industrial chemicals. Developing whole-food snacks, circular apparel and climate-savvy financial products. Expanding pathways into climate careers for Black and Indigenous people. The honorees in our eighth year represent an array of ideas and geographies across the globe - from the UAE to the US. Read More

This new book provides an insider’s view of the essential elements of Patagonia’s business and offers lessons for the future learned from running an examined company. Author Vincent Stanley is responsible for many of the campaigns and initiatives that have made Patagonia one of the most well-known, respected and trusted brands in America. Read More

Drawing from interviews with 22 practitioners comprising philanthropic investors, private investors, Native intermediaries, and Native entrepreneurs, as well as desk research and participation in Indigenous-led finance convenings, this new report demonstrates how catalytic capital in Indian Country enables long-term, culturally-aligned success. Read More

What if one of the world’s most carbon-intensive industries - cement production - could be a transformative climate solution? One that is not only carbon-neutral but capable of capturing and sequestering gigatons of CO2 from the air? This technological challenge has brought together concrete makers, climate tech entrepreneurs, and Bill Gates. Read More

Today's headlines echo stark realities, marked by surging heatwaves, rising sea levels, and more frequent natural disasters. The impacts extend beyond environmental degradation to a public health crisis with on-going risks. We see investments and interventions to counter these effects, emphasizing our shared duty as socially conscious professionals to mitigate climate change for the environment and humanity. Read More

Since buildings are responsible for around 40% of CO2 emissions as the by-product of their energy use and energy sources, they are a critical component of the efforts to reduce climate change.  And, roughly 80% of the buildings you see today will still be standing in 2050. Building owners need to take action on energy efficiency and renewable energy procurement to reduce their overall emissions. Read More

While creating renewable energy is vital, we must also reduce our carbon and energy demands in order to meet our climate goals. Decarbonizing the buildings where we live, work and play is a critical piece. We hope that this call to action and aligned programs will motivate building owners, investors, and policy makers to help transform the way we build and our transition to a clean energy future. Read More

When thinking about ways to help the planet and its people, investments in fixed income rarely come to mind - but they should. No longer are bonds just the sleepy, safe, under-attended corner of one’s portfolio. Today impact-targeted fixed income or “impact bonds” offer a rapidly expanding opportunity to directly support the type of change you are seeking in the world. Read More

Ceres and Bluerisk have introduced a new cost-benefit analysis framework for companies to assess the full value of water stewardship across their value chain. Some companies account for water-related risks to their business, but this goes further to shed light on the full value of water by estimating the cost of solutions and potential business and societal benefits. Read More

From inventing healable composites to reduce waste, to supporting agricultural yields from the soil to the pollinators, to the creation of sustainable and safe pigments that color our world, the 2023 Ray of Hope Prize^® finalists offer inspiring solutions through their use of biomimicry (also referred to as nature-inspired or bioinspired design). Read More

A group of former Google, SolarCity and Tesla executives in April snagged $20 million in what is being called the largest ocean-based carbon removal investment to date. Ebb Carbon’s technology works by speeding up the natural process of ocean alkalinization. It captures water at existing facilities and uses electrochemistry to turn them into saltwater solutions. Read More

The future of maritime shipping looks a little like the past as recently the Pyxis Ocean, a huge cargo vessel is on a maiden voyage, sailing from Shanghai to Singapore and then Brazil - under wind power. Its 123-foot tall “WindWings” are a high-tech version of the canvas sails, which could save as much as 30% of the fuel needed for the trip. Read More

Ocean Exchange accelerates innovation for the blue economy as it continuously supports startups that have direct interests and impacts on our ocean’s ecosystem. OE provides support by re-distributing corporate and family philanthropy to vetted startups via a competitive process. Additionally, providing help with network introductions to partners and investors who can help advance the adoption of innovative ocean/climate solutions. Read More

Maine, with nearly 3,400 miles of coastline and over 2,000 coastal islands, is inextricably tied to the sea. The Gulf of Maine has long supplied Mainers with both livelihoods and food but is one of the fastest warming bodies of water on the globe, with the average temperature rising by four degrees Fahrenheit over last four decades. The changes are extreme enough to materially affect people’s dinner plates and their jobs.  Read More

“For generations, our family has pioneered the protection and restoration of our ocean by working in education, producing documentaries and writing books. But more recently, we realize that unless society builds financial systems that incentivize positive social and environmental outcomes and the corresponding economic opportunities for people, we will never solve the mounting environmental crisis facing our planet.” Read More

Blue economy funds have experienced dramatic growth in the past half decade, with nearly thirty new entrants – ten or so of them in 2022 alone. This is good news, as it signals both growing investor interest in the sector and an increasing pipeline of investable opportunities. As this ocean investment ecosystem evolves, the question of how to measure impact in investments has become a frequent topic of discussion. Read More

We’re using a record amount of electricity here on Earth but while emissions are up, the energy mix is changing significantly. Indeed, wind and solar were up 19% year-on-year from 2021, whereas coal was up just 1.1% and natural gas use actually plateaued. As a result, the energy we use now has the lowest carbon emissions ever. Read More

Recently, Environmental Finance named Sunwealth’s Solar Impact Fund their 2023 ESG Fixed Income Fund of the Year. This recognition is part of Environmental Finance’s 2023 Sustainable Investment Awards – a global initiative that seeks to recognize fund and asset managers focused on ESG and sustainability. Read More

The new scorecard by the Ceres Accelerator for Sustainable Capital Markets shows how 10 federal financial regulators have implemented key actions to address the financial risks of climate change. There is still much more work to do addressing these risks with the same level of ambition and urgency as their global counterparts. Read More

The world is in a race between two very different futures, according to Project Drawdown’s executive director Dr. Jonathan Foley. The world will be a bleak one where we let climate change go unabated and the effects get worse and worse or one where we don’t let climate change go unabated and we build a better, more sustainable and equitable world. Read More

The economic tailwinds are behind the clean energy transition. Climate change is a glaring risk on the horizon that should be impossible to ignore. But like so much of society, the stock market is stuck in Don’t Look Up mode. Asset managers can impactfully change the narrative around sustainable and climate-focused investing, while fulfilling fiduciary duty. Read More

Small-scale integrated energy systems are becoming an increasingly common feature of the renewable energy landscape. Microgrids offer a high degree of resilience to utility outages caused by extreme weather events, ageing assets, or attacks on grid infrastructure, by disconnecting from the bulk grid and operating autonomously. They increase the availability of renewable energy as well as being a solution for energy poverty. Read More

Trillium’s Sustainable Opportunities thematic public equity strategy aims to address global sustainability challenges in three core areas: climate solutions, economic inclusion, and healthy living. While many of Trillium’s equity strategies have exposure to renewable energy, the Sustainable Opportunities strategy has a greater level of exposure to climate solutions, like renewable energy and energy conservation. Read More

For investors concerned about climate change risk, the issue of which stocks to buy, hold and sell can be quite complicated. The power sector represents the largest consumer of carbon fuels and is highly regulated. Data that measures climate risk – from sector-level analysis to security-level analysis – can be vital for investors who want exposure to the power sector while minimizing transition risk to a lower-carbon future. Read More

Energy transition investments globally hit $1.1 trillion in 2022, breaking the $1 trillion mark for the first time, according to BloombergNEF. And a projected $1.7 trillion will be investing globally in clean energy in 2023, significantly more than the approximately $1 trillion expected to flow into fossil fuels, according to International Energy Agency. Read More

In support of the transition to a low-carbon economy, Parnassus Investments, a pioneer in responsible investing, is removing its long-held exclusion on companies that make more than 10% of their revenue from nuclear power generation and/or related activities. We believe nuclear energy offers a critical source of fuel, with benefits that include low to no emissions, safety, and stability. Read More

Praxis Mutual Funds, a leading faith-based, socially responsible family of mutual funds from Everence Financial has released its 2022 Real Impact Report. The third annual report shares specific real-world impacts arising from the Praxis team’s work to fulfill its stewardship investing mission. Key themes include supporting the low carbon transition, protecting human rights and addressing inequality. Read More

Domini’s new report underscores how their impact investment standards, in-house research, and corporate engagement helped to address some of most pressing issues. “Encouraging companies to deepen their sustainability efforts was a focus of our work in 2022. We leveraged it to support the climate transition, safeguard nature, and promote equity,” said Domini CEO Carole Laible. Read More

Recently Amazon Watch published Respecting Indigenous Rights: An Actionable Toolkit for Institutional Investors. The Indigenous-led guide for pension funds, asset managers, and other institutional investors looks at the responsibility to respect the rights of Indigenous peoples which is crucial for climate stability, biodiversity protection, and financial risk management. Read More

Leslie Samuelrich, President of Green Century Funds, was named to the new list of Barron’s 100 Most Influential Women in U.S. Finance, joining the ranks of prominent women including Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and other notable names in finance. Samuelrich has been an articulate and powerful voice in promoting SRI for the past 10 years. Read More

The recent U.S. IRA directs $720 million to tribes and Native communities for climate resilience and solutions. From gold rushes to oil booms, Native American lands have been subjected to some of the worst environmental abuses in America including unregulated mineral mining, rapacious fossil fuel extraction, and multiple pipelines. Read More

Are you involved with your local Land Trust? If the answer is “Yes, I go hiking on the local trails,” you are not alone. There are currently more than 1,700 Land Trusts including 467 accredited Land Trusts in the U.S. When you are called on to make a donation or to join the staff or board, this will help give you some insight into the current and rapidly changing landscape of finance for community protected areas. Read More

The hotel industry has set out ambitious goals to lower industry related impacts via the Net Positive Hospitality pathway document. It takes a “holistic approach” which can reduce costs and enhance value for companies, destinations, and guests. Hotels will measure and manage the impacts of tourism: water use, waste, emissions, and impacts on biodiversity, while delivering protection of human rights, etc. Read More

We define community tourism as travel experiences owned, led, and run by local communities – non-profits, cooperatives, community orgs, and social enterprises. Community tourism embraces a more responsible way to travel by encouraging genuine encounters between local communities and travelers, while ensuring that local people are benefiting. Read More

“The Clean200 has demonstrated consistently that what we called the ‘clean energy’ future seven years ago is now the clean energy present. This year, the scale and global diversity of leading companies continue to expand and redefine the term cleantech to be any company that has products and services that will reduce demand for fossil fuels and water” said Andrew Behar, CEO of As You Sow and report co-author. Read More

In the 16th annual edition of the State of Green Business, the GreenBiz editors and analysts have selected 10 key trends worth watching, reflecting a broad spectrum of environmental and sustainability topics: transportation, carbon removal, the circular economy, climate tech, sustainable food systems, renewable energy and more. Also find the state of biodiversity, and insights on green jobs and careers. Read More

ImpactAssets has released its twelfth annual IA 50 List, a free database for impact investors, family offices, corporate and family foundations and institutional investors that features a diversified listing of private capital fund managers delivering social and environmental impact as well as financial returns. This year’s list includes Emerging Impact Managers and Emeritus Impact Managers. Read More

Investing at the nexus of gender and climate finance has been evolving in recent years: from the development of new research and case studies that help make the case for this approach and illustrate its benefits, to the emergence of tools to support investors in adopting an integrated approach. This new report is for both investors and investment intermediaries. Read More

If you’re an investor looking to support solutions to climate change, how do you know your money can make an actual impact? Here are a few answers. As CEO and co-founder of Carbon Equity, Jacqueline has leveraged her experience as a private equity investor and company builder to create an organization that directs capital to climate funds. Read More

Sustainable investing has gained momentum over the past decade with both financial professionals and casual investors. Growing social, economic, and environmental concerns have fueled an increase in socially responsible investments, and CDFIs are critical players, leveraging specialized knowledge and resources to create innovative financial products with a positive social return. Here are key CDFI investing trends. Read More

From the April 2023 Archive - Investing with a Gender Lens is not new. Many of us have been at this for a while now. And yet 2023 is the year we stand to make significant progress in bringing more balance to both our finances and to corporate America and beyond. Gender Lens Investing is an approach to investment due diligence that seeks to incorporate gender considerations into investment decision-making. Read More

Oyster aquaculture and restoration program celebrates successes, looks to the future – When the COVID-19 outbreak shuttered restaurants throughout the country, commercial oyster growers saw their sales plummet. At the same time, the pandemic forced many organizations that were restoring native oyster reefs to suspend their work. During this challenging period, The Pew Charitable Trusts’ conserving marine life in the U.S. project and The Nature Conservancy recognized an opportunity to connect the two groups through an effort that we named Supporting Oyster Aquaculture and Restoration (SOAR). Read More

Mad Capital, an impact-focused lender offering funding for organic and transitioning farmers, announced that they've raised a $4M seed round, led by Trailhead Capital. "Regenerative agriculture aspires to work with nature, rather than against it. Our goal is to finance 10 million acres of farmland by 2032." said co-founder, Phil Taylor. Conventional industrial agriculture is responsible for the ongoing degradation of our soil, greenhouse gas emissions, biodiversity loss, and chemical laden foods. Regenerative farming is a rising movement that addresses these challenges. However, many farmers struggle to convert to regenerative because traditional banks are largely unwilling to supply transition financing. Read More

After more than a year of pressure from environmental groups, the major outdoor retailer REI announced February 21, that it will ban hazardous “forever chemicals” from its clothing and cookware by fall 2024. REI’s new product standards will require its suppliers to eliminate all per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, from the pots, pans, apparel, shoes, bags, packs, and similar gear sold by the retail chain. Suppliers of heavy-duty apparel like professional-grade raincoats will have until 2026 to make those products PFAS-free. Read More

Each year, the Institute for Local Self-Reliance tracks and scores states based on how their policies help or hinder local clean energy action. The states that score the highest let communities take charge and build the energy future that best suits local needs. In the 2023 Scorecard, 4 states excelled, 14 states and the District of Columbia saw above average scores, 6 were average, and 13 states received failing grades. Read More

Cities + Solutions series: Ann Arbor, Michigan which, like many other cities, has set ambitious emissions targets. Unlike most other cities, it’s piloting plans in one of its lowest-income communities. “We made a really strategic decision to focus on those who have been hurt first and worst by climate change and systemic racism.” – Missy Stults, Ann Arbor Sustainability Director. Read More

In August of 2022, President Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act into law, creating the largest investment in environmental and climate justice in U.S. history. Now, the Biden-Harris Administration announced the availability of $550 million from the Inflation Reduction Act for the EPA's new Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Grantmaking program which will fund up to 11 grantmakers for community-based projects that reduce pollution. Read More

Norway’s sovereign wealth fund, the world’s single largest investor, has warned company directors it will vote against their re-election to the board if they do not up their game on tackling the climate crisis. Carine Smith Ihenacho, the chief governance and compliance officer of Norges Bank Investment Mgmt. said “the fund was preparing to vote against the re-election of at least 80 company boards for failing to set or hit environmental or social targets.” Read More

On the Manhattanville campus, the architecture of Diller Scofidio + Renfro reinforces a social movement in business education to do good as well as make money. The design of the campus coincided with business schools around the country coming to terms with rising criticism that companies are too predatory, exploitative and monopolistic, and that business education had to change. Read More

Purpose-driven marketing and ESG stakeholder relationships have seen escalating through the pandemic — with increased challenges and opportunities. In 2022, we saw brands double-down on purpose-driven initiatives as they worked to drive consumer loyalty, retain top talent and create exponential impact — all amidst a rise in consumer skepticism and politically motivated attacks on ESG. Read More

Pittsburgh’s goal: a zero-carbon budget. An ambitious plan adopted in 2018 with objectives like 100 percent renewable energy by 2030, a fossil-free fleet and zero-waste. There are several ways a city can slice its budget. One is incremental budgeting, wherein the previous year’s budget provides the baseline for the next. Priority-based budgeting maps every dollar a city spends to a specific program. Read More

On January 9, Hypatia Capital Management LLC announced the launch of a new exchange traded fund, the Hypatia Women CEO ETF (NYSE: WCEO), which invests in large women-led companies. "We believe investors are increasingly interested in the research that highlights the performance of female leadership” said Patricia Lizarraga, founder and managing partner. Read More

Institutional investors across the globe are taking stock of natural capital — the value extracted from soil, air, water, climate and all the living things and ecosystem services that make the economy possible. Examples include advancing sustainable hydroponics, beef alternatives, biodegradable consumer products and degraded land restoration. Read More

In MSCI’s ESG and Climate Trends to Watch for 2023 we discuss the key topics investors face, from climate change, the environment and the road to net-zero, through to regulatory requirements, supply chain innovations, biodiversity and new technologies, as well as issues affecting everyday life. Read More

Major disasters like hurricanes and wildfires can wipe out buildings and crops, causing losses for the banks that make loans against these assets. On January 17th the Federal Reserve released new climate risk analysis details it’s asking six major U.S. banks to conduct, to assess just how vulnerable big banks are to this kind of upheaval. Read More

Big global banks are eyeing some of the world’s most fragile countries for a new experiment in financial engineering: debt relief in exchange for environmental protections. As much as $2 trillion of developing country debt may be eligible. Ecuador is said to be working on a $800 million transaction and Sri Lanka is considering a $1 billion deal. Read More

The field of ESG ratings is in a phase of rapid growth—it is estimated that there are 150 different ESG data providers in the market, and these figures are expected to grow. The estimated scale of ESG-related assets under management (AUM) is predicted to reach US$53 trillion by 2025, equivalent to a third of all global investments. Read More

According to the 2022 Trends Report, from 2020 through the first half of 2022, 154 institutional investors and 70 investment managers collectively controlling nearly $3.0 trillion in assets at the start of 2022 filed or co-filed shareholder resolutions on environmental, social or governance (ESG) issues. Investors also focused on disclosure and management of corporate political spending and lobbying. Read More

The US SIF Foundation using a new modified methodology for their 2022 Trends Report identified 497 institutional asset owners applying ESG incorporation practices across $6.6 trillion in assets under management. The group included institutional asset owners and plan sponsors such as public funds, insurance co, educational and faith-based institutions, foundations, labor funds, hospitals, and family offices. Read More

Using the US SIF Foundation’s new modified methodology, the 2022 Report on US Sustainable Investing Trends identified 349 money managers and 1,359 community investment institutions incorporating Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) criteria into their investment decision-making processes across a total of $5.6 trillion in assets under management (AUM). Read More

The US SIF Foundation’s 14th edition of the biennial Report on US Sustainable Investing Trends identifies $8.4 trillion in total US sustainable investment AUM at the beginning of 2022. This represents 13 percent of the total US assets under professional management. These totals reflect the Trends Report’s new modified methodology. Read More

“Protecting and restoring biodiversity and ecosystems is critical to ensuring sustainable economic growth. It is also a key component of our response to climate change mitigation, resilience, and adaptation. The private sector has a central role to play. This guide is a compass for businesses and investors seeking to align their activities with the goals of sustainable growth and a healthy planet.” said Makhtar Diop, IFC Read More

ESG investing has been all the rage over the last several years, and today’s investors can choose from hundreds of stocks, mutual funds, and municipal bonds. Eco-friendly investing puts money behind companies that claim to be better for the environment by actively trying to lower their carbon emissions. But investors who want to make decisions with the environment in mind can find themselves trying to navigate a confusing landscape. Read More

Calvert Impact recently announced the publication of its 2022 Impact Report: Responding to the Need for Transformative Change. The report showcases Calvert Impact's portfolio partners' work in communities around the globe and the impact of its investors' capital. It also highlights key internal trends, with particularly noteworthy increases in Calvert Impact's climate and small business portfolios. Read More

Vert Asset Management, a dedicated ESG investment manager, recently announces the 5th anniversary of Vert Global Sustainable Real Estate Fund, an open-end mutual fund which seeks to achieve long-term capital appreciation. The Fund invests across the globe in publicly listed real estate investment trusts (REITs) using evidence-based environmental, social and governance (ESG) criteria. Read More

Can financial instruments such as green bonds and other sustainability-related products deliver enough financing for a multi-trillion-dollar energy transition? The cost of transitioning from fossil fuels to clean energy seems fantastically astronomical. Current estimates of the capital needed to decarbonize the global economy and achieve net zero emissions by 2050 offer some eye-watering figures. They range from about $1 trillion to $9 trillion annually. So, based on those annual projections, a final price tag from now until 2050 could be anywhere between $30 trillion and $275 trillion. (Dec. 2022) Read More

Women are at the forefront of the movement towards a new kind of capitalism – one where companies don’t simply focus on maximizing profits for shareholders, but consider their impacts on all stakeholders, including the environment, their workers, and the communities in which they operate. Also we’ve seen companies where women hold top leadership roles tend to meet higher ESG standards than their industry peers. Read More

Compared to just two years ago, our clients are far more aware of ESG as an investment approach. This includes awareness that ESG is, to some, a controversial topic. Part of our role as financial advisors is to dig into investment opportunities to ensure we understand them and how they match up with our clients’ goals for a more sustainable future – that includes a better planet and society over the next five, 10 and 20 years. Read More

(From the Archives) There is a growing recognition that addressing the climate crisis will require tapping into the knowledge, insights, and expertise of the whole population. If we want climate solutions that create a just transition for everyone affected, we need everyone involved - as innovators, entrepreneurs, workers, policymakers, customers, and investors. Read More

Cleantech Group recently released their Cleantech 50 to Watch, an annual list of top global early-stage private companies showcased for their excellence in sustainable innovation. The entrepreneurs on the list are creating new technologies that are poised to address the climate crisis in plastics, regenerating soils, recycling building materials, automating food waste and transforming solar power. Read More

Calvert Impact Capital, Inc. announced the formation of Calvert Impact, Inc. as its new holding company and as the overall brand to expand its impact investment activities. The changes will facilitate the launch of new impact investment products and service offerings that advance Calvert Impact's goal of better connecting the capital markets with organizations that positively affect communities and the planet. Read More

“The results of GIIN’s new market sizing study should fill us with optimism and determination. We should be optimistic about the capacity of the impact investing market to enact positive change, and we must be determined to continue to grow the use of impact investing as a critical strategy to address the challenges of our time” said GIIN Co-Founder and CEO Amit Bouri. Read More

Here’s the first in-depth, multi-faith analysis of the extent to which faith groups align their values with their investment portfolios. There's been a huge rise in interest in values-driven investing in recent years, including among faith groups who are increasingly aware of the importance of investing in line with their faith values to help them achieve their environmental and social goals. Read More

Water is essential to planetary well-being and securing water for different uses provides countries with socio-economic development. However, investing in water resource development is still challenging for governments and corporations worldwide. Energy has alternatives (solar, wind, nuclear, etc.), but there is NO substitute for water. Read More

Since 2008, in response to expanding social and racial inequities across the United States, the Surdna Foundation has worked to foster sustainable communities guided by principles of social justice and distinguished by healthy environments, inclusive economies, and thriving cultures. These pillars – environment, economic opportunity, and culture – form the backbone of a more fair and just society for all. Read More

Should a private foundation be more than a private investment company that uses some of its excess cash flow for charitable purposes? This was a question pondered by the Heron Foundation’s Board of Directors as they considered how best to use the Foundation’s assets to promote its mission of helping people and communities help themselves. And for the last 10 years, Heron has invested 100 percent of our assets for our mission. Read More

Impact investing has found a foothold in donor advised funds. From affluent individuals and families to community and corporate foundations, donors are looking at the investment side of their philanthropic capital and investing charitable assets in ways that provide immediate benefit to those who need it most. The $160 billion in DAF assets represents a pool of patient capital and an ideal source of catalytic capital. Read More

From inventing higher-performing and more sustainable renewable energy systems, to reducing food waste, to solving the plastic waste problem, the 2022 Ray of Hope Prize finalists offer inspiring solutions through their use of biomimicry. The finalists were selected from companies from around the world by Biomimicry Institute team and other experts. Read More

Transforming CO2 into concrete and plastics. Designing cutting-edge green university campuses. Sourcing circular materials for consumer electronics, cleaning products and fashion. Expanding diverse talent in sustainability professions. Those are just a few of the ambitious efforts of the 2022 members of the GreenBiz 30 Under 30 list. Read More

As we look forward to the next 30 years, we believe that capital markets are on the precipice of an increase in the impact of corporate ESG performance on security prices. We expect a corresponding acceleration of capital deployed to solve the environmental challenges, such as greenhouse gas emissions and plastic pollution. We also expect improvements in corporate DEI performance. Read More

From the 2022 Archives – For GM, the pandemic became an opportunity for company-wide innovation. With the development and launch of numerous EVs, we showed ourselves and the world just how agile and creative we could be, even during a challenging time for everyone across the globe. Today, we’re using what we’ve learned to propel forward our vision of an all-electric, more sustainable and more inclusive future. Read More

In light of my forthcoming retirement at the end of the year, I am especially pleased to be included in this 30th anniversary issue of GreenMoney. It has been a tremendous privilege to be embedded in the evolution of ESG Investing for 50 years, first at ICCR and then at BTW. This is an occasion to look ahead at the ESG industry’s future. But first, let’s reflect on the foundation laid by investors since 1971. (Sept. 2022) Read More

United Natural Foods, Inc. announced its science-based emissions reduction targets covering the organization’s operations and value chain have been validated and approved by the Science-Based Targets initiative (SBTi), making the Company among the first NA wholesale grocery distributors to adopt these targets. A core part of UNFI’s ESG agenda. Read More

“Investor demand for tools that help them build trustworthy ESG investment products and lower their carbon footprint has never been higher and Bloomberg’s new Climate Index Family provides industry-standard climate benchmarks investors can use with confidence,” said Chris Hackel, Head of ESG Indices, Bloomberg. Read More

The Sustainable Forestry Initiative has released a new publication that provides a summary of the results of SFI’s Conservation Impact work over the past 10 years and how the science behind well managed forests and sustainable supply chains supports conservation goals across three focus areas: climate change, biodiversity, and water quality and quantity. Read More

Newday Impact, a asset management and financial technology company recently launches the Newday Ocean Health ETF. The fund is one of the few ETFs dedicated to protecting and restoring healthy marine ecosystems. It builds on the company’s five years of impact investing and strong relationships with grassroots nonprofit organizations. Read More

Despite greater corporate climate disclosure and commitments to greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets, net zero targets and other climate-related goals, many companies in the U.S. food sector fail to adequately disclose to investors on how they intend to achieve said ambitions. This new report provides comprehensive guidance. Read More

Buildings account for 60% of carbon emissions in cities. And with billions of people moving into cities in the next 30 years, there is a responsibility to ensure that the real estate sector, and the permanency of buildings and our communities, are evolving and adapting in sustainable ways that are good for the planet, job creation, health, and equality. Read More

It’s natural to want to celebrate our progress in the fight against climate change. Since GreenMoney’s founding in 1992, we’ve had a few wins —we’ve bent the emissions curve, leaders have committed to cutting emissions further, EV sales have skyrocketed, and clean energy costs have declined. Investors are investing in communities now experiencing the direct effects of climate change. But there is still much work to do. Read More

I see a great reconnection in business and investing taking root – a joining-up of finance and the wisdom of our natural world. I don’t mean a focus on investing in nature, though that is vital. I mean a focus on investing as nature, a shift in how our decisions are considered and made and monitored. It reflects a deeper level of reunion, a reconnection of investing with the world it is meant to serve. Read More

The transition to a more sustainable economy will require more intentionality than we see today, in the sense that businesses, capital markets, civil society and governments will need to reach consensus on goals and how to reach them. We should not underestimate the immensity of this challenge, transitioning from a depletive economic model to a more circular, restorative economic model. Read More

The first phase of the responsible investment movement has matured. We, at Domini, believe the way companies respect their relationships with people and the planet adds value to the investment decision-making process. Our stakeholders include the natural ecology, work forces, suppliers, customers, investors, taxpayers, and communities, both locally and in the global sense. (July/Aug. 2022) Read More

3BL Media recently released their annual 100 Best Corporate Citizens ranking, recognizing outstanding ESG transparency and performance among the 1,000 largest U.S. public companies. The 100 Best Corporate Citizens ranking is based on 155 ESG factors in eight areas: climate change; employee relations; environment; finance; governance; human rights; stakeholders and society; and ESG performance. Read More

GoSun has created a micro-grid of self-reliance that integrates nearly 30 products designed to work in unison, or as stand-alone portable energy solutions. These appliances are some of the most efficient appliances possible, so you only need a small amount of energy to get the job done in the first place. Indeed, a conventional oven needs up to 4000wh to cook a meal, the GoSun oven only needs 150wh. Read More

Bowery Farming produce is now sold in more than 850 supermarkets across America including Whole Foods Markets, Walmart and Amazon Fresh. “There is a critical need for new solutions to our current agricultural system – as well as an enormous economic opportunity. This is just the beginning,” said Irving Fain, CEO and founder of Bowery Farming. Read More

It’s time for my first interview in 2022 and it’s with the highly energetic, award-winning climate finance campaigner Lucie Pinson, CEO of Reclaim Finance. We spoke remotely, her in Paris, me in Sydney, and the discussion ranged from her work journey to some of her incredible successes over the years in getting banks and companies to move on climate change. Read More

“We are excited to be what we believe is the first pure-play ETF that invests in companies innovating with plants and producing animal free products. We believe that today’s investors want a more resource efficient, climate friendly, and cruelty-free food and materials supply system…and want to invest their dollars in the same,” said Elysabeth Alfano, CEO and CMO of VegTech Invest Read More

ImpactAssets has released its eleventh annual IA 50 List, a free database for impact investors, family offices, corporate and family foundations and institutional investors that features a diversified listing of private capital fund managers delivering social and environmental impact as well as financial returns.This year’s list includes Emerging Impact Managers and Emeritus Impact Managers. Read More

Many times, in life progress stems from the connections we make — between our money, our values, and an array of social, environmental and governance (ESG) issues. In 2021, assets in the five Domini Funds reached over $3 billion. For Domini, this growth has gone hand-in-hand with new efforts to understand critical global challenges and look closely at how companies are responding to them. Read More

ESG strategies are rapidly gaining popularity as interest in supporting companies that manage their carbon footprint, invest in their employees, and promote gender diversity surges. As more and more funds claim the ESG label, how can investors effectively decide which investments are genuine? See the practical framework in this article to help with your financial decisions. Read More

Recently I had the privilege of visiting several organizations in Kenya supported through Praxis Mutual Funds’ commitment to community development investing. This was alongside a visit to my family in my birth country, after five years of being away. This article is a personal reflection on how impact investing and gender lens investing delivers real-world impacts – and how financial advisors can help their clients understand those impacts. Read More

The three trends, I outline in this article, are fueled by increasing investor interest, and will continue to challenge and disrupt the water sector status quo. They are: traditionally slow pace of innovation and scaling of new technologies and business models is giving way to faster adoption in response to the harsh reality of the impacts of climate change; also democratized access to data and actionable information; and failing aging infrastructure and outdated public policies. Read More

“The Clean200 has demonstrated consistently since 2016 that the clean energy future is the clean energy present. This year, the scale and global diversity of leading companies continue to expand and redefine the term cleantech to be any company that has products and services that will reduce demand for fossil fuels and water.” said Andrew Behar, CEO of As You Sow. Read More

The worlds we collectively inhabit—corporate sustainability, sustainable finance, the circular economy, climate tech—are all reaching inflection points, growing and changing faster than many could have imagined. Along the way, they’re roiling industries, companies, jobs and career paths—mostly for the better but also in a be-careful-what-you-wish-for kind of way. Here are the top sustainable business trends we see. Read More

Water risk hasn’t received the same attention as carbon emissions in sustainable and ESG investing, but if you’re not paying attention to water, you’re already behind. Droughts, floods, deteriorating infrastructure, poor water quality and more are materially impacting companies’ direct operations and supply chains across the globe. The changing climate will only accelerate the manifestation of these water risks. Read More

Fresh water is a unique resource. It is essential to life, prosperity, and environmental sustainability. It is also a limited, scarce resource. It is renewable through nature’s hydrologic cycle or through the expenditure of real resources on recycling through treatment and purification. To achieve a fair, efficient, and sustainable allocation of fresh water, it must be priced in all its uses to reflect its opportunity cost and scarcity value, including any negative environmental externalities. Read More

Companies that are leaders in water efficiency and reuse practices as well as those offering innovative solutions to global water challenges may be in position to outperform their competition over the long term. Investors can allocate capital to companies equipped to meet these challenges – driving capital to responsible companies in the water industry will drive more investment in solutions to global water challenges. Read More

For far too long, protections for clean water and other environmental regulations have been framed as an impediment to a strong economy. When in reality, the opposite is true. Water is the foundation of a stable and growing economy and thriving communities. Protecting everyone’s right to clean water is a moral obligation. And it’s also a financial necessity. We simply can’t afford polluted water and here’s why… Read More

From the March 2022 Archive – Water is elemental. Crucial for life as we know it. Finite in supply, particularly fresh water, and is degraded over time by countless contaminants. Add it all up and it seems like the perfect combination of inelastic demand and diminishing supply. We need more, and better access to, safe, fresh water. It seems very straightforward to invest in freshwater solutions, but is it? Read More

NEXUS, a unique global community that brings together Next Gen philanthropists, impact investors and social innovators representing over $700B in family assets with a deep dedication to social impact, announced the launch of its second annual Impact Accelerator. To help manage this exciting program, NEXUS is partnering with H/L Ventures, one of New York's most active firm focused on impact and diversity. Read More

For many years Bishop Tutu spoke out on climate change, including expressing concerns that adapting to climate change could lead to a global, apartheid-like divide between developed and developing nations. With his climate change insights, he issued strong challenges to global leaders to act for humanity. Read More

“We believe it is important to recognize and reward leaders who work to improve the lives of diverse individuals. This new DEI Leaders List shines a light on those who are driving positive change within their organizations and communities. We are proud to recognize these remarkable individuals and we look forward to seeing their continued impact.” – Tiffany Pham, CEO and founder, Mogul. Read More

The NextGen Committee is part of the Ray C. Anderson Foundation, a private family foundation that was formed to celebrate the legacy of Ray C. Anderson, a globally known industrialist turned environmentalist. His five grandchildren and their spouses comprise the Committee, which makes grants to programs focused on climate change mitigation and education. Read More

Most food companies are not taking the necessary action to reduce their demands and impacts on freshwater resources, further worsening the global water crisis, according to a new report from the sustainability nonprofit Ceres. The new report, Feeding Ourselves Thirsty, is a benchmark analysis of 38 food companies, that shows some encouraging signs of progress on corporate water management, but underscores that much more work needs to be done by companies to help ensure sustainable water supplies, now and in the future. Read More

Praxis Mutual Funds, a leading faith-based, socially responsible family of mutual funds from Everence Financial has released a new impact report entitled “Praxis Real Impact 2021”. The report communicates the many ways that Praxis’ unique values-driven approach to sustainable investing, delivered real-world change through a range of impact strategies in 2020. This year’s report introduces the new Praxis ImpactX framework: seven strategies that Praxis uses when evaluating potential investments. This framework of distinct impact strategies highlights how investments can support and contribute to the change we want to see in the world. Read More

A discussion of market gaps in financing, using legacy data sources, and the risk of network biases with Esther Pan Sloane, head of partnerships, policy and communications for the UNCDF. In this conversation with C&C’s co-founder David Garrison, Esther shares thoughts on five key points, as part of the Climate Leadership Interviews series. Read More

(From the Archives) While it has taken far too long for financial professionals to see us women as key decision-makers, with women set to control more wealth in the coming years, at last that seems to be changing. So, what to do with this newfound power when it comes to climate? Start a conversation with your money manager on how to begin aligning your investments with a safe climate for all. Read More

A great variety of different sectors and industries from all over the world were represented at the virtual awards ceremony. The diversity on display – both in terms of geography and in the working sphere – demonstrated how delivering a clean, more responsible business future is now an international mainstream effort – and opportunity. Read More

“Since day one, our mission at Impact Shares is to transform the way people think about investing. The outstanding financial performance of our three flagship funds demonstrates the viability of working with leading advocacy firms to achieve actively-managed social outcomes without sacrificing financial returns.”– Ethan Powell, CEO of Impact Shares Read More

Founding members, Dr. Judith Moore and Alya Kayal, JD, along with Senior Advisor Stuart Kinnersley, have launched ImpactARC, a dedicated impact advisory firm that aims to support asset owners and managers, international financial institutions, corporates and non-profit organizations in a just transition towards net zero outcomes. Read More

Most central banks align their asset purchasing programs with supporting risk mitigation – like investing in green bonds, for example. However, as modeling by the NGFS, an association of more than 90 central banks, has shown, shifting portfolio emissions requires more than green bond purchases; fossil fuel exposures must also be severely limited. Read More

Sustainability-linked bonds could help finance the transition of carbon-heavy companies, but only if the issuers are serious about climate. The green bond market is on fire, channeling record funds into climate-friendly projects around the globe promising synergy between investors chasing ESG products and the need for climate finance, especially in developing countries. Read More

In the first half of 2021, the total value of new green bonds issued reached almost $250 billion, more than the value of all bonds issued in all of 2020. Green bonds have proven to be an effective way to mobilize private capital as they have the same fundamental risk and return characteristics as conventional bonds. Read More

With the EU beginning to issue green bonds and predictions that have annual green bond issuance hitting $1 trillion by 2023, many have been left wondering: “What exactly is a green bond?” Green bonds allow investors to buy bonds that make a specific impact on the environment, especially climate. And now there’s social, sustainability, and positive impact bonds. Read More

The green bond market has played an increasingly important role in financing assets needed for the transition to a low-carbon future. In 2021 labelled green bond issuance as a percentage of the total has grown to 20% in Europe and 3% in the US. Read More

My book, Investing in a New Climate is not about doom and gloom, but about adapting to different kinds of “changes” in our world. Climate change is about the shifting of circumstances. To survive — and succeed — we must adapt. What impact will a new meteorological climate means to economies, industries, and financial markets around the world? Read More

Paul Hawken’s new book explains how Regeneration creates abundance, not scarcity. It expands what is possible. It is about the optimism of action instead of the pessimism of thought. Regeneration is an inspiring and necessary guide to today’s climate movement that will enable readers to understand its many facets — and more importantly, to act. Read More

With so many investment options geared towards ESG strategies, it can be hard to identify ones that drive direct and measurable impact towards their desired causes. Sustainable infrastructure projects have a great story to offer when considering community impact. Dollars are invested directly into tangible benefits to communities, people, and the environment. Read More

ESG is necessary but insufficient. The IPCC Report delivered an expected but still major jolt to the global financial community. Now, the question is, how should global finance respond to the report’s urgent recommendations? Is the widely adopted ESG approach the best way to successfully mitigate carbon emissions to meet Paris Agreement goals? Read More

Impax Asset Management is celebrating the 50th birthday of the Pax Sustainable Allocation Fund, which launched in August 1971, marking the inception of the Pax World mutual fund family. The Fund was the first publicly available mutual fund in the US to use social and environmental as well as financial criteria in the investment process, and it helped give birth to the Sustainable Investing industry. Read More

Reducing climate risk in portfolios can be accomplished by assessing the climate risk of every investment, building climate-risk assessments into valuation models, and taking steps to minimize exposure to companies and industries that face significant exposure. Firms in just about every sector face transition risks as they shift away from reliance on fossil fuels. Read More

“We are deeply honored to receive the Keeling Curve Prize in recognition of our pathbreaking work on the carbon sequestration potential of seaweed aquaculture. The prize will be critical to advancing our mission to restore abundance to the world’s oceans.” said Oceans 2050 Founder Alexandra Cousteau. Read More

The “Blue Economy” is defined as the systems and economic opportunities emerging in how we protect and maintain a healthy ocean. For World Oceans Day, we showcased Ten innovators and leaders to watch in the Blue Economy. These ocean innovators will inspire and excite you with their amazing stories and innovations. Read More

Of all the types of institutions playing a role in averting catastrophic climate change, banks are perhaps unlikely protagonists. Yet by the everyday process of allocating capital and issuing loans to clients, lenders can be powerful allies or destructive antagonists in the fight for a climate-safe world. The impact of their lending has significance on the climate, our ecosystems and overall planetary stability. Read More

The Earth is a water world covered by vast oceans and a sheltering atmosphere. All life emanates from and is sustained by this watery cradle. Every breath we take, every drop we drink, every aqueous cell that binds our physical being; reminds us that we are water creatures. The sheer immensity of our oceans has made them appear impervious to man’s presence. But they are not. Read More

ESG and sustainable investing have taken center stage in asset management. Climate and now Oceans are leaders in this elevation with a proliferation of products, firms, and frameworks increasingly on investors’ radar screens. The oceans are becoming broadly investable, with market-based opportunities across all sectors of the Blue Economy. (Sept. 2021) Read More

B Lab has announced the Certified B Corporations (B Corps) that have achieved the distinction of Best for the World 2021 companies. It recognizes the B Corps globally whose B Impact Assessment scores ranked in the top five percent, and across one or more of the five impact areas - community, customers, environment, governance, and workers. Read More

The new Report showcases key milestones achieved through company engagements globally. In 2020, we had 300 engagement meetings: 73 focused on climate change; 115 focused on human capital development; 60 focused on sustainability; and 88 focused on corporate governance. Helping us all to navigate the transition to a more sustainable economy. Read More

The Global Sustainable Investment Alliance, of which US SIF is a founding member, has released its biennial Global Sustainable Investment Review 2020, revealing an industry that has grown to US $35.3 trillion, up 15 percent since 2018. It now comprises 36 percent of all professionally managed assets in the US, the EU, Australia/NZ, Canada, and Japan. Read More

The Koehler Group is investing in the European Circular Bioeconomy Fund (ECBF) with the aim of actively fostering the development of sustainable innovations and technologies. The ECBF is the first growth investment fund to be dedicated exclusively to projects in the field of the bioeconomy in Europe, including the accompanying circular economy. Read More

Meet the Circularity21 Emerging Leaders, a group of students and early-career professionals looking to drive the transition to a circular economy. When it comes to advancing CE, innovators are working around the world with these three principles in mind - design out waste and pollution, keep products and materials in use and regenerate natural systems. Read More

The plastic waste problem gets plenty of attention, and for good reason: If we continue mismanaging this material as usual, there could be 7.7 gigatons of the stuff cluttering landfills, waterways and oceans, or being incinerated by 2040. Just as stunning: Plastic isn't the fastest growing waste stream the world needs to deal with - that ‘honor’ actually goes to various forms of electronics waste (e-waste). Read More

Our current way of living will change fundamentally in the future. Exactly how that happens is a societal decision. The materials we use to create our new world will depend on technology and science. Leading us to a hyper-efficient, innovation-driven circular economy that is equipped to address the challenges of climate change, biodiversity loss, and inequality, while bringing countless benefits. Read More

A circular economy moves beyond our take-make-waste industrial model and works toward designing products to eliminate waste and pollution and to regenerate natural systems. It’s a tall order for our complex global economy and demands a fundamental change within and across industries and stakeholders. The Circularity Gap Report from Amsterdam-based, Circle Economy is a useful and informative guide. Read More

Aligning human consumption with nature’s activities, the circular economy keeps resources in use and cycling around as long as possible, reducing the strain on the Earth’s finite cradle of resources and impacts on the environment. Recycling, reduction, and reuse are elements of a circular economy. It keeps responsibility for products and their impacts with the companies that produce them. Read More

3BL Media’s annual 100 Best Corporate Citizens ranking, recognizes leading environmental, social and governance (ESG) transparency and performance amongst the 1,000 largest U.S. public companies. Owens Corning tops the 2021 ranking for the third consecutive year, followed by General Mills, HP, Cisco, and Intel. Read More

Some of the world’s biggest companies and investors are lining up trillions of dollars to finance a shift away from fossil fuels. Assets in investment funds focused partly on the environment reached almost $2 trillion globally in the first quarter. More than $5 billion worth of bonds and loans designed to fund green initiatives are now issued every day. Read More

Removing excess carbon from the atmosphere is a daunting but "very exciting" design challenge, according to sustainable-design guru William McDonough. Describing climate change as a "design failure," the American architect and designer said that solving it will involve "hundreds of technologies and systems." Read More

JLL’s new research, Responsible Real Estate – Decarbonizing the Built Environment shows, the RE industry has accelerated its focus on responsibility and social purpose, with building occupants and ESG investors making strong commitments to decarbonize and build back better for the future. An increasing number of solutions include renewable energy. Read More

Given its determined focus on climate change and the danger of fossil fuels, the current administration is faced with a conundrum: how to keep the economic and security benefits of American energy independence while drastically lowering carbon emissions. Would committing to a hydrogen economy serve both ends? Read More

For over 25 years, USGBC has supported its members – which include corporations, small businesses, government entities and nonprofits – to achieve their green building goals through its LEED program, the world’s most widely used green building rating system and promotes the use of strategies that reduce environmental impact, enhance human health and support economic development. Read More

The case for sustainable investing is clear. The impact of addressing sustainability issues, from climate change to racial and social justice, has become a compelling investment case and, not factoring these issues represents an investment risk. Companies and investors are accelerating the transformation to greener and more sustainable economies. Read More

Buildings consume 40% of global energy and create 30% of global greenhouse gas emissions. With that data, it was logical for the focus of ESG investors to be on energy use reduction. It was also an easy ROI. Reduce the energy use, reduce the utility bill. That’s good for the planet, and good for profit too. But what about the people? Read More

In 2017, the Clean Energy Credit Union received its federal charter and became the first “thematic,” online-only, federally insured depository institution with an exclusive focus on clean energy lending. Since then, CECU has experienced tremendous success with thousands of members and is influencing both the banking and clean energy sectors. Read More

Each year, we publish our forecast to help corporate leaders navigate and lead on the year's most notable ESG advocacy trends like: Racial Justice, Biodiversity, Chemical Recycling, ESG Disclosures, Building Electrification, a K-Shaped Recovery, Net Zero, Community Resilience, and Companies & Democracy. Read More

Clean energy investment firm Sunwealth has received a $3M loan from CIC to support their solar access work. They’ll be using the financing, together with a tax equity investment from private investors, to support 18 solar projects on the rooftops and parking lots of NGOs, Apt. buildings, Churches and office buildings in underserved areas. Read More

Domini Impact Investments LLC, a women-led impact investment firm, has published their 2020 Impact Report, which highlights how investors came together to harness the power of finance to build a better world—despite the world 2020 delivered. The report underscores—our climate crisis, the COVID pandemic, and racial and gender inequality. Read More

Their dreams are bright: Walkable, equitable cities. Clean energy for Native American communities. Planet-healing fast food. Circular outdoor gear. Decarbonized buildings. Electrified mobility. That’s only a sampling of the ambitions of the sixth class of the GreenBiz 30 Under 30. The honorees for 2021 are intrepid startup founders, tenacious corporate innovators and determined public servants. Read More

Advancing its commitment to regenerative farming systems, Organic Valley is partnering with the Clean Energy Credit Union to provide loans for farmers seeking to reduce their reliance on fossil fuels with renewable energy and efficiencies. The program is first of its kind for both cooperatives, pioneering a unique clean energy loan fund for over 1,700 farmers across the country. Read More

Simply cutting CO2 emissions is not enough, says the UN IPCC. To slow global warming, we need to actually remove carbon from the sky. But how? As companies turn to the latest carbon-capture technologies, one low-tech solution has been gaining ground: Carbon farming, or regenerative agriculture. Read More

Betterment Harvest is currently building on the regional momentum to bring a scalable and community-based approach to sustainable Ag which utilizes state-of-the-art, science-based practices that maximize productivity and profit while minimizing environmental damage, like installing indoor hydroponic systems in renovated industrial buildings in KY. Read More

The industry’s first publicly available, searchable resource of impact investing fund managers sees record number of applicants and assets, reflecting the innovation and exponential growth that the IA 50 has helped to spotlight over the past decade. Read More

Founded by Claire Smith, Beyond Investing is an advisor to the world’s first cruelty-free and eco-friendly ETF. Beyond Impact Advisors, invests in plant-based and cruelty-free start-ups and animal-replacing foodtech and biotech. And Beyond Animal, works to grow the vegan economy. Read More

Green Century Funds are the first family of fossil fuel free, responsible, and diversified mutual funds in the US. The Funds have an award-winning shareholder advocacy program and are the only mutual fund company wholly-owned by environmental and public health nonprofits. Read More

“What I’m particularly proud of is that it happened during a pandemic. And very importantly, that at a time when you would think women would be more pulled back, we actually had net positive inflows every single week of the year,” said Sallie Krawcheck, co-founder and CEO of Ellevest Read More

The mainstreaming of sustainable investing is what we have been aiming for, but we still have work to do – particularly with retail investors. This has been my focus with Moxie Future – a platform for engaging with women on sustainable investing – and now with my new book. Read More

As an energy lawyer and the founder of the Providentia Group, Krystal speaks on corporate profits, community good and collective responsibility, as well as the potential for economic and social equity in the climate economy. Read More

My firm focuses on the preservation of biodiversity as an investment theme allowing investors to align their investments with their values – an approach to investing that often has a special appeal for women. It inherently recognizes that we cannot continue to take from nature and not give anything back. It also recognizes that the future of our planet will require a more nurturing approach as is often used in ESG investing. Read More

(From the Archives) Women and millennials value investment principles that have a positive impact on challenging issues, such as climate change, gender diversity, social justice, and employee equity. Demographic trends are among several powerful political, economic, and societal forces combining to produce a global investment landscape that demands increased alignment of core values and investment decisions. Read More

The new Report authored by Clean Production Action, benchmarks companies on their progress toward best practice in chemicals management and discusses corporate leadership strategies on this increasingly important investment issue. A variety of investors commend market leaders for normalizing chemical footprinting and setting new trends for chemical safety. Read More

By 2025, widespread adoption of climate-smart ag practices could reduce ag's contribution to total U.S. GHG emissions by more than half. These practices – including rotating crops, planting cover crops, reducing tillage and integrating crop and livestock systems – improve soil health, sequester carbon and produce co-benefits such as reduced erosion, increased water infiltration, and economic and environmental resiliency. Read More

Corporate Knights and As You Sow released their annual update to the Clean 200 list of companies that are leading the way with solutions for the transition to a clean energy future. The companies are putting sustainability at the heart of their products, services, business models, and investments. Read More

The annual State of Green Business report is presented in two parts. First are the 10 Trends to watch in the world of sustainable business and second the State of Green Business Index, which looks at wide range of metrics for thousands of companies and provides insights into the direction business is headed. Read More

The new report communicates the many ways Praxis’ unique Stewardship Investing philosophy delivers real-world change through a range of impact strategies. This is the first report of its kind for Praxis Mutual Funds and describes the firm’s longstanding commitment to impact investing and how they are responding to unprecedented social and environmental challenges. Read More

The flood of money into Sustainable Investing has been accelerated by BlackRock CEO Larry Fink, whose 2021 annual letter to the business community bluntly states that the climate transition “presents an historic investment opportunity.” His call to action — echoed the 2015 announcement by Mark Carney, then-governor of the Bank of England: “Climate change is the investment opportunity of our generation.” Read More

As I approach 70, next year, perhaps being more focused on money, might have made things easier over the years, but I have no regrets. I love what I do and love helping others and mobilizing capital to create an economy based upon well-being. If you are doing something that gives you energy, you are in the right place. If you are doing work that costs you energy, you are in the wrong place. I am where I belong. Read More

The Foundation’s NextGen Committee is comprised of Ray Anderson’s five grandchildren and their spouses. Carrying on Ray’s impactful legacy over the past eight years, the committee has funded more than $500,000 in programs with focus ranging from conservation and climate change education, to urban agriculture, agroforestry and now grassroots solutions to climate change in Indigenous communities. Read More

Going into 2021, investors and business executives are facing increasing economic challenges and risks in several sectors. Impactful trends like climate risks, ESG factors for investors, non-economic disclosures, social inequality, circular economy, and carbon net zero strategies are some of the issues that will be on the top of business leaders to-do-lists in order to have a more resilient and sustainable economy. Read More

The environmental problems that define our lifetime are climate change and biodiversity loss. Although both are the result of the actions of mankind, they are distinct issues and their consequences are inextricably linked. Examining the nexus of these challenges is valuable to academics, scientists, and investors alike with a shared interest in finding solutions that mitigate both challenges while ensuring the future sustainability of the planet. Read More

Welcome to our inaugural “Ten to Watch” list, in which we highlight leaders delivering real change to address the world’s growing climate emergency. This new List represents an important group of young entrepreneurs offering economic and financial climate solutions. From low-cost energy for the developing world and unconventional collaborative financing systems to software control of energy systems and kinetic energy generation. Read More

(From the Archives) – Last year I spoke with Liesel Pritzker Simmons of Blue Haven Initiative, where she oversees an impact investing portfolio structured to generate financial returns and address ESG challenges. The portfolio spans asset classes, from traditional equities and private equity to philanthropic programs. Blue Haven was created with impact investing as its mission. Read More

The GreenMoney Journal team is excited to announce our Editorial Calendar for 2021. Truthfully, we spend months deciding on these topics and you’ll notice we have added a couple of new ones for 2021 including ‘Green Impact Bonds’ and ‘Oceans and Climate’. Each issue explores different aspects of the topic throughout the month online and in our biweekly eJournals. Read More

Domini Impact Investments has launched a new mutual fund which combines core exposure to international equity markets through the lens of the impact investor with an allocation to solution-oriented companies helping to address some of our greatest sustainability challenges. The new Fund was built to capitalize on the success of their U.S. equity strategy. Read More

According to the Trends Report, from 2018 through mid-2020, 149 institutional investors and 56 investment managers collectively controlling nearly $2.0 trillion in assets filed or co-filed shareholder resolutions on ESG issues like corporate political activity, fair labor and equal employment, climate change, and other issues. Many investors also reported that they engaged in dialogue with companies on ESG issues. Read More

The US SIF identified, in their 2020 Trends Report, 530 institutional asset owners with $6.2 trillion in ESG assets, equivalent to 51 percent of the $12.01 trillion that money managers identified as institutional assets. The group included institutional asset owners and plan sponsors such as public funds, insurance co, educational and Faith-based institutions, foundations, labor funds, hospitals, and family offices. Read More

The US SIF Foundation identified, in their 2020 Trends Report, 384 money managers and 1,204 community investing institutions incorporating Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) criteria into their investment analysis and decision-making processes. The $16.6 trillion in ESG incorporation assets they represent is a nearly 43 percent increase over the $11.6 trillion in such assets identified in 2018. Read More

Sustainable investing in the US continues to expand at a healthy pace. The total US-domiciled assets under management using sustainable investing strategies grew from $12.0 trillion at the start of 2018 to $17.1 trillion at the start of 2020, an increase of 42 percent. This represents 33 percent, or one in three dollars, of the $51.4 trillion in total US assets under professional management. Read More

When Terry and her husband meet with a team of geologists from the University of Utah who are studying the lifespan of rock formations within the Colorado Plateau, sacred landforms important to the religious beliefs of many Native American nations, she learns these geologic landforms sound alive; you just have to know how to listen. Read More

“Biomimicry and Business is exactly what the movement needs right now examples of people successfully practicing biomimicry to help heal their part of the world. This new book [by Margo Farnsworth] represents the next step and will be important in the annals of this emerging discipline” said Janine Benyus, Co-Founder of the Biomimicry Institute. Read More

In 25 years of reporting on sustainable business, I have become fascinated by the pivotal relationship between capital and innovative solutions to climate-related issues. More recently, I have engaged with organizations, companies, and events as many have focused ESG, impact investing, and SRI strategies and practices that address climate change. Read More

As Chairman and CEO of General Motors, I now have a unique opportunity – and responsibility – to use my engineering mindset to help make the world a better place on a very large scale. At GM, we have a vision of zero crashes, zero emissions, and zero congestion. That zero-emissions, all-electric future is underway right now, and we are moving faster than ever. Read More

This year has been like no other – and it was clear that this year’s ranking must evolve to meet the moment. The 2020 MPW list covers industries ranging from space exploration to book publishing, and highlights women who are using their power in myriad ways. It is the most diverse and dynamic list that Fortune has ever published. Read More

This year World Tree became the highest funded female-founded company on Wefunder. We raised over $2 million and became the third most funded company on the platform ever. Our core mission is to “Elevate, Educate, and Innovate for the Planet.” We value people and we value Mother Earth. Our business is designed to address big issues like climate change, poverty, and deforestation. Read More

As faith communities know from their decades of advocacy, there is deep benefit in coming together to share knowledge and grow commitments aimed at achieving meaningful real-world changes. Those same lessons can be applied to faith-based investing efforts. As investors, faith communities must learn from each other, coordinate across different groups, and make their collective capital count. Read More

Adam Matthews, director of ethics and engagement at The Church of England Pensions Board is on the vanguard of a growing trend among activist institutional investors of all sizes who are no longer waiting for governments to tackle the world’s most important and impactful environmental and social issues, particularly climate change. Read More

For all investors, but particularly for communities of faith in these turbulent times, the prospect of impact investing offers an abundance of meaningful opportunities to realign and reaffirm how our values support our investment strategies. From a congregation that decides to make a deposit in a local credit union or Black-owned community development bank, or to a church-based pension fund that invests in climate resilience. Read More

Join thousands of leaders online — from the private and public sectors, utilities, solution providers, investors, and startups — who are advancing systemic solutions to address the climate crisis through five key markets: clean energy, electrified transportation, the circular economy, carbon removal and sustainable food systems. Read More

Climate & Capital Media is a global media company that connects investors and entrepreneurs working on climate change solutions. Its news service develops informative profiles that deliver meaningful investment and leadership insights about businesses who are addressing global warming and building a more sustainable climate economy. Read More

The report examines why sustainable investors in the United States are interested in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the challenges in furthering the SDGs. The Sept. 2020 report also assesses whether the SDGs have led to a change in investment strategies, new investment products or new investment flows. Read More

In the ever-evolving landscape of ESG investing, Trillium’s philosophy has remained the same since 1982: provide for the financial needs of our clients while leveraging their capital for positive ESG impact in alignment with their values. Trillium’s ESG Global Equity fund has proven itself, through a long track record of positive results and generating returns responsibly. Read More

Emerging markets have historically presented an added challenge for investors focused on sustainability factors. However, the growth in ESG disclosure by emerging market companies and the ever-widening coverage of those companies by ESG data providers has dramatically lowered this hurdle, giving SRI investors far more opportunities to invest. Read More

China’s influence on the global economy, financial markets and geopolitical system is significant. The decision whether to invest in China is a complicated one. The power and reach of China’s state-led model, its weak human rights record and lack of transparency, can dissuade investors. Calvert chooses to invest in China and engage as a shareowner, rather than divest. Read More

We are not just advocating for our SRI field because we think it might help you make better investment decisions, though it might. We are advocating for this investment approach because we believe that only an engaged investor class can prevent a complete collapse of the fragile ecology of our planet, and provide universal dignity to all people around the world. Read More

GM and EVgo will triple the size of the nation’s largest public fast charging network by adding more than 2,700 new fast chargers over the next 5 years, to help accelerate widespread electric vehicle adoption. “We are moving quickly to bring new EVs to market that customers will love,” said Mary Barra, GM Chairman and CEO. Read More

“For 20 years we’ve been on the leading edge of ESG focused investment advice. From clean energy to gender empowerment to self-driving cars, we’ve helped investors build diversified ESG portfolios, and participate in some of the world’s fastest growing trends,” said Arturo Tabuenca, founder of Blue Marble Investments. Read More

Sustainable fund flows in the US continued at a record pace in the 2nd quarter of 2020, with net flows of $10 billion, bringing the total for the first half of the year to $21 billion, just shy of the annual record of $21.4 billion in sustainable fund net flows set in 2019, that were 4 times the previous record for a calendar year. Read More

Foundations have a unique ability to provide capital to ramp up new technologies, catapult “moonshot” ideas to fruition, influence corporate behavior and activate other funders to participate in projects that might have been considered too risky for business or government, accountable to a different set of external stakeholders. Read More

Throughout 2019, Domini Funds enhanced their Impact Investment Standards, continued to identify how their investments support the UN’s SDGs, and collaborated with a wide variety of stakeholders, including companies, civil society organizations, and other investors. In addition to its focus of addressing climate change and human rights through its investment process and engagements. Read More

Companies that exhibited the best capabilities to serve customers as they began to shelter in place relied on innovation long before the pandemic emerged. Remaining relevant to customers during this time requires inventiveness, adaptability and resilience. Here are the companies that have stepped up, supporting the virtual economy, while investing in the workplace and managing supply chain risks. Read More

The Covid-19 pandemic has brought much uncertainty to human lives and the global economy. In this turmoil, the water theme has not remained immune, facing many ambiguities and difficulties but also potential opportunities. The water industry now needs to consider the resilience of this essential service in the light of future risks while recognizing the importance of water for the well-being of our societies. Read More

To weather this global pandemic, we need a sustained effort to protect the health and well-being of all people, while also planning for an economic recovery that leaves our communities and economy stronger and more resilient. One-fifth of the US economy, including the agriculture, healthcare, manufacturing, and electricity sectors, need a reliable and clean supply of water. Read More

Clean water and sanitation for all is the subject of the UN’s sixth sustainable development goal, and an increasingly relevant topic to both emerging markets and the developed world. The need for water infrastructure is great in the developing world, and in the developed world, ensuring access to clean water is an ever-present issue. All of which brings opportunities for sustainable investors. Read More

(From the 2020 Archives) The sheer scope of the global water crisis means that the entire financial system has to get onboard—and act boldly to significantly reduce water impacts. Creating this shift will depend on bringing together a broad group of investors and companies that recognize the market, and the financial and reputational risks of water use and management and act to mitigate these risks. Read More

Water Foundry, a global advisor in solving water challenges and driving technology innovation, and ConnectMii, a company and platform that delivers unique virtual conference experiences, announced the launch of Blue Foundry Events, a virtual meeting and events platform that aims to facilitate meaningful engagement amongst water industry stakeholders. Read More

Apple has released a 10-year roadmap, as part of its 2020 Environmental Progress Report, to ensure that every device it produces has a net-zero climate impact by 2030, as part of its plans to become carbon neutral. "Climate action can be the foundation for a new era of innovative potential, job creation, and durable economic growth," said Apple's CEO Tim Cook. Read More

Leading climate scientists have warned that we have to keep global warming below 1.5°C, beyond which even half a degree more will worsen the risks of drought, floods, extreme heat and poverty for millions of people. Meeting that target requires emissions not just to stabilize but decrease, requiring immediate transformation of our infrastructure, including how we generate energy and fuel our economy. Read More

To expand municipal solar in Maine, we’ve helped community banks learn the ropes through participation in a CEI municipal solar loan. CEI takes the lead in organizing, negotiating and documenting a solar financing transaction, while the bank provides funding dollars and, learns how to replicate the model. The involvement of community banks, along with new legislation, has allowed the scale of projects to expand statewide. Read More

Buildings consume 40% of global energy and create 30% of global energy-related greenhouse gas emissions; they are a big part of the climate change puzzle. The energy needs of our data has increased exponentially as our music, our movies, and more of our lives has moved into the "cloud". It actually resides in buildings we call data centers, which have a large and growing carbon footprint. Read More

The competitiveness of Renewable Energy with fossil fuels is strong, driven by innovation, and economies of scale. The transition to a low-carbon economy is happening and will continue over the coming decades. Corporate leaders have largely embraced this outlook and individual and institutional investors have turned to ESG strategies to avoid risk, capture alpha and drive this low-carbon transition. Read More

This newly updated book provides practical guidance about moving towards a more Sustainable Economy, because now more than ever, practical sustainability solutions are needed to guide corporations and sustainability practitioners through the COVID-19 challenges and other new business realities from dealing with a volatile global supply chain to understanding the pressures of limited resources. Read More

The fifth annual list from GreenBiz includes young sustainability leaders from companies, nonprofits and communities. They hail from seven countries, tackling diverse challenges — from cultivating a more sustainable food system to advocating for climate justice on behalf of disadvantaged communities to testing best practices for circular cities to negotiating impactful renewable energy contracts. Read More

Intel has a long history of integrating corporate responsibility efforts into its operations, and now 10 years have passed since the company developed their 2020 corporate responsibility goals-achieving nearly all of them. Their latest CSR Report details efforts in addressing climate change and sustainable water use; advancing gender diversity and taking responsible business practices worldwide. Read More

This new book by William Ginn, founder of NatureVest at TNC, outlines the need to invest trillions in renewing our large-scale infrastructure, from energy production to water delivery systems. While the business world has often exploited nature, he argues that its entrepreneurial talent and financial capital are critical resources for developing solutions to global issues while protecting natural systems. Read More

The winner in the Impact Investing category of Fast Company’s 2020 World Changing Ideas Awards, is As You Sow’s “Invest Your Values” online tool, which gives users a chance to view what’s in the funds they’re investing in and — if they don’t like what they find — to pick a mutual fund more aligned with their goals. It helps everyday investors to align their investing with their values. Read More

By investing in companies providing solution-oriented products and services aligned with themes — from renewable energy systems and electric vehicles to breakthrough medical technologies, healthy and organic food, and lending for underserved communities — the new Fund is designed to help create a more sustainable future and provide investors an opportunity to better align their portfolios with the SDGs. Read More

Providing investors and industry stakeholders with publicly available ESG metrics for tens of thousands of funds, companies and indexes is helping to drive awareness, educate the market and raise ESG disclosure standards. MSCI believes that enhanced transparency and comparability is fundamental to ensuring broader adoption of ESG indexes, and in driving capital towards more sustainable investments. Read More

The food and ag sector is transitioning towards more sustainable food production and consumption. Growing environmental and resource pressures, changing consumer demands, innovation, and regulations are disrupting depletive practices and unhealthy preferences. We now see new fast-growing insurgent companies and changing business models leading to investment opportunities. Read More

Diversity of a company’s leadership team is a highly material variable that should be assessed and factored into a prudent investment process. It’s one of many variables that should be analyzed to create a holistic picture of a company’s risk and opportunity profile. First and foremost, how and from where, does a company derive its revenue stream must be evaluated as well. Read More

The publicly available online database for impact investors, family offices, financial advisors and institutional investors features a diversified listing of private capital fund managers delivering social and environmental impact as well as financial returns. And new for 2020 is an Emerging Impact Manager category Read More

Climate change is a story that encompasses everyone. It’s an equal opportunity wolf at the door. But, as is the case with diversity in almost every pursuit, more diverse groups bring more to the table, and considering that climate change is the one of the most important problem humans must solve, diversity has a positive contribution to make. Read More

Risk assessment is a ubiquitous tool used to understand the impacts of investment. What past assessment tools have lacked, however, is a complete understanding of Indigenous women’s experiences of life in their communities. We are recalibrating the lens to more aptly account for Indigenous women’s economic and social wellbeing. Read More

Last Year, the Sierra Club Foundation embarked on an intentional effort to partner with tribes not only to defend the environment from the extractive industry but also to invest early capital into clean energy projects that advance social justice outcomes. We established a new High Impact Investment Fund within our broader investment portfolio. Read More

One of the challenges, especially in relation to investing in Indigenous communities, is measuring the “S” in ESG for the dual purposes of understanding the full extent of social impacts as to development, but also to advocate for a process that elevates Indigenous perspective and values, as to social and cultural impacts. Read More

The Reconciliation and Responsible Investment Initiative is part of an emerging movement to align investment with reconciliation and Indigenous rights and values. Long-term investment returns for Indigenous and non-Indigenous investors depend on resilient communities and sustainable economies. Read More

For over 50 years, the National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development (NCAIED) has played a leading role in business and economic development for tribes, tribal owned businesses, Native American and Alaska Native entrepreneurs, and anyone seeking to do business or invest in Indian Country. Read More

March 1st Edition Overview As I read through the articles for this March 1st edition by so many esteemed contributors, I am struck by the progress that we have made together in this field. Our work has led us all to consider individually and collectively the frameworks and practices necessary to implement a just transition with and for Indigenous Peoples. Read More

The Oneida Nation, located in northeast WI, was one of the first Native Nations to formally adopt Sustainable, Responsible and Impact Investing policies for our trust assets. This resulted in nearly 30 years of engaging with companies as shareholders to bring forth issues impacting Native Country and the environment. Read More

With the opportunity to interview a leader in the Native American community, the first name that came to mind was Jason Campbell, because he understands through his strong Native entrepreneurial spirit how Sustainable, Responsible, Impact (SRI) Investing can and does positively impact Indigenous Peoples. Read More

A rediscovery of the Grand Canyon that includes our stories, accurate historical accounts, and true representation of Native people will provide visitors, as well as local communities, the opportunity to interact with our people in a positive way and create an equally beneficial economic paradigm. Read More

Indian Pueblo Cultural Center

New Mexico Maker Space & Incubator

Solve by MIT

Indigenous Communities Fellowship Program

Indian Pueblo Cultural Center Maker Space & Incubator

There is no place in New Mexico Read More

Like many of us, Millennials are large consumers of energy. Previous generations may have been indifferent to where their energy came from; generated by a coal plant or at a dam. But this is changing as Millennials desire to have meaning in their work, their products, and the type of energy they consume. Read More

What good is a well-funded retirement in a world of extreme inequality and climate disaster? After searching for solutions from personal action to ecology, I now believe the answer is to change the paradigm of the investment community, so that it supports its own sustainability by combating climate change. Read More

Millennials were born into a rapidly changing financial landscape which should inform us of the diligence required for the next economic revolution. Thousands of individuals, corporations, and institutions are moving investment assets away from fossil fuels and towards renewable energy. Millennial investors should do the same. Read More

MORNINGSTAR – Sustainable funds in the United States attracted new assets at a record pace in 2019. Estimated net flows into open-end and exchange-traded sustainable funds that are available to U.S. investors totaled $20.6 billion for the year. That's nearly 4 times the previous annual record for net flows set in 2018. Read More

The 13th annual report, examines Key Trends and Metrics about Corporate Sustainability: how, and how well, companies are making progress in assessing and minimizing their impacts and embracing a range of strategies that move them forward in significant ways. Read More

ESG themes are long-term, but some can emerge suddenly. MSCI is watching Five Trends they believe will unfold in 2020 to catapult ESG investing into the new decade: Climate Innovation, Corporate Finance, Real Estate, Human Capital, and Stakeholder Capitalism. Read More

Investors should consider long-term climate and environmental risks as fundamentally material, and act accordingly. Prioritizing ESG and using all the tools of active ownership to hold portfolio companies accountable for mitigating the environmental and social harms that have traditionally been treated as externalities. Read More

The shared experiences of Millennials have created a sense of shared destiny. Seeing the effects of financial market events and sharing our responses to them, mostly on social media, has made risk very real for us when making financial decisions. It has created a unique set of values with how we interact with money and our investments. Read More

Maersk, Kimberly-Clark, BT, Hannon Armstrong, Intel and Firmenich were among winners at the international Ethical Corporation Responsible Business Awards. Over 300 leading figures in global responsible business gathered at the 10th ceremony held in London. Read More

Patagonia founder talks with FC about the sustainability myth, the problem with Amazon — and why it’s not too late to save the planet. He set the standard for how a business can mitigate the ravages of capitalism on earth’s environment. Read More

Over the last decade, issuance of green, social and sustainability bonds have exploded. Over $190 billion in green bonds issued globally this year and another $49 billion in sustainability bonds and social bonds. Markets will continue to grow because both issuers and investors want to make an impact on the world. Read More

Responsible Investing has grown from a cottage industry, born from values-based investing, to one that truly is becoming mainstreamed based on material ESG (Environmental, Social & Governance) factors that impact value, risk, and return. As this decade comes to a close, let’s take a moment to assess the progress and the way forward. Read More

Companies face expectations to be good stewards of the environment, to treat their workers well and pay them fairly, to encourage diversity, respect human rights, deliver safe and useful products, and behave in an ethical and transparent manner. This requires making decisions through a sustainability lens, which considers all relevant stakeholders. Read More

The climate crisis is precipitating a sustainable investment revolution. Investors are putting their money where their mouth is: sustainable funds attracted $13.0 billion in net flows in the first three quarters of 2019. I expect the exponential growth of ESG investing to continue in 2020; and I think three factors largely will drive it. Read More

More than eight in ten U.S. individual investors now express interest in sustainable investing, while half take part in at least one sustainable investing activity, according to a new survey published in September 2019 by the Morgan Stanley Institute for Sustainable Investing. Read More

The award honors 20 dreamers, pioneers, entrepreneurs, designers, engineers, business leaders, policymakers and investors on the cutting edge of sustainability and technology. Every economic movement, every technology revolution is led by the vanguard, blazing a trail to the future. Read More

In a new white paper, the American Council on Renewable Energy (ACORE) explores the current state of Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) investing in the U.S. and provides recommendations for ESG methodologies that better reflect renewable energy use and investment. Read More

The report, T100 Focus: The Frontier of SDG Investing, unearths data from 76 Toniic member portfolios, totaling $2.8 billion in committed capital, to reveal where the most active impact investors see investable opportunities towards the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) across asset classes. Read More

Gurtin supports social impact by investing in municipal bonds that fund essential government projects, like improving access to affordable housing. We also support social impact in communities by investing in municipal bonds that finance projects like parks and recreation facilities, libraries, public transit, bridges, and other infrastructure that benefit underserved communities. Read More

Self-Help believes in investing in communities on the front lines of harm from climate change. Our mission: create and protect economic opportunity for all with a focus on the underserved, including people of color, women, and low-income families and communities. We loan to environmental projects like recycling, land conservation, affordable housing, and solar energy. Read More

The megatrends underlying the transition to a more sustainable economy, such as climate change and widening inequality, are global issues. Companies are addressing sustainability risks and opportunities globally. We look at the ESG quality phenomenon and other takeaways about risk and performance from our experience managing the Pax MSCI EAFE ESG Leaders Index Fund. Read More

In Asia, ESG investing encompasses large, transformational changes. It focuses on companies that can potentially deliver profits and growth from improving the quality of life across the region. Within this context, Matthews Asia launched the ESG Fund more than four years ago. The Fund seeks to capitalize on the growth of the region by investing with an ESG lens. Read More

This is the first of two articles featuring short profiles on a number of the International SRI Mutual Funds, which invest in companies outside the United States, including from Domini Impact Investments, Thornburg Investment Management, Boston Common Asset Management. Read More

This is the second of two articles featuring short profiles on a number of the International SRI Mutual Funds, which invest in companies outside the United States, including from Calvert Research and Management, Green Century Funds, Praxis Mutual Funds, and Mirova. Read More

Buildings are a big part of the sustainability challenge, and thus a huge opportunity. The construction and operations of buildings account for 40% of global energy use, 30% of energy-related GHG emissions, approximately 12% of water use, nearly 40% of waste, and employs 10% of the workforce. Read More

Sustainability investments in physical assets are increasingly being influenced by more than finance, facilities and RE managers. The recognition that a sustainably-designed and healthy workplace directly impacts attitude, satisfaction level and productivity, has led to human capital management and sustainability functions becoming integral and influential in the decision-making process. Read More

Combating climate change requires our economy to make a comprehensive transition to clean energy, where rooftop solar is part of the solution. The buildings all around us consume so much power and generate so much carbon. But the rooftops of those buildings have high technical potential to generate solar power right at the point where it is consumed. Read More

Improvements in building efficiency provide cost savings to landlords and tenants. Impactful initiatives include installation of more efficient LED lighting; upgrades to HVAC; smart metering; reductions in water consumption; and waste management. Also sustainably-managed structures typically command higher rents, and experience lower vacancy and higher tenant satisfaction. Read More

Recently the Ray C. Anderson Foundation updated and republished Ray’s first book because bringing his story to the present day could inspire a new generation of business leaders. Also the book looks at how far Interface has come since 1998 and why the company became more successful with its commitment to sustainability. Read More

Domini Funds shareholders use their investment dollars to make a difference by helping build a world of universal human dignity and ecological sustainability. The Report details how Domini works for change on behalf of fund shareholders. Read More

GTS, tracking private green investments since 2009, has released its 2019-20 Report. New capital continues expanding clean energy, green construction, corporate R & D and a widening of the healthier plant-protein food sector. Read More

One year into its campaign to reach $1 trillion in U.S. private sector investment in renewable energy and enabling grid technologies by 2030, the American Council on Renewable Energy (ACORE) releases their progress report. Read More

The Dutch Government recently issued one of the largest green bonds ever: 6 billion euros. This bond for low-carbon development and sustainable water management will finance natural infrastructure solutions. Read More

Fast-changing technologies and global risks are forcing companies and cities to become more adaptive, and business models to evolve and diversify. This challenging time has many opportunities to create a clean economy that increases economic and community resilience. Read More

Our shared mythologies tell us home is sweet and home is where the heart is. But access to good housing is increasingly difficult for many. The US housing crisis is tied to our economy and our environment. Solutions lay in both our perception of equity around shelter and in where and how we choose to build. Read More

Our Planet Earth is at a challenging ecological intersection. We’re looking at Peak Farmable Soil and Carbon Capture Capacity, Peak Edible Food, and Peak Water all bundled into escalating Climate Instability. Here are three strategic solutions. Read More

Homewise is working with women, particularly those of low-to-moderate income, to build assets through successful and sustainable homeownership. Each year single women and single mothers make up 30 percent of new Homewise homeowners; that’s nearly 200 New Mexico women buying a home of their own and building financial stability and wellbeing every year. Read More

Impact investing has emerged as a major force in philanthropy. Last year GIIN conducted a survey showing that the estimated value of the impact investing sector doubled between 2017 and 2018, increasing from $114B to $228B. There’s a growing demand for investments that actively produce measurable positive social and environmental outcomes. Read More

Sustainable companies don't just make the world a better place, they offer higher returns and longer lifespans according to Corporate Knights. Read More

The structure and mission of credit unions uniquely positions them to effectively provide a range of basic financial services critical to Native communities. Read More

The 12th annual edition looks at key trends and dozens of metrics assessing how, and how much, companies are moving the needle on the world’s?most pressing environmental challenges. Read More

I rose to the podium, looked at Exxon CEO Rex Tillerson, and asked “Why does Exxon fund climate-denying organizations [like ALEC], when you publicly support a carbon tax?” Tillerson deflected the question saying “we would never impinge on ALEC’s free speech.” Two years later, Exxon ceased funding them. Read More

The Next Economy Index’s strong track record demonstrates that climate change-focused, innovation-driven investing offers an effective way to preserve and create wealth. The strategy currently holds 115 publicly traded companies. Read More

Business can be a force for good, here’s 100 companies that are growing by doing good. Real Leaders, with Big Path Capital and B Lab, rank the top companies applying capitalism for greater profit and greater positive impact. Read More

MSCI explores pressing topics for investors heading into 2019. The five key ESG trends anticipated to dominate the conversation are: climate change, waste management, leadership and talent, ESG regulation, and the ESG signal revolution. Read More

Sustainable and impact investing in the US continues to grow and to make a difference. Investors now consider environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors across $12 trillion of professionally managed assets, a 38 percent increase since 2016. Financial firms and institutional investors are addressing a diverse set of ESG concerns across a broader span of assets than ever. Many of these money managers and institutions, concerned about racial and gender discrimination, gun violence and environmental protection, are using portfolio selection and shareowner engagement to address these important issues. Read More

Mark Tercek spent 24 years working as an investment banker and the last 10 years as the CEO of The Nature Conservancy. How to scale up investments in nature – is what he thinks about and what he wants you to start thinking about more. Read More

“Gender and climate are inextricably linked,” said environmentalist and author Katharine Wilkinson at TEDWomen, a recent gathering of women thought leaders and activists in Calif. Women, she says, are disproportionately affected by climate change. Read More

Issued in November 2008, the World Bank’s first green bond created the blueprint for sustainable investing in the capital markets. Today, the green bond model is being applied to bonds that are raising financing for all 17 Sustainable Development Goals. Read More

Climate finance is a central issue in how the global community proposes to follow through with implementation of the Paris Agreement. A new study, shows that while investment in climate action has been steadily increasing, it falls short in key areas. Read More

The Centre for Sustainability and Excellence releases its third annual report on Sustainability (ESG) Reporting Trends: North America 2018. This research provides a useful and convenient representation of the current state of Sustainability Reporting. Read More

The United Kingdom is the frontrunner in Europe for sustainable and responsible investment (‘SRI’) according to data published in November 2018 by Eurosif, Europe’s sustainable and responsible investment membership organization. Read More

SRI Investing in the US continues to expand at a healthy pace. The total US-domiciled assets under management using SRI strategies grew from $8.7 trillion at the start of 2016 to $12.0 trillion at the start of 2018, an increase of 38 percent. This represents 26 percent—or 1 in 4 dollars—of the $46.6 trillion in total US assets under professional management. Since 1995, when the US SIF Foundation first measured the size of the US sustainable and responsible investment universe at $639 billion, these assets have increased more than 18-fold, a compound annual growth rate of 13.6 percent. Read More

For investors interested in Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) strategies, a regionally diversified approach can help capture global growth. In the coming year, Asia offers a prime opportunity to invest in profitable companies addressing critical ESG challenges through robust and sustainable business models. ESG innovation in Asia is evident across many sectors, including health care and pharmaceuticals, technology, finance and alternative energy. To fully capture the growth and profits of the world’s most innovative ESG companies, it is worth considering Asia. Read More

Ray Anderson believed the industrial sector could create positive environmental change because it is so large. The university sector is next. Read More

“Water security is the single largest investment opportunity in the years ahead. It is the foundation for healthy people, planet and profit. Water security investments ensure social and environmental returns, as well as possible financial outperformance,” states writer Thomas Schumann. Read More

Bill Gates has Breakthrough Energy Ventures investing in radical energy startups capable of drastically cutting global emissions Read More

In every part of the world, from the industrialized to the emerging economies, energy systems are shifting from a highly centralized architecture (i.e., large generation plants, long transmission lines, and one-way flows of energy) to a decentralized, distributed network model. This model takes the form of microgrids (or “mini-grids” in Africa and Asia), small, integrated systems capable of autonomous operation; and as Distributed Energy Resource Management Systems and Virtual Power Plants, as ways of making the existing bulk power grid more flexible. Some compare this to the advent of “the internet of energy.” Read More

Renewable electricity generation from technologies that are commercially available today, in combination with a more flexible grid, is adequate to supply 80 percent of total U.S. electricity generation in 2050. Prioritizing workforce diversity both in terms of race and gender are important components for building a successful Clean Energy company. Read More

Renewable Energy was the most-added source of new power generation in 2017. In an increasing number of regions, clean energy is the cheapest source of new electricity. Confidence in the clean energy sector can be seen in the large commitments made by major banking institutions. The public and our investors are grasping the reality of a renewable energy future. Rooftop solar panels are commonplace and are required on new homes in some cities in California. Solar photovoltaic installers and wind turbine service technicians have become the nation’s two fastest-growing occupations. Read More

At Sunwealth, we invest in a sustainable future by financing diverse renewable energy projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions, strengthen local resilience and bring the benefits of renewable energy to under-served communities. Since 2014, we have financed over 70 solar installations on rooftops and in open spaces. We are poised to invest over $12 million in solar energy and storage projects in 2018, more than double our 2017 investment. We have a 2019 pipeline of over $40 million in new solar projects that will provide 20 megawatts of solar power across 50 communities. Read More

Bloomberg New Energy Finance predicts that two-thirds of the world’s power will be generated by renewable resources by 2050. This projection is based on the continuing growth of new renewable power generation projects, primarily wind and solar. Conditions have certainly changed since New Alternatives Fund entered the investment world in 1982. Our Fund’s approach has always been to consider the broad sector of energy and related environmental areas like clean water, clean air, and naturally grown and organic food. Energy is not just the production of electric power we also see conservation and efficiency playing major roles. Read More

The new fund invests in companies positioned to benefit from the transition to a more sustainable global economy Read More

The "In Sight of the Clean Trillion" report gives an update on the ever-expanding landscape of investor opportunities Read More

The new credit union focused exclusively on clean energy lending also begins taking deposits and making loans all online Read More

From individuals to companies that demonstrate leadership in clean energy, sustainable transportation, and the circular economy Read More

Since you’re reading the GreenMoney Journal it’s likely that you’ve already made the mental shift to sustainability, and if that’s the case, welcome! I believe that shift happens one mind at a time, one company, one technology, one university curriculum, one industry, one community at a time. Furthermore, I have never met a “former environmentalist.” (Summer 2010) Read More

(Fall 2012) Twenty years from now, we will have either successfully transitioned from our current economic growth paradigm to a new model of Sustainable Capitalism or we will be suffering the calamitous consequences of our failure to do so. Likewise, sustainable investing will either remain a niche strategy or it will have supplanted mainstream investing. Read More

Does the challenge of making informed decisions about your life seem far more complex today than it did even a short time ago? Does the future—yours, and that of the world—feel highly uncertain, perhaps even precarious? The tools we’re offering are designed to keep you nimble, which you’ll need to be as the ground under our feet continues to shift. Because although we can’t tell you how things will change, we do know that they will change. (Aug. 2014)  Read More

(July/Aug 2017) Responsible investing momentum is strong. For me, and for many of my generation, the future is clear: we are well on our way towards the installation of a vitally important system-level force for good, one that will protect future generations, indeed the planet itself. We have laid the groundwork for a financial system which functions globally to protect people and the planet. Read More

(Sept 2015) Today's environmental challenges are bigger than ever. And a rapidly growing population coupled with climate change will only exacerbate current threats. The environmental movement must try new approaches and scale up our work so it’s bigger, better and faster. Read More

It seems so obvious now: innovators are turning to nature for inspiration in chemistry, building, agriculture, energy, health, transportation, computing – even the design of organizations and cities. Biomimicry is now widely taught from kindergarten to university and practiced in all scales of enterprise. (July/Aug. 2017) Read More

Without a dramatic change in the way built environments are designed, constructed, and operated, the world has no chance of adequately addressing climate change. Architecture 2030 has spent over twelve years working with architects, designers and policymakers on programs and initiatives that will lead to zero emissions in the built environment by 2050. In 2014, I had the opportunity to present our “Roadmap to Zero Emissions” report, at COP21 in Paris, which sets out the country-specific international greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction targets needed to avert irreversible and devastating climate change. (Sept. 2016) Read More

We can’t completely predict what our world will look like in 25 years, but we constantly study trends to anticipate the rapid changes taking place in our industry. By 2040 it is estimated that: Global population will exceed nine billion; 40 cities will have populations over 10 million; Renewable energy will account for half of installed capacity and a third of electricity generation worldwide. Add shifting consumer attitudes about vehicle ownership to these insights and it is why I believe the auto industry is changing more today than it has in the past 50 years. (Sept./Oct. 2017) Read More

Ethical Markets released in late April its 2018 Green Transition Scoreboard® finding $9.3 trillion of private investments in green sectors worldwide, cumulatively since 2007. Read More

Understanding Food and Climate Change: A Systems Perspective explores the links between food systems and our changing climate with an emphasis on systems thinking. A systems approach helps to illuminate how seemingly disconnected phenomena are often dynamically linked and can be understood best when viewed in a larger context. Read More

The challenge is clear for global food and beverage companies: as the population rises, the agriculture sector they rely on will need to produce more food with fewer greenhouse gas emissions while shifting toward farm practices that conserve or restore diminishing water and soil resources. Sustainable sourcing strategies and supply chain transparency are essential for the food and beverage industry to ensure that their suppliers are making these critical changes. As significant owners of and lenders to companies, investors can be a major force in driving more sustainable practices. Read More

From wealth advisors and fund managers, to start up entrepreneurs, to company leadership at the board and executive levels, intuitively we have long known the need for greater gender diversity within the financial industry. Research shows a variety of benefits for companies, and their investors, that embrace inclusivity. With findings that show diverse teams are more innovative (leading to increased revenue generation) and that companies with women in leadership perform better during times of financial uncertainty, we are well on our way to making a strong financial case for inclusion. Read More

Corporate Annual Meetings will Reflect Opioid Crisis, Gun Laws, Board Diversity and more Read More

Industry’s only free, searchable resource of impact investing fund managers features firms that manage $29.2 billion in assets Read More

Global businesses can and must take the lead on environmental and social issues, because the future of sustainability is now in the hands of worldwide brands, their consumers, and the NGOs holding them accountable. Read More

Bigger, faster, more. Whether due to policy, technological or climatic changes, companies face an onslaught of challenges that are happening sooner and more dramatically than many could have anticipated. Investors in turn are Read More

New research finds businesses are making money from planting trees and growing sales as rapidly as 10 times per year Many investors don t know what restoration is or realize the Read More

Grand prize for biomimicry acceleration goes to Team NexLoop for AquaWeb, an innovative water capture system designed for use in urban food systems. By 2050, 9 billion people will live on our Read More

The following is adapted from State of Green Business 2018, published in mid-January by GreenBiz in partnership with Trucost. Download the report. “Two degrees and the SDGs.” That’s the new sustainable business mantra. Read More

In 2014, I predicted that "Desert Greening is the Next Big Thing", and it would be led by sustainable green investors. Surprisingly I am still waiting for the shift from humanity’s single minded focus on traditional agricultural crops (glycophytes) that rely on the planet’s three percent of fresh water. Why such a slow transition to more sustainable, nutrient-richer, salt loving (halophyte) plant foods, such as quinoa? Because vested interests in the vast incumbent global agro-chemical industrial complex are as powerful and persistent as those in the worldwide fossilized sectors. Read More

Consider these recent developments - California emerged from drought in 2017; fewer companies reported impacts associated with water scarcity; and the average freshwater intensity of companies in the MSCI ACWI Index dropped by 15 percent. While these are positive short term signals for investors concerned with water scarcity, 2017 was also the most costly in U.S. history for natural disasters. This underscored the thinking behind a key trend that MSCI ESG Research identified last year - institutional investors are shifting their portfolio analysis from the measurement of regulatory risks to physical risks. Read More

Water is a systemic risk to investors, as in many parts of the United States and other areas of the world this precious resource is in danger. Investors and market players should be deepening their research and investment process to tackle water risks, often hidden in holdings across all asset classes. As investment advisors, how do we first protect our clients from these risks, and how do we position these same clients to benefit from the growth opportunities in companies that are providing innovative systems, products and services to solve water quantity, quality and resilience issues? Read More

The protection of our shared environment is among government’s most fundamental responsibilities. In England, the Magna Carta included a powerful articulation of the principle that the commons of water, fisheries and woodland were not commodities to be bartered away, but the rightful property of all citizens. Read More

Over the past decade, the term sustainability has caught on in the boardroom, courtroom and living room. While the concept has reached the mainstream, opportunities abound for implementation.

Ten trends to watch for Read More

What never grows old? The burning desire of youth to reinvent the world. That ambition and impatience is on full display in Forbes 2018 edition of the Forbes 30 Under 30, our annual Read More

A new generation of business students is becoming aware of the opportunity to do good and still be profitable in their current and future careers. Overwhelmingly, Millennials say that they are looking for careers that provide good work-life balance and give them a sense of purpose over simply making money. Here are two examples of companies profiled on AIM2Flourish.com, run by Millennials who are out to change the world with their drive, passion, and dedication to be a force for good. Both companies were awarded an inaugural Flourish Prize in 2017. Read More

The financial services industry is a bit obsessed with trying to understand the next generation of investors – the notorious millennials. And for good reason – millennials represent the largest generation in history with a spending power of over $1.5 trillion. Many millennials are well into their wealth accumulation phase and have already begun to inherit $30 trillion in the largest wealth transfer ever. As a millennial working in SRI, I believe, that for everyone, money is inherently personal, complicated and ultimately a vehicle to attain the goal of living a rewarding life. Read More

Vert Asset Management, a dedicated ESG investment manager, recently announced the launch of the Vert Global Sustainable Real Estate Fund (Ticker: VGSRX), an open-end mutual fund which seeks to achieve long-term capital appreciation. Read More

Domini is proud to announce that we have recently signed the Stockholm Declaration, re-affirming our support for the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs). The Stockholm Declaration was organized by the GRI Read More

Last year, as CEI conducted a strategic review as part of our leadership transition, we found ourselves asking the same questions that were being asked across the country, on both sides of the political aisle. At the heart of those questions was the recognition that our economy is not working for everyone. And a major takeaway was that rural regions, gateway cities, and the people who live there were being left behind. Maine-based CEI is taking strides to change that, from investing in small businesses, job training programs, and pragmatic policy solutions. Read More

After decades of working at the intersection of community development, philanthropy and community economic development, we see a significant shift in how philanthropic assets are being used to build vibrant, prosperous communities. Many place-focused foundations are seeking to complement their grantmaking with local investments to create greater impact in their own communities. There’s a growing recognition that traditional grantmaking is not enough to address complex, tough community issues like early childhood education, affordable and energy efficient housing, good jobs and career opportunities for all. Read More

Homewise is a non-profit Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) that offers a comprehensive suite of homeownership services for low-to-moderate income individuals and families, many of whom have been largely underserved by traditional lending institutions. Our services include financial education and coaching, real estate brokerage, mortgage lending, home improvement and refinance lending, real estate development and disinvested property rehabilitation. Each of our services is designed to bolster our other services, providing a one-stop resource for creating an accessible and affordable path to successful homeownership. Read More

Samsung Trails Behind Apple in New Greenpeace Guide to Greener Electronics. Average Grade Across 17 Companies Is D+, Indicating Long Way to Go Toward Sustainable IT.

The 2017 Guide to Greener Electronics (the Read More

Green Century Capital Management announced recently that its assets under management (AUM) reached a new landmark, exceeding $500 million as of October 20, 2017. Green Century is the investment advisor to the first Read More

For more than 40 years, Muhammad Yunus, the Bangladeshi founder of the Grameen Bank and recipient of the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize[1], has been asserting that the most powerful way to eradicate poverty Read More

At Appleseed Capital, we have watched developments in SRI and ESG with great satisfaction. Having launched the Appleseed Fund nearly 11 years ago, we are proud to have been a participant in the long-term movement to align investments with values. As we look forward to 2018 and beyond, we expect to see the recent trends surrounding SRI investing to remain solidly intact. We believe that more and more traditional investors and asset managers will come to understand the value, both social and financial, of investing with a purpose, and we are confident that the Sustainable Responsible Impact Investing industry will continue to evolve in response to the changing political and economic environment. Read More

Aligning the capital markets more directly with the urgent needs we face as a society to halt environmental destruction and reverse decades of worsening inequality must be our priority for 2018. Alignment needs to occur at every level, across the global markets. Despite the tremendous efforts behind the Paris Climate Accord, formalization of the UN Sustainable Development Goals and a long history of other efforts to change the course of climate change and inequality, we are not making nearly the progress needed. The 1,700 signatories to the UN Principles for Responsible Investment, which represent $70 trillion of assets and a wave of press about ESG investing, have not gotten us on track yet. Read More

Looking into 2018, higher corporate earnings – inevitable with the new lower taxes rates – ought to lead to the sort of volatility-free rise in the stock market that 2017 saw. Further, employment is full in this country; emerging economies continue to grow at rates that exceed those of developed economies; exciting new industries such as software-as-a-service, alternative energy storage and the internet of things arise with regularity fueling dynamic growth. Then there's the other picture. There are two enormous longer-term and permanent threats to my cheerful scenario. China is the macro geopolitical one and the other is due to climate change. Further, there are three short-term unavoidable threats, also worth acknowledging. Read More

LIFT Economy was recently recognized for creating extraordinary positive impact as a business based on an independent, comprehensive assessment administered by the nonprofit B Lab. Honorees are featured on B the Change, Read More

General Motors CEO Mary Barra has long been an advocate for girls enrolled in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) education[1]. Now GM is cutting checks to help more females enter these professions. Read More

Wildlife Works announced in July the launch of Everland LLC, a specialized marketing company representing an established group of high-impact forest conservation projects in Africa, Asia and Latin America that have successfully stopped deforestation by applying REDD+, a performance-based mechanism, to conserve highly threatened forests. Read More

UPS announced in late June 2017 aggressive new sustainability goals to add more alternative fuel and advanced technology vehicles to its fleet while increasing its reliance on renewable energy sources. Read More

We can’t completely predict what our world will look like in 25 years, but we constantly study trends to anticipate the rapid changes taking place in our industry. By 2040 it is estimated that: Global population will exceed nine billion; 40 cities with have populations over 10 million; Renewable energy will account for half of installed capacity and a third of electricity generation worldwide. Add shifting consumer attitudes about vehicle ownership to these insights and it is why I believe the auto industry is changing more today than it has in the past 50 years. Read More

We are living in a time of extraordinary change. Virtually every dimension of business is changing. As I have been reflecting on what these changes mean for the future of all companies, I have zeroed in on three big changes that are flowing together: One of the changes is positive, one is neither inherently good nor bad, and one is problematic. Read More

In a global investment landscape that at times appears rife with uncertainty and beset by bubbles and busts, two main areas stand out both as pockets of opportunity and as major forces for change: sustainable, responsible and impact (SRI) investing – that is, investment that considers environmental, social and governance criteria as well as returns – and financial technology, or fintech, which is revolutionizing how financial services are delivered. Read More

The responsible investing movement that we have started and shaped has reached the end of the beginning, with a broad and strong foundation that will evolve to provide the superstructure of our society’s continuing struggle to address and solve its greatest challenges. Our efforts are working, and we are being joined in our mission by more investors worldwide every day. The UN Principles for Responsible Investment – of which Calvert was a founder – counts 1,700 large investors & $70 trillion in assets. Read More

Eight years ago I received the call asking me to consider joining Trillium Asset Management as CEO. Since that time, we have seen more interest than ever in the field of sustainable investing from a wide variety of institutions, mainstream money managers, and families often driven by women and millennials, bringing assets over to impact. Looking out over the horizon, I see six emerging trends that I believe shed light on the future of sustainable investing. Read More

The Ethisphere Institute, a global leader in defining and advancing the standards of ethical business practices, announced recently 124 companies spanning five continents, 19 countries and 52 industry sectors as the 2017 World’s Most Ethical Companies® honorees. Read More

"Mapping Ocean Wealth" (MOW), an initiative run by The Nature Conservancy, has won one of the highest accolades the tourism industry has to offer, the Tourism for Tomorrow Innovation Award. The Award was presented at the World Travel & Tourism Council’s (WTTC) 17th Global Summit, in Bangkok in April 2017. Read More

We at Iroquois Valley Farms are pleased to announce a new corporate entity as we begin our 11th season of operations. In 2007 when we started the company, our idea was simple - growing healthy foods on organic soils would be good business. Read More

April 18, 2017 marked the publication of an ambitious new book with the audacious goal of showing how to reverse the warming of the planet through a myriad of innovations, many of them led by business for profit. Read More

In late April 2017, the latest Green Transition Scoreboard® (GTS) found that, despite Trump’s anti-green policies, private green investments now total more than $8.1 trillion USD ($8,133,456,730,370). Read More

As most everyone interested in sustainability knows by now, the concept has been appropriated by numerous entities and used in various ways, often to achieve different objectives. In his introductory chapter to the excellent 2013 edition of the Worldwatch Institute’s State of the World report, Robert Engelman coined the term "sustainababble" to reflect this "cacophonous profusion of uses of the word sustainable to mean anything from environmentally better to cool". Read More

His new book claims to have made a definitive list of the most effective global strategies for lowering our emissions. Don’t despair: they’re all totally achievable.

If you read anything about climate change, it’s not hard to become convinced that we’re screwed. For instance, here are just a few notable recent apocalyptic warnings: In January, a chunk of ice roughly twice the size of Central Park split off a glacier in Antarctica; within months, another chunk larger than Rhode Island is likely to follow. By 2100, sea levels could rise eight feet. Much earlier–perhaps as soon as in 15 years–drought and disease linked to climate change could begin to kill more than a quarter of a million people each year. Read More

With a new administration in the White House and major national policy shifts underway, shareholder proponents are focused on preserving key gains they have won in their shareholder resolutions this spring. Investors will consider a near-record number of proposals filed on environmental, social and sustainable governance (ESG) issues for consideration at corporate annual meetings. Proxy Preview 2017, released in early March by As You Sow, the Sustainable Investments Institute (Si2), and Proxy Impact, lists the specific shareholder resolutions filed this year and lays out major themes, including corporate political influence, climate change and economic inequality. Read More

“The fight against the Dakota Access Pipeline has implications beyond the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe. It is a fight for everyone who wants clean air, clean water, and gender equality. As governments increasingly prove incapable or unwilling to protect these things, citizens are turning to the market and the market is responding.”

Read More

It’s hard to imagine a time more hopeful and horrifying for sustainable business. On the one hand are great achievements and milestones. The Paris Agreement on climate change was ratified in 2016, faster than any United Nations pact in history, Read More

A profound political disruption has raised the stakes for clean money. It's a watershed moment for progressive business and investing, and a major bump in the pathway from the old economy to a new one. We must double down to ensure a just, resilient future civilization. Read More

A new report examining 28 of the world’s largest banks on their management of climate-related risks concludes they are failing to align their business practices with targets to keep global temperature rises below two degrees ^[1]. The investor assessment comes despite praising banks for introducing measures such as climate stress testing, carbon footprinting and governance for climate risk. Read More

Sustainalytics, a leading global provider of ESG and corporate governance research, ratings and analytics, recently released a new thematic research report titled, 10 for 2017: Investment Themes in a Changing World. The report looks at the key drivers of 10 ESG investment themes that are expected to create new risks and opportunities for investors in 2017. In addition, the report profiles 10 companies, spanning seven countries and eight industries, that are poised to take advantage of these trends. Read More

Examining how the nation’s largest mutual fund companies voted on climate-related shareholder resolutions in 2015 and 2016. The results are revealing.

The vast majority of climate scientists (97 percent) believe climate change is real, but what about your mutual fund company? We examined how the nation’s largest mutual fund companies voted on climate-related shareholder resolutions in 2015 and 2016. The results are revealing. Read More

Are you a millennial? I have bad news and good news for you. The bad news is that climate change and gender equality — two key issues you care about — will cost our generation over $30 trillion*; that is the equivalent of the American, Chinese and Japanese economies combined. The good news is that, while scary, we can use our voices and investable assets to create real change, quickly! Read More

Money managers increasingly are incorporating ESG factors into their investment analysis and portfolio construction, driven by the demand for ESG investing products from institutional and individual investors and by the mission and values of their management firms. Of the managers that responded to an information request about reasons for incorporating ESG, the highest percentage, 85 percent, cited client demand as a motivation. Read More

The New Grand Strategy: Restoring America's Prosperity, Security and Sustainability in the 21st Century

A new book by Mark Mykleby, Patrick Doherty, and Joel Makower The New Grand Strategy describes a business plan for America, born at the Pentagon, that embeds sustainability as a strategic national imperative. It tells how a discipline called “grand strategy” has been used in the past to align our economy, foreign policy and governance structures to take on the big challenges of the day, such as fighting fascism or containing communism. Read More

The Centre for Sustainability and Excellence (CSE) announces its ground breaking report: Sustainability Trends in Silicon Valley. While much has been made about whether Silicon Valley corporations, start-ups and tech giants are or are not models of sustainability, CSE provides the first systematic research on the true picture of sustainability efforts by analyzing the current state of sustainability and corporate social responsibility reporting by Silicon Valley-based companies and organizations. Read More

Back in November, when we announced we’d give 100 percent of our global retail and online Black Friday sales directly to grassroots nonprofits working on the frontlines to protect our air, water and soil for future generations, we heard from many of our customers calling it a “fundraiser for the earth.” Read More