I always look forward to spring, a time for renewal, and a return to outdoors. In Northern New Mexico winter can be quite cold and confining.
For a variety of personal and professional reasons, both positive, I have decided to do two print newsletters and two E-newsletters this year. The lineup of articles is quite good, as you’ll see with this issue. This change, just for 2011, will allow us conference and symposium time to make sure we can share with you the latest information on SRI and CSR.
And speaking of conferences, let me recommend several: TBLI Asia Conference this May in Toyko, SoCap Europe Conference this May in Amsterdam, Sustainable Brands Conference this June in Monterey, CA and the SIF National Conference this June in Washington, DC. Learn about these and many other events at our Global Green Events Calendar here on www.greenmoney.com
Last year ended with some great news for the SRI industry. The Social Investment Forum (SIF) states in their latest Trends Report that Sustainable & Socially Responsible Investing (SRI) in the U.S. has continued to grow at a faster pace than the broader universe of conventional investment assets under professional management. At the start of 2010, professionally managed assets following SRI strategies stood at $3.07 trillion, a rise of more than 380 percent from $639 billion in 1995, the year of the SIF Foundation’s first Trends Report. Over the same period, the broader universe of assets under professional management increased only 260 percent from $7 trillion to $25.2 trillion. During the financial crisis from 2007 to 2010 the overall universe of professionally managed assets has remained roughly flat while SRI assets, as documented in the report, have enjoyed healthy growth. There are more details from the Trends Report in this spring issue.
Also in this issue you will find: GreenMoney’s ICONS Interview Series continuing with Mindy Lubber of CERES and Matt Patsky of Trillium Asset Management. Michael Van Patten provides us an update on the recently launched Mission Markets, and R. Paul Herman shares with us how to be a ‘HIP investor (Human Impact + Profit)’ from his new book with that title. We finish our Feature Articles section with a helpful Letter to the Editor about our recent Fair Trade Coffee article.
As the year ended we also heard from many of you in response to our Winter 10/11 issue on Food, Farming and Fair Trade, – mostly sharing additional good news. For example Honest Tea has announced that all 28 of its teas will become Fair Trade Certified by the end of the first quarter of 2011. Fair Trade offers tea workers fair wages, community investment funds called Fair Trade premiums, and the business skills training necessary to produce high-quality products that can compete in the global marketplace. Fair Trade certification also requires tea gardens to comply with workplace standards set by Fairtrade Labeling Organizations International and Fair Trade USA to ensure safety, equality and fairness. Look for an article later this year from Honest Tea’s cofounder, Seth Goldman, on the completing of its transaction to be acquired by Coca-Cola and why that is better news than you might guess.
You will also find numerous additional articles in this expanded version of our Spring 2011 issue, including a look at SRI growth trends as well as insight on SRI around the world from Canada, Europe and Asia. Daniel Fireside of Equal Exchange reports on some important successes they are having with Fair Trade coffee and many other products. Also, Meir Statsman overviews his important new book on behavioral finance, entitled “What Investors Really Want.”
Just a quick note, the SRI in the Rockies conference heads to New Orleans this October. Before then, our Fall 2011 issue will include several articles about what is and is not working in the region. More details soon.
In 2011, resources for making good decisions are more vital then ever. I would recommend checking out these new resources that will help all of us to create a better, more livable world: Films – “Revenge of the Electric Car”; “Carbon Nation” and “Bonsai.” Books – “All That We Share” by Jay Walljasper; “Cache: Creating Natural Economies” by Ecotrust founder Spencer Beebe; the new edition of “Worldchanging: A User\’s Guide for the 21st Century” which includes a foreword by Van Jones and an introduction by Bill McKibben; “Strategy for Good” by Susan Hyatt; “The New Rules of Green Marketing” by Jacqueline Ottman; and “Planet Home” by Jeffrey Hollender. DVD – A “Now on PBS” special by GMJ friend David Brancaccio entitled “Fixing The Future.” After the economic meltdown of last couple of years, the nation stands in urgent need of economic growth that isn’t based on risky financial bets placed by Wall Street. Host David Brancaccio traveled from Maine to Washington State and from Texas to Ohio in search of new solutions. For more details go to www.pbs.org/now/fixing-the-future/index.html
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