Sustainable Business
2024 GreenBiz 30 Under 30 List of Sustainability Leaders
This year’s list recognizes the rising stars of sustainability for their unique and effective efforts to impact the climate crisis at scale. These are the people who are driving change at some of the world’s largest corporations like BlackRock, Estée Lauder and Whole Foods; startups such as HelloFresh and Circ, and NGOs including EDF and GRID Alternatives. They hail from the US, the UK, Mexico, Brazil and the Philippines. Read More
ASU President Michael Crow Named to TIME Climate 100
Recently, Arizona State University President Michael Crow was named to the 2024 TIME100 Climate list of leaders and innovators driving real climate action. The list includes leaders across a range of fields, from policy to business to education. TIME’s editors spent months vetting names from across the economy, prioritizing measurable, scalable achievements and recent action over commitments and announcements. Read More
How Energy-Efficient Windows Transform Residential Properties
In today's fast-paced world, energy efficiency is no longer a choice but a necessity for homeowners, especially across Canada. With rising household energy consumption, smart home improvement investments are essential. New window technology has evolved to not only enhance aesthetics but also drive down energy costs. But with so many of them available, where do you start to maximize comfort & reduce energy bills? Read More
Calvert Commemorates 20th Anniversary of the Calvert Women’s Principles
Calvert announces the 20th anniversary of the Calvert Women’s Principles, the first global code of corporate conduct focused exclusively on advancing, protecting, and investing in women. Developed in 2004 with the support of the UN, the Principles provide a set of standards for companies to measure progress and serve as a tangible indicator for investors to assess the evolution of gender equity at corporations. Read More
Welcome to Global Galactics and The Spark at the Center of the Universe
Sustainability is at the heart of everything we create. From the eco-friendly materials in our products to the nature-inspired themes woven into each story, Global Galactics helps children and families feel connected to our planet. We’re offering tools for self-leadership, relationship intelligence, and environmental stewardship, empowering kids to become caring stewards of their own lives and the world around them. Read More
Investing in Women in Leadership: Results Driven, Sustainable Impact Investing
In January 2023, Hypatia Capital launched the WCEO ETF investing in American public companies that have a woman CEO. The WCEO ETF, the first exchange-traded fund focused solely on public companies led by women CEOs, invests in small caps, medium caps and large caps. Our algorithm delivers the Female Factor by eliminating size and industry. Its investment thesis is that female leaders will and do outperform. Read More
Finding Resiliency Through Designing an Aligned Life
At our firm, we believe in a guiding principle: the alignment between inner values and outward actions brings a sense of personal wholeness that creates resiliency. We empower clients to make financial decisions that reflect their personal ethics, fostering a sustainable, purpose-driven world. The journey that led me to impact investment advising has been one of resilience and transformation. It started with a pivotal moment at 19 when I faced a cancer diagnosis. Read More
Investing in Gender Equality Offers a Bridge to a Healthier and More Stable Future
For impact investors, the question is not why gender equality matters — it’s how to effectively allocate capital in ways that empower women and catalyze meaningful progress. Impact investing alone cannot be a panacea for gender inequality, but it is an indispensable component of a larger solution. Gender equality can itself be an impact objective or, for portfolios targeting other impact themes, it can be one of their themes. Read More
How I Found My Way to Impact Investing & Why I Hope More Women Will Join Me
Calvert Impact is unique in a number of ways – we’re a nonprofit investment firm, we invest around the globe and across multiple sectors, we have a nearly three decades-long track record, and we have extremely accessible products with minimums as low as $20. Also, we are one of only 20% of all financial firms managed by women, and at Calvert Impact 80% of our senior leadership team are women. Read More
A History of the Women who Nurtured the Roots of CDFIs
Today our nation has a healthy CDFI network that makes financial services accessible and economic prosperity possible for millions. OFN, is celebrating 40 years, and its members have distributed billions of dollars, creating a million jobs and over 800,000 new businesses in addition to the housing and community services provided to millions. Recently, CDFIs received $16B in federal grants for the development of clean energy, decarbonization of transportation and the built environment. Read More
My Millennial Friends Aren’t Investing- But They Should Be
I’m in my early 30’s. As someone who works in finance, I know that one of the most important things I can do for myself at this point in my life is develop strong financial habits like saving, budgeting, and investing. Most of my friends work in other fields, and while the majority have a good grasp on budgeting, many aren’t saving as much as they should and even fewer are investing. Read More
Microsoft’s Climate Innovation Fund invests in Farmland LP to Support Regenerative Ag
“Farmland LP’s use of regenerative agriculture practices to ensure healthy soils, and therefore high-quality soil carbon credits, is a critical element of advancing nature-based carbon removal solutions. We’re excited to invest in their fund and work with them to create a more sustainable agriculture sector.” said Erika Basham, director of Microsoft’s Climate Innovation Fund. Read More
FLINTpro Launches Biodiversity Module on Regulatory and Financial Risk for Landowners and Investors
FLINTpro, a nature analytics firm that provides compliance and financial risk assessment products for companies regulated by land use and climate protocols, has launched its Global Biodiversity Module. It offers analysis of the potential impacts of human and industrial activities on nature and the risks associated with their dependencies on ecosystems. Read More
New Pavilion at the COP16 Biodiversity Conference on Accelerating Global Action on Sustainable Finance
The Finance for Biodiversity Foundation, UNEP FI and UNDP will host a Finance and Biodiversity Pavilion at the UN Biodiversity Conference (COP16). To meet a growing interest from the finance sector, the pavilion will serve as a central hub to discuss the alignment of financial flows with the goals and targets of the Global Biodiversity Framework. Read More
As an Investor, Why Tackle Inequality?
In this article, Rights CoLab and Oxfam America address the various risks that inequality can present for investors. Their recent report. The Investor Case for Fighting Inequality: How Inequality Harms Investors and What Investors Should Do About It, introduces the topic and outlining companies' contributions to inequality. It highlights efforts of investors that are already addressing the risks, many as part of their fiduciary duty. Read More
Sustainable Debt Market Passes $5 Trillion En Route to Record Year
A cumulative volume of $5.1 trillion in green, social, sustainability, sustainability-linked bonds, and transition bonds (collectively GSS+) has been recorded by the Climate Bonds Initiative as of June 30th of this year. Aligned with CBI’s dataset methodologies and best practice, the findings are detailed in the Sustainable Debt Market Summary H1 2024 with a breakdown of labelled bond markets. Read More
Are Your Bonds Green, Social or Sustainable? And Climate Resilient Too?
When sailing your portfolio into the future, would you want a top-heavy boat? Or a boat that is stable through the waves of future risks? “Green bonds,” “social bonds,” and “sustainability bonds” – bring comfort to impact investors. Yet, are all those bonds safe for the next 30 years? HIP has evaluated over 11K bonds that bring solutions like reducing pollution, delivering cleaner water, spurring more affordable housing, or bringing climate action forward to society as well as to your portfolio. Read More
30 Years of Impact Bonds: Q&A with Benjamin Bailey of Praxis and Cliff Feigenbaum
This year marks the 30th anniversary of the Praxis Impact Bond Fund, which gives a wide variety of investors access to a broadly diversified core bond portfolio with a focus on green, social and other types of impact bonds. Over the years, the fund’s appeal has broadened from faith-based investors to include sustainability and social-impact focused investors. Its assets have grown from $11 million in 1994 at the fund’s inception to nearly $1 billion today. Read More
Climate+Community Development: Emerging Investment Frameworks Fuel Transformative Impact
This practical article is excerpted from the book “What's Possible: Investing Now for Prosperous and Sustainable Neighborhoods,” a collaboration of Enterprise Community Partners, LISC and the New York Fed. What’s Possible offers a variety of impactful solutions for clean energy, resilience, and equity. It’s intended as a playbook for taking collective action to build a stronger and more inclusive future for all. Read More
Lifting the Lid on Impact Bonds: 5 Questions for Investors
Over the last 25 years of investing in impact bonds, we have learned the value of looking beyond labelled green, social and sustainability (GSS) bonds where investors can access a wider range of opportunities to generate positive environmental and social outcomes while pursuing attractive risk-adjusted returns. However, navigating this marketplace requires a nuanced understanding of innovative security structures, evolving standards and project-level impact assessment. Read More
Forbes Selects Green Century’s Leslie Samuelrich for Prestigious 50 Over 50 List
Ms. Samuelrich joins the ranks of venture capitalists, wealth managers, philanthropists and others on the 4th annual list that celebrates women who are pioneers in their fields, leveraging their age and experience as tools for success. The thousands of nominations were narrowed down to 200 finalists in four categories of impact, innovation, investment and lifestyle. Read More
Ceres’ New Resource for Companies Developing Climate Transition Action Plans
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
IRA’s Billions in Clean Energy Funding Makes it too Lucrative to Overhaul
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
Powering a Sustainable Future with Clean Energy Credit Union
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
Investing in an Era of Extreme Weather
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
Redefining How Buildings Use Energy
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
Capitalizing on New Opportunities for a Clean Grid
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
Beyond 2025: Setting Credible Sustainability Goals for Long-Term Impact
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
Green Century’s Leslie Samuelrich Named to Prestigious Barron’s List
For the second consecutive year, Leslie Samuelrich, President of Green Century Funds, was named to the Barron’s 100 Most Influential Women in U.S. Finance, joining a corps of noteworthy women in government, technology, banking and financial powerhouses. Leslie has been a vocal and active leader, promoting environmentally and sustainable investing for the past 10 years at the helm of Green Century. Read More
Transformative 25: Catalytic Funds Raise $1 Billion for Non-extractive Finance
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
Pet Food and Regenerative Organic Agriculture
“We recognized the need for transparency and accountability in pet food production. We believe it is our responsibility to our pets to be good stewards of the land and replenish the soil that produces the food we eat. Our goals include rebuilding topsoil, increasing carbon capture, and growing food in the most sustainable way possible to transform the health of pets and the planet,” said John Dewberry, Cave Pets Read More
Natural Industry Growth Accelerates
“Between 2007 and 2012 we added $40 billion in consumer sales. That growth doubled to $80 billion added between 2018 and 2023. And we're anticipating continued accelerated growth for our industry as consumers increasingly of all generations demand healthier, better for you, more sustainable, more regenerative, natural, organic and conscious products,” said New Hope Network’s Carlotta Mast Read More
Climate Change Could Increase Food Inflation Globally
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
Funding Local Food Systems to Meet the Impacts of a Changing Climate
The resilience of our food system requires diversification, which means an emphasis on localized processing, distribution, and retail. Ag and food system lending is an area that many mainstream banks hesitate to engage in. However, more CDFIs are prioritizing investment in food systems, seeing it as core to building community resilience and meeting their mission to provide capital access to more people, businesses, and communities. Read More
Pioneers in Organic Winemaking
Frey Vineyards started as a commitment to organic Ag and winemaking when there was none. In 1980, Katrina and Jonathan Frey made their first barrel of wine. They both had become organic farmers, under Alan Chadwick's tutelage, and decided to embark on their enterprise: founding America's first organic winery. With the support of Jonathan's brother Matthew, they built the first winery, became certified organic, and started fermenting Frey wine. Pioneering the only organic winery at the time. Read More
Investing in Value Creation through Regenerative Agriculture
The Food and Ag industry contributes a third of global greenhouse gas emissions, and its supply chains have become increasingly vulnerable to the effects of climate change, including changing patterns of drought, precipitation, and extreme heat. So, a new approach is needed and as investors, we can influence the move away from the extractive and exploitative status quo, which has significant negative externalities, and transition to a more resilient system that can thrive over the long term. Read More
From Honest to Just: How Coca-Cola’s Fumble with Honest Tea Turned into an Unexpected Gift
Two years ago Coca-Cola told me that Honest Tea, the brand I launched, would be discontinued. Despite its success as the first organic and Fair Trade certified bottled tea brand, supply chain disruptions during the pandemic made it a victim of Coke’s new strategy. But what felt like a huge setback turned out to be a gift, and an interesting lesson in the challenges big corporations have in scaling mission-driven brands. Read More
New Sustainability Summit Announced by The Water Council & Marquette University
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
Morningstar Launches Low Carbon Transition Leaders Indexes
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
ImpactAssets 2024 Impact Investment Fund Managers List
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
From Seawater to Drinkable Water Using Wave Power
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
Water + Indigenous Peoples Rights = Risk
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
How the Future of Water will Impact Businesses and Communities
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 Economic and Water Impacts of the EPA’s “Slaughterhouse” Rule
From April 2024 Issue – 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
Investing in the Future of Water and Sanitation
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
GreenMoney Interviews: Kirsten James on Ceres’ Valuing Water Finance Initiative
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
Praxis Mutual Funds Releases “Real Impact 2023” Report
“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
Carbon Clean 200 Companies Outperform Dirty Energy
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
High-Powered Women to Lead Global Central Bank Forum
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
2024 is the Year to Turn Goals into Climate Action
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
New Way of Developing Affordable Housing Through Partnerships with Churches
Churches are looking to use their real estate assets to address the growing housing affordability crisis and their own need for financial sustainability. Congregations are talking, and millions of homes are possible. New Way Homes, a non-profit that runs an impact investment fund for affordable housing development, and Workbench, a develop-design-build firm, have partnered to create a new development model. Read More
Climate-Smart Forestry: From Niche to Mainstream
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
Unlocking Opportunity for Female Entrepreneurs Through Non-Traditional Financing
The UN identified the need to invest in women in two of its Sustainable Development Goals. Goal 5 (gender equality) and Goal 8 (decent work and economic growth) both pay particular attention to creating opportunity for female entrepreneurs. There is immense opportunity for sustainable investors and capital providers to meet the needs of women business owners who are in need of financing to support and grow their businesses. Read More
Making Gender Visible: A Path to Systemic Inclusion
Public equity investors have a unique opportunity to motivate companies to design for gender diversity and create genuinely inclusive systems within their organizations and throughout their value chains. Determined to equip investors with the tools to activate their voice, my financial firm developed Investor Guidance for Prioritizing Gender in 2022. The guidance supplies engaged investors with critical questions and essential tactics for motivating companies to adopt gender-specific approaches using an integrated, full value chain approach. Read More
Opportunity for Women in the Clean Energy Transition
“As we celebrate Women’s History Month, it is again a time of reflection. We delight in the pockets of progress but reiterate that there is certainly no room for complacency. The World Bank estimated that there are over 2 billion women who are without equal economic opportunity. Though in the US, numbers feel more optimistic. American women contribute more than $7 trillion to US GDP each year. In addition, they control $10 trillion in assets, a number that is expected to grow to $30 trillion over the next decade.” Read More
Calvert Impact Releases Financial Advisor Guide to Impact Investing
The impact investing market grew from $502 billion in 2018 to $1.16 trillion in 2021, yet only 56% of investors said their financial advisors asked about their impact goals. In today’s environment, talking about financial performance alone isn’t going to capture a client’s attention. This Guide is meant to help Financial Advisors leverage impact investing better, so they can seize the opportunity to support their clients in their sustainable investing journeys. Read More
What Could Shape Sustainability and Climate Investing in 2024?
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
Working to Ensure Justice for Workers
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
Seeing Healthcare as a Human Right
As responsible investors, we advocate for corporate and systemic reforms that will improve the health and well-being of all communities. For decades, faith-based investors working through the Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility have engaged leading pharmaceutical and healthcare companies, who must prioritize people over profits, on access and affordability of medicines, vaccines, and other health technologies. Read More
Love Your Neighbor with Your Investments
Faith-driven investing is a powerful way for investors to pursue performance and drive positive change in the world. The opportunities are vast, whether supporting companies that treat their employees fairly, contributing to their communities, or even taking steps to eliminate injustice in their supply chains. Values-aligned investors can send a resounding message about the types of business practices we will and will not stand for, shaping corporate behavior and humanity for good. Read More
Build. Give. Invest: A Framework That’s Worth the Risk
After years of working with Faith Driven Entrepreneurs and Investors around the world, I know one thing for sure: they are having incredible Kingdom impact. They are building an ethical culture and influencing their communities through their companies. Nonprofits and charities are absolutely an essential tool God uses to advance his Kingdom, but now at Faith Driven Investor we have started thinking about a threefold framework that consists of building, giving, and investing. Read More
Faith and Finance: New Horizons for 2024
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
Guided by Wonder: A Reflection on the Stewardship of Creation
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
Design trend predictions for 2024 include rush for sustainable accreditation
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
2024 Sustainability Trends: looking beyond carbon and new approaches to ESG data
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
Whole Foods Market Forecasts Top 10 Food Trends for 2024
Among the 10 forecasts put out by Whole Foods’ Trends Council: more plant-based offerings and a whittling down of ingredients; even cleaner “clean caffeine” products, and coffee and energy drinks with everything from mushrooms and probiotics to berries and limes; hormonal remedy products (bars, teas and “sleepy girl mocktails”) for women’s health; and products grown with regenerative agriculture—from rices to shampoos. Read More
Supply Chain Predictions 2024: AI, Sustainability Top of Mind
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
2024 Market Outlook: Forget About Predictions
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
24 Predictions for 2024
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
Strategic Intelligence Outlook: climate litigation, economic strains and more in store for 2024
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
COP28 Presidency, United Nations Climate Change and Bloomberg Philanthropies Launch New Industrial Transition Accelerator for Heavy-Emitting Industries
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
The year ahead in ESG: assurance, transition finance and natural capital
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
Six predictions for ESG in 2024: The year ESG emerged from fad to essential business
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 Surpasses $3B AUM, Building on Momentum in new 2023 Impact Report
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
3BL Announces the 100 Best Corporate Citizens of 2023
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
New Scorecard on U.S. Food Companies Trapped on the Pesticide Treadmill
“These food companies are at a crossroads that will determine the health of our land and our communities. They need to closely monitor pesticide use in their supply chain and must also ensure that regenerative agriculture policies are adopted to protect farmworkers and nearby communities and reduce harm to soil, waters, ecosystems, and climate,” said Cailin Dendas, As You Sow. Read More
Calvert Impact releases 2023 Impact Report: Demonstrate, Educate, Transform
“The theme of this year's report represents fundamental elements of our work at Calvert Impact: demonstrating that it is possible for everyday investors to use their investment portfolios to drive solutions to social and environmental challenges and educating the broader market on impact trends to ultimately transform the capital markets,” said Jennifer Pryce, Calvert Impact. Read More
Can Economists Design Hurricane Stress Tests?
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
The Investor’s Role in Easing the Affordable Housing Crisis
Even in an uncertain housing market, values-based investing can play an important role in helping to solve housing affordability needs and contribute to a healthier, more stable US consumer – which is good for the economy and business. Working toward a more affordable housing market and making homeownership obtainable from one generation to the next is in the interest of our collective prosperity and worthy of the effort. Read More
Trillium’s Advocacy Approach to Gender, Racial and Ethnic Diversity
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
Investing in Gender Equity is Smart Investing
Gender lens investing in the US was really an invention of the late, Linda Pei and her business partner, Leslie Christian. These pioneers launched the Women’s Equity Fund in 1993. Though the first studies linking gender diverse corporate leadership with financial results weren’t published yet, they believed that women’s contribution to the bottom line would be measurable and accretive over time. They were right. Read More
William McDonough on CNBC: Rethinking Carbon in a Circular Economy
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
Tobacco Free Portfolios Celebrate 5th Anniv. of the Tobacco-Free Finance Pledge
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
2023 GreenBiz 30 Under 30 List of Sustainability Leaders
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
The Future of the Responsible Company: Patagonia’s First 50 Years
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
Catalytic Capital Success in Indian Country Shows Just and Sustainable Economic Growth through Self-Determination
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
Green Concrete is Foundational to Building Climate Solutions at Scale
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
Climate Change is a Public Health Crisis: Building a Healthier Future
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
The Intersection of Buildings, Energy, and Emissions Reduction
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
The Key to a Net-Zero Future is Lower Carbon Buildings Today
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
Connecting Impact Bonds and the Green Building Movement
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
Veris Wealth Publishes New Report on Investing in DEIB
“Investors have a powerful opportunity to help close the wealth gaps in the US and create a more equitable economy and society by investing in all communities. Wealth management firms can use DEIB factors in selecting asset-manager partner firms – thereby aligning their clients’ values with investments and with the management firms themselves,” said Veris CEO, Stephanie Cohn Rupp. Read More
Community Foundations and Place-based Impact Investing
Community Capital Management, a leading impact and ESG investing manager, recently released a report, Community Foundations and Place-Based Impact Investing, which takes a look at how place-based impact investments can be a great way to leverage the endowments of community foundations and donor-advised fund portfolios to align with their missions. Read More
Framework Helps Investors and Companies Understand True Value of Water
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
Ten Nature-Inspired Startups Solving Environmental and Social Problems
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 Dream Team for Ocean Carbon Capture?
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
Global Shipping Gets a Kick in the Rudder to Decarbonize
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
Oceans and Climate: Investable Solutions
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
Aquaculture: Bringing Climate Resilience to Maine’s Blue Economy
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
The Largest Climate Catastrophe That No One Knows About
“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
How Sustainable Ocean Funds Are Navigating Impact Measurement
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
Proof of Peak Natural Gas but Climate Innovation Funding is Still Challenging
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
Sunwealth 2023 ESG Fixed Income Fund of the Year
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
Ceres Releases Annual Climate Risk Scorecard
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
Project Drawdown: Working to Halt Climate Change
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 Climate Pricing Gap
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
Investing in Resilience & Access: The Global Microgrid Energy Landscape
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
Public Equity Investing in Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency
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
Navigating the Investment Impact from the EPA’s Evolving Carbon Rules
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
Clean Energy Investment and Innovation Trends: Navigating the Road Ahead
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
Parnassus Removes Investment Screen for Nuclear Power
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
Organic Valley 2023 Impact Report: Sustainable Food System & Small Family Farms
Your support of our small family farms has made a big impact on the environment and rural communities. Through our innovative farming practices, our cooperative of small family farmers has helped reduce GHG emissions, increase biodiversity and support local economies. We are making progress toward a more sustainable and equitable food system. Read More
Soil Wealth Areas Unlock Investing in Conservation and Regenerative Ag
Croatan Institute’s recent report, Soil Wealth Areas: Place-based Financing for Conservation, Rural Communities, and Regenerative Ag, summarizes a USDA-funded, feasibility assessment regarding development of place-based financing districts in NC, CA, OR, and WI. The project engaged with 40 farms across 25K acres as well as a diverse group of partners, investors and stakeholders. Read More
Making Best Farming Practices Work for Investors
“I started Farm Holdings to restore as much land as possible and soon became obsessed with soil and soil erosion. We’re learning a lot about what you need to do to make regenerative ag work financially for investors, including partnering with farmers and ranchers around the collocation of clean energy with regenerative ag,” said Tim Luckow, founder Read More
Regenerative Ag Sustains & Revives Local Communities
Regenerative agriculture has become a hot topic over the past few years. While it is more recently trending, our Edible Communities network has seen it being implemented at the local, grassroots level since we started writing more than 20 years ago. Regenerative agriculture offers an alternative approach that prioritizes both food production and environmental stewardship. Read More
The Untapped Climate Opportunity in Alternative Proteins
By investing in the development and scaling of alternative proteins, we could reduce GHG emissions, create economic opportunities, and contribute to sustainable development. In addition to the environmental benefits, they offer other potential advantages. Plant-based proteins can be produced with significantly less land, water, and other resources than traditional animal agriculture as well as improve animal welfare. Read More
Climate Risks Threaten Investor Appetite for Intensive Livestock Production
Global meat consumption is expected to grow over the next decade. The changing global climate poses significant risks not just to the growth, but to the fundamentals of the industry. From the rising price of feed to desertification of grazing lands and increasing regulation to reduce GHG emissions, climate-related risks require an extra layer of analysis for asset allocation in the sector. Read More
Three Trends Driving the Growth of Organic Agriculture
2022 was a breakout year for organic agriculture. Consumer demand for organic food continued its steady rise, with strong prices for producers, rising land values and excellent returns for investors. Beyond these results, three significant trends were sharply apparent last year that will continue to affect not only organic farming but the entire agriculture sector including investor interest in sustainable farmland practices. Read More
Public Equity Investing in Sustainable Food and Agriculture
Trillium’s Sustainable Opportunities thematic suite of public equity strategies aims to address global sustainability challenges in three core areas: climate solutions, economic inclusion, and healthy living. As an intersecting theme, sustainable food and agriculture, cuts across these issues. Since 2008, Trillium has identified companies benefiting from the shift to a more sustainable economy. Read More
Calamos Launches New Sustainable Equity Funds
John Koudounis of Calamos Investments and NBA superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo share the goals of economic empowerment, financial education, and giving back, especially to young people in the community.
So together they are creating sustainable funds and ETFs designed to generate investment and societal returns, based on ESG research and investment principles. Read More
Praxis Funds Releases 2022 Real Impact Report
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 Impact Investments Releases 2022 Impact Report
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
New Toolkit Guides Investors on Indigenous Rights Respect
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
Green Century Funds President Named to Prestigious Barron’s List
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
Native Americans Get Funding for Climate Projects
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
Sustainable Land Trust Management
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
Tourism Destinations Begin Transition to a Green Economy
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
The Power of Community Tourism: Planeterra’s Mission to Turn Travel into Impact
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
Regenerate and Rejoice at Finca Luna Nueva Lodge
If it’s a farm-to-table experience in the rainforest you’re seeking, we’re here to fill your senses. But what about filling your souls? Is there a rainforest medicine that gives you hope about the planet? We think so, and it’s called regenerative farming. We produce food in a way that mimics how rainforests create food energy – growing food that repairs and enriches our ecosystem. Read More
Carbon Clean 200 Companies Outperform Dirty Energy
“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
State of Green Business 2023 and the Top 10 Trends
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 2023 Impact Investment Fund Managers List
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
Inclusive Gender and Climate Finance – 2X Global Report
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
US SIF: Forum for Sustainable and Responsible Investment names Maria Lettini new CEO
“US SIF has accomplished so much and is poised to accelerate its impact and accomplishments. This is an incredible opportunity to apply my experience from FAIRR and PRI to the US sustainable investment market and to help drive the mission and impact of US SIF to the next level” said Maria Lettini. Read More
Carbon Equity Wants Climate Investments to Pack a Punch
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
2023 CDFI Sustainable Investing Trends
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
Three Ways Financial Advisors Can Advance Racial and Gender Equity
An analysis by McKinsey found closing the racial wealth gap would add up to $1.5 trillion in economic activity over the next 10 years through job creation and income gains. This article looks at the benefits of moving low-cost capital to depositories advancing access to capital for minority and women-owned businesses as well as access to homeownership to build wealth. Read More
Celebrating Women and Investing
In honor of Women’s History Month, Stella Tai, Stewardship Investing Impact and Analysis Manager at Praxis Mutual Funds interviews Lori Scott, Managing Director of Impact Credit at Lafayette Square to reflect on the contributions and achievements of women in the field of investing. Lori brings 25 years of experience in community development finance and has paved her own way in the impact investment field. Read More
The Benefits of Putting our Feminism into our Finances
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
Innovative Use of Farmed Oysters Boosts Businesses and the Environment
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
Brands Grapple with Sustainable Growth in Crowded, Stalling, Alternative-Protein Market
Industry players must keep making their products even more attractive, appeal to older generations and bring down costs. Only then can we address the significant environmental impacts of animal agriculture while satisfying the meat-loving masses. The environmental benefits of having a hefty proportion of the global population moving to a meat-free diet are well documented. Animal farming uses around 77 percent of the world’s agricultural land; yet, it only supplies 17 percent of our food. It is this inefficiency that continues to drive the expansion of farms, and ongoing deforestation and loss of ecosystems. Read More
Mad Capital Closes $4m Seed Round to Finance Regenerative Agriculture
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
REI will ban ‘forever chemicals’ from clothes and cookware in 2024
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
The 2023 Community Power Scorecard
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
The struggle for the soul of the B Corp movement
The ESG initiative pledges to turn companies into forces for good, but some are wary of its growing focus on multinational corporations. The controversy is part of a wider debate about the future of the B Corp movement, which started in the US but now includes thousands of companies around the world who are certified. Among a range of ESG benchmarks, frameworks and certifications, B Corps set out to be a widely recognized gold standard. Read More
Ann Arbor’s big decarbonization bet
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
What You Should Know About Soaring Egg Prices
Egg prices are in the news and hitting budgets hard. Two main factors led to higher egg prices, but there may be a bit of relief coming. Through November 2022, egg prices jumped 49%, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. If you’ve checked the grocery store, the price of a dozen eggs varies but you may see prices closing in on $10. You can also find organic eggs at a lower price point than conventional. Read More
EPA Launches $550 Million Program for Environmental Justice Grants
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
World’s biggest investment fund warns directors to tackle climate crisis or face sack
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
At Columbia’s $600 Million Business School, Time to Rethink Capitalism
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
2022 Trends in Purpose and What They Mean for the Year Ahead
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
New Year, New Glass Heights: Women Now Comprise 10% Of Top U.S. Corporation CEOs
January 1st was the start date of five new women helming Fortune 500 companies, bringing the total number of female CEOs to 53. Which means, for the first time—after years of being stuck at the 8% mark—over 10% of Fortune 500 CEOs are women. Let's take a moment to recognize how far we've come by celebrating some of the history-making women who brought us over the 10% line. Read More
How Pittsburgh found a secret climate weapon in ‘the thrilling world of municipal budgeting’
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
Hypatia Announces Launch of Exchange Traded Fund – Hypatia Women CEO ETF
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
Natural capital earns investor interest
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
Six ESG and Climate Trends to Watch for 2023
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
How vulnerable is Wall Street to climate change? The Fed wants to find out.
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
Wall Street’s New ESG Money-Maker Promises Nature Conservation—With a Catch
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
Upcoming Regulations in ESG Ratings: Three Implications for Business
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
Sustainable and ESG Investors Advocacy
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
ESG Incorporation by Institutional Investors
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
ESG Incorporation by Money Managers
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
2022 Report on US Sustainable Investing Trends: Executive Summary
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
Biodiversity Finance Guide Offers Investors a Blueprint to Protect Nature
“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
How do ESGs Compare to Other Eco-friendly Investments?
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 Releases its 2022 Impact Report: The Need for Transformative Change
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 Celebrates the 5th Anniversary of its Global Sustainable Real Estate Fund
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
Green Bonds are Big Business for Climate Investors
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
Despite a Tough Year, Women are Still the Future of Sustainable Investing
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
Building Trust Through Authenticity
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
Gender is an Untapped Opportunity for Climate-Smart Investors
(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
Just Good Investing: Our Gender Lens Investing Journey
Calvert Impact has invested in women since our founding nearly 30 years ago. As an investment firm dedicated to investing in solutions that people and planet need, we helped grow the microfinance and community development financial industries, both of which are important sources of capital for female entrepreneurs. Ten years ago, we began experimenting with a more formal approach to investing in women. (Dec. 2022) Read More
Cleantech Group Names the 2022 Cleantech 50 to Watch – Climate Crisis Innovators
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 announces new strategy & creation of Calvert Impact
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
Impact Investing Market Reaches $1.1 Trillion Globally in Industry Milestone
“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
Dave Ramsey, The Market, and Jesus
Jesus called out economic injustice. He turned over the tables in the temple, because of the way the financial system of the temple treated the poor. The poor would bring what they had, but it was not in the currency of the temple. So, they exchanged it with unscrupulous money changers to get the right currency. Jesus recognized this abuse and rejected it. Read More
Aligning Faith and Finances: A Personal Journey
On the theme of values-based investing, a speaker at a Christian MBA networking conference I attended explained the importance of having a framework to look at how a company treats all of its stakeholders, namely, its customers, employees, suppliers, host communities, the environment, and broader society. The bottom line was her assertion that what is right is also, in many cases, good for business and investors. Read More
It’s Not a “Nice Thing”!
Community investing combines prudent management and economic sustainability of traditional investments with an understanding of the challenges faced by orgs seeking to bring opportunity and long-term financial viability to those on the margins of our society. Where charity seeks to do good work, community investing seeks to leverage charitable and community resources to expand that “good work” by multiples Read More
Faith-based Investing: Economics for the Greater Good
Faith-based investors have an opportunity, indeed an obligation, to exert influence on businesses to maximize the human welfare of shareholders, broader stakeholders, and society at large. Such investors may align investments with their belief system, like Quakers eschewing any business dealings with companies involved in the slave trade, or early Methodists avoiding investments in alcohol, tobacco, gambling or weapons. Read More
Heeding the Call: Investing in Justice and a Livable Future
There is a reawakening among faith investors to address global challenges through the power of mobilizing assets in alignment with their values. Over the decades, faith leaders charted a course that has engaged both values-aligned investors and financial professionals. Today, we are witnessing some of the first “impact investing” pioneers coming together with a new generation of faith-based asset owners and networks. Read More
Global Water Security–the single most significant impact and investment opportunity
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
Investing in Coastal Enterprises’ Child Care Business Lab
CEI’s Business Lab is an example of the kind of solution that Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) excel at. Through their lending and business advising in economically sidelined communities, CDFIs learn directly from the individuals in the communities that they serve, what the key barriers to success are, allowing them to develop tailored solutions. Read More
Impact Investing for Social Justice: Looking Back and Moving Forward
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
Optimizing Assets for Mission
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
Tapping the Catalytic Capital Potential of Donor Advised Funds
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
Why Impact Investing Needs Philanthropy and Catalytic Capital
The global impact investing field has been expanding like never before so it is worth considering what impact investing’s further growth and mainstreaming could mean for philanthropy and foundations and the dynamic role they have long played. Informed by 40 years and more than $700 million of impact investing, the MacArthur Foundation sees three main ways that philanthropy should continue to engage. Read More
Ten Nature-Inspired Companies Addressing ESG Issues
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
2022 GreenBiz 30 Under 30 List of Sustainability Leaders
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
Envisioning Transformational Change in Who Builds Wealth and How
What could the next 30 years bring? At Homewise we are working towards a future in which a growing and increasingly diverse spectrum of Americans have the opportunity to build intergenerational wealth and foster strong communities through homeownership. We believe that this work, if taken to scale and adequately resourced, could transform the distribution of wealth and opportunity in America within 30 years. Read More
Market Infrastructure Built Over the Past Three Decades Will Help Fuel the Next 30 Years
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
The Next 30 Years: GM’s Vision for a More Sustainable and Equitable Future
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
Reflecting on the ESG Industry’s Strong Foundation and Bright Future
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
UNFI’s Climate Goals Validated by SBTi
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
Bloomberg Launches Indices in Climate Index Family
“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
SFI’s Conservation Impact: A Decade of Success
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 Launches Ocean Health ETF
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
Ceres’ New Guide to Aid U.S. Food Sector’s Climate Transition Plans
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
The Challenge of Decarbonizing Cities and Real Estate
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 Official: The Climate Crisis is a Health Emergency
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
What Would Nature Do? What Would Nature Have Me Do? The Next Thirty Years
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 Next 30 Years: Investing in the Transition to a More Sustainable Economy
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 Way You Invest Matters: Setting the Stage for the Next 30 Years
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
The 100 Best Corporate Citizens of 2022
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
Introducing the GoSun Grid – Outdoor Fun & Resilience
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
Why the World of Vertical Farming Has Become So Hot
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
Our Healing Begins in the Soil
Our food and agriculture systems are fundamentally broken. It’s no exaggeration to say that the warming planet, social inequities, and health epidemics bear this out. However, there’s real hope. We can heal ourselves, our communities, and our planet when we begin to participate once again in the creation of healthier food systems through regenerative organic agriculture. Read More
How Will Celebrity Investors Impact the Agriculture Industry?
The future of food and farming may not be dependent solely on breakthroughs in science – celebrity investors may play a role in changing the way society thinks about food from farm to table. And as improvements in agriculture technology become more well-known, more investors look at agriculture through new eyes - and choose to invest in something that will benefit the world. Read More
Equal Exchange: A Mission Accomplished
It was a fortuitous sharing of vision and willingness to take risks that drove Equal Exchange founders in 1986 to move forward with their vision of Fair Trade and a better world. The three were managers at a food cooperative in the NE who dreamed of a large and inclusive economy that lifted up the prosperity of growers in the Third World, growers whose poorly paid labor had long kept the wealthy in comfort and the growers in poverty. Read More
Setting the Benchmark for Sustainable Agriculture
Organic farming is both good for the environment and can generate attractive returns. Our first fund had a 69 percent financial gain in net asset value over seven years. Also, our largest CA farm showed we generated a 46 percent net gain for the ecosystem, including: carbon sequestered in the soil, harmful ag practices avoided, enhanced biodiversity, healthy pollinator habitats, and reduced use of water for crops. Read More
Food and Agriculture: Finding Sustainable Solutions, Old and New
Regenerative agriculture involves practices that equitably use land to address climate change, biodiversity, soil health, and the well-being of workers and local economies. In 2019, Domini launched its Forest Project, focusing on the systemic importance of forests to environmental systems, businesses, and investments. We recently drew more explicit connections between our forest work and our sustainable agriculture work. Read More
Why Slow Money?
Since the slow money movement’s first low interest loan to a local organic farm in 2010, more than $80 million has flowed to over 800 small farms and local food businesses. And now we’ve launched beetcoin.org as a platform for small donors to participate in building a grassroots source of capital as we also aim for more local 0% loan groups. Slow Money is fixing things from the ground up in ways that industrial food systems and industrial financial systems cannot. Read More
Climate Finance Campaigner Wrangles Europe’s Giant Banks and Companies
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
Plant-based Innovation & Climate ETF from VegTech Launches on NYSE
“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 releases its 2022 Impact Investment Fund Managers List
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
Domini Funds Releases their 2021 Impact Report
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
Finding a Career in Financial Services with ESG Investing
If you are interested in the interdisciplinary topics of environmental, social, and governance and how they influence businesses, you might consider a career in ESG Investing. If you have hard time reconciling the person you need to be for your day job versus the person you are outside of work, ESG could be a good fit. There are so many opportunities today at the intersection of finance, business, and sustainability. Read More
How to Avoid Greenwashing When Choosing ESG Investments
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
Changing Your Relationship with Money for Good
The concept of financial wellness is often associated with managing your money the right way or having a certain net worth. But this definition leaves out something just as important as the numbers – how your finances impact your mental and physical well-being. At OneEleven Financial Wellness, we are changing that by looking at more than just the numbers and taking a holistic approach to personal finance. Read More
Investing in Women, Impacting the World
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 Year Ahead: Three Water Trends
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
Community Capital Mgmt. Releases Ninth Annual Impact Report
“We have seen significant growth in the demand for our impact and ESG investment strategies over the last decade from a variety of investors, including endowments, foundations, faith-based organizations, high net worth investors, non-profits, and healthcare organizations. We are proud of our team members and are excited to share the new video and impact report.” said Alyssa Greenspan, president and COO of CCM. Read More
Clean200 Companies Continue to Outperform MSCI ACWI Global Index
“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
Top Sustainable Business Trends of 2022
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
WAVE Fills Gap in Evaluating Water Risk
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
Investing in Water Stewardship
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
The Role Investors Play in Addressing Global Water Challenges
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
We Can’t Afford Polluted Water
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
Navigating the Canals of Water Investing
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 Launches Impact Accelerator: Next Gen for Social Impact
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
Starbucks Selects 7 Local Lenders for First Round of Community Resilience Fund
Recently Starbucks selected the first seven CDFIs to receive funding as part of the company’s Community Resilience Fund. With this first round, Starbucks is investing $21 million across these organizations to support equity and economic growth in the communities it serves. These organizations focus on advancing small business growth and community development projects in BIPOC communities across the country Read More
Desmond Tutu, Nobel Prize winning anti-apartheid campaigner and – who knew? – climate activist
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
GreenMoney Named One of the Most Influential DEI Leaders for 2021
“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
NextGen Committee of the Ray Anderson Fdtn Awards Grant for Blue Carbon Conservation Program
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
Transformational Investing in Communities of Color
For those looking to invest in a solidarity economy, CDFIs offer a proven way for one’s investment to make a positive impact on someone’s life and contribute to a long-term shift in who participates in our nation’s economy. Attuned to the greatest needs of underrepresented communities, investments in CDFIs represent an opportunity to place one’s money where it has meaning and positive impact. Read More
New CERES Report: Feeding Ourselves Thirsty
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 Releases its Real Impact 2021 Report
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
Gender Lens is Emerging as a Fundamental ESG Screen
ESG integration has been touted by Wall Street firms as a useful method for identifying risk factors that would otherwise be overlooked by traditional investment analysis, as well as optimizing investment returns in times of economic uncertainty. In todays’ world, it makes sense to put equality for women at the forefront of investing, because organizations that prioritize the rights and equality of women make their own organization stronger. Companies that rank higher from an ESG perspective for embracing the gender lens for investments also help to optimize the returns on their investments. Read More
Esther Pan Sloane: Upping the game of international climate finance
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
Accelerating the Diversity Flywheel in 2022 and Beyond
Many companies understand that a diverse workforce can enhance innovation and in turn profitability. A McKinsey study found companies with executive teams in the top quartile for gender diversity were 25% more likely to have above-average profitability than companies in the bottom quartile. Companies with more women in executive roles and in the board room, stand to benefit from a range of financial, social and reputational advantages. Read More
Recent SEC Staff Interpretation Bodes Well for Gender Lens Investor Advocacy
The newest SEC staff interpretation relating to shareholder proposals is poised to make it easier for ESG issues to get onto the ballot at company annual meetings. While terms like "diversity," "inclusion," and "gender lens investing" are becoming part of corporate and investing vocabulary, implementation of the values for which those concepts stand is far from complete. Read More
The Women Leading the Climate Change Fight and How We Can Support Them
(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
Sustainable Investing: Good News for 2022 and Beyond
Women are looking to sustainable investing to help them express their care for the climate, for low-income communities, and for global health, knowing that all of these things are interconnected. They understand that gender diversity starts at the top. As companies hire more women and include more diversity in their upper management and on their boards, the organizations realize both better balance and better financial results. Read More
GreenMoney Wins 2021 Media Innovator Award
Corporate Vision Magazine recently announced the winners of the Media Innovator Awards 2021 which acknowledges businesses, and individuals who have excelled within the industry. Welcoming all businesses, enterprises and professionals, from print media, broadcasting, and social media. The GreenMoney team is honored by the award. Read More
2021 Responsible Business Awards from Reuters Events
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
New Guide for Retirement Plan Sponsors from US SIF
This five-step guide assists retirement plan sponsors considering the addition of investment options that address ESG criteria to their defined contribution (DC) retirement plans. It includes increasing plan sponsor knowledge of sustainable investing, gauging participants' interest, discussing implementation, choosing funds and educating participants. Read More
Homewise Releases their 2021 Annual Report
“We’ve remained flexible and adaptable as we continued to focus on achieving our mission in an impactful and sustainable way. From delivering our programs and services remotely to responding to changing economic and market conditions with innovative new programs, services and assistance for our clients.” – Mike Loftin, CEO of Homewise Read More
Impact Shares ETFs Receive 5-Star Morningstar Rating
“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
Green Bond Pioneers Create Advisory Firm – ImpactARC
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
Powerful Tools to Avert Climate-based Financial Instability
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
The Green Bond’s Awkward Kid Brother Enters the Market
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
The Rise in Green Bonds: What This Means for Investors and Our Planet
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
Green Bond-anza: Making Sense of the Categories
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
Green Bond Standards Advance, Bringing Greater Clarity for Issuers, Investors
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
Investing in a Disruptive Climate
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
Regeneration: Ending the Climate Crisis in One Generation
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
Place-Based Impact Investing: A new report from CCM
“Americans, especially younger generations, increasingly prioritize and support local economies. We are arriving at a collective conclusion that global and domestic problems need local solutions and investing in place-based opportunities can offer investors appropriate risk-adjusted returns while positively impacting our communities to be better, greener, and more just.” - David Sand, Chief Impact Strategist at Community Capital Management Read More
Community Impact Investing in Sustainable Infrastructure
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
Money and Meaning: Fit for Purpose?
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
Community Investing: Tools for These Times
Investing in low-income communities struggling at the margins of the economy has been a pillar of SRI for more than half a century – the movement has broadened to include “sustainable” and “impact investing.” While faith-based and other investors have also launched corporate dialogues, screened investments and proactively invested in communities. Read More
Addressing Housing Affordability with Access to Homeownership
If America is committed to helping everyone achieve affordable, stable housing, we must do more to help low-income families and families of color own their own housing. Affordable homeownership is not the capstone of economic well-being, it is the cornerstone. And it will also help close the racial wealth gap. Read More
GreenMoney Interview Series: Community Investors
Welcome to the ongoing GreenMoney Interviews series. This issue features two Women of Color who are emerging leaders in Socially Responsible Investing and Community Investing: Kimberly Jones of Self-Help Federal Credit Union who interviews Nicole Middleton Holloway of Natural Investments. Here is their wide-ranging conversation. Read More
Community Capital Mgmt. Releases “Aligning Faith and Finance” Report
Faith-based investing has been around for a long time and comes in countless methods of implementation and interpretation. Many faith-based investment strategies and products take different approaches to aligning faith from screening to advocacy to community investing. This report shares details on aligning faith and finance, including its history, terminology, performance, and religious guidelines. Read More
50 Years of Sustainable Investing at Pax World
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
The IPCC Report: Four Takeaways for Investors
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
Oceans 2050 Receives Keeling Curve Prize for Pathbreaking Seaweed Carbon Work
“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
Ten to Watch: Pioneers of the Blue Economy
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
Ensuring Planetary Stability: Banks as Unlikely Allies?
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
Investing in an Ocean Economy
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
Climate Positive Financing in Sea Farming
When it comes to climate change, oceans are the bellwether. For Maine, with a heritage and economy heavily tied to the sea, this is increasingly apparent in the changing behaviors of marine creatures, which is also affecting people’s lives and livelihoods. For Maine’s iconic fishing industry, known for its sustainable management of marine resources, commercial aquaculture can be a part of the solution. Read More
Sustainable Ocean Investing Gets Real: Opportunities Across All Asset Classes
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 Announces the Best For The World 2021 B Corps
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
Impax Asset Management Engagement Report 2021
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
GSIA Releases Global Sustainable Investment Review 2020
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
Koehler Group Invests in the European Circular Bioeconomy Fund
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
12 Young Circular Economy Innovators
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
Circular Economics and the $57B E-Waste Opportunity
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
Everything From Smartphones to Housing Can Be Built Without Waste. Here’s How.
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
The Next Steps Towards a Circular Economy
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
The Purpose of Business and the Circular Economy
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 Announces 100 Best Corporate Citizens
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
Beyond Investing Expands Range of Animal-Friendly Investment Products
In June, Beyond Investing announced it is launching five new investment products in partnership with its affiliate Beyond Impact. The products are spread across the world, in both public and private markets, providing more options for investors, and to further Beyond Investing’s mission of a world free of animal exploitation. Read More
Spider-Inspired Silk Company, Spintex, Awarded $100,000 Ray of Hope Prize
Biomimicry Institute announced the 2021 Ray of Hope Prize award recipient, Spintex Engineering, that manufacturers biodegradable textile fibers for use in fashion and high-performance material applications. The Prize, created in honor of the late sustainable business pioneer Ray C. Anderson, is awarded to the world’s top nature-inspired startup. Read More
Green Finance Goes Mainstream, Lining Up Trillions Behind Global Energy Transition
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
Architect William McDonough – Climate Change is a Design Project Needing Lots of Attention
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
A Better World?
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
Hydrogen Could Be America’s Energy Future
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
State of the Green Building Industry
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
Ecofin Strives to Make a Positive Impact Without Compromising Returns
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
The Second Wave of Sustainability is Health and Wellbeing
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
Why a Cooperative Model for Clean Energy Financing Couldn’t Miss
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
Future 500’s Force for Good Forecast 2021: Sustainability and Stakeholder Trends
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
Giants of Social Investing: John Streur and Jack Robinson
This book offers clear-eyed portraits of two successful and intriguing major world investors. These profiles offer the immediacy of oral history, the hard-won knowledge of lived experience, with direct quotes from the major investors. This covers world history as their investments have influenced over 5,000 companies during their careers. Read More
Calvert Impact Capital Invests in Sunwealth for Solar Access, Energy Savings & Jobs
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 2020 Impact Report: Opportunities for Positive Change in a Challenging Year
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
2021 GreenBiz 30 Under 30 List of Sustainability Leaders
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
Organic Valley Launches Clean Energy Fund for its Farmers
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
Can We Pay Farmers to Store Carbon Emissions in Their Fields?
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
Speed of Trust: A Native American Investment Example of Restorative Agriculture and Economics
Indigenous people are on a journey together. Money is love. Money is medicine. These enterprises are cultural capital. We undertake these entrepreneurial deals as Native Americans. This regenerative agricultural enterprise is taking back the Buffalo, our relatives, and bringing our people back to their health. Read More
Betterment Harvest: Ag-Tech in Appalachia
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 Carrot Project: Investing in Local Sustainable Ag and Food
During the pandemic, farmers and food producers selling locally showed their strength, as the global food system showed weakness. Local farms provided good food, while stewarding the land and strengthening communities. Our local food ecosystem’s resilience is a result of the incredible work ethic of farmers, buoyed by varied collaborations and the growing role of investors. Read More
Reaping the Promise of Regenerative Agriculture
Regenerative farming involves nurturing the land through healthy soil biology, crop rotations, pollinator habitat, and other science-based practices focused on making that land more vital and productive to the roots. We look at each 20 to 40 acre field on each farm and identify its ideal crops and develop a 10-year crop rotation plan to increase soil health, plant happiness and the best economics. Read More
ImpactAssets’ IA 50 Impact Investment Fund Managers List
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
Beyond Investing–World’s First Vegan Investment Platform
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 Celebrates their 30th Anniversary
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
Forbes: Sallie Krawcheck Leads Ellevest to $1 Billion AUM
“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
Barron’s: The 100 Women Making their Mark in the World of Finance
Women are achieving greater prominence and power in both the public sector and the private sector. Janet Yellen now serves as the nation’s first female secretary of the Treasury. Citigroup has a new female CEO as does TIAA, and both the NYSE and the Nasdaq are led by women. Read More
Financial Feminism: A Woman’s Guide to Investing for a Sustainable Future
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
Krystal Williams: Parsing the Argument for Equity in Climate Action
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
Finance as a Force for Nature–A Pioneering Approach to Investing
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
Women of Color–The Investment of this Century
Many of us realize that racial equity requires much more than intentional conversations and thoughtful grants. Though these are important efforts, there is a growing imperative to address the disparities experienced by people of color, and especially women in the US, with action and systems change. A place to start is by providing equitable access to the resources women of color need to create economic opportunity for themselves and their communities. Read More
On the Road to Gender and Racial Equity in Finance
Like it or not, in our position as Financial Advisors, we become gatekeepers. At my gate, I give preference to investments that demonstrate not only financial health, but also a deep commitment to socially and environmentally responsible practices that intentionally include working to build equity across gender, race, and class through their work as well as increasing representation and equity across management, staff, supply chains, and service providers. Read More
Now is the Moment for Women Advisors and ESG Customization
(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
Investors Commend Market Leaders on Chemical Footprinting and Safety
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
Transformative Investment in Climate-Smart Agriculture
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
Bridging the Divide Between Impact Investing and Native America
Indigenous intermediaries are crucial to overcoming asymmetries between impact investors and Native America through the building of relationships of trust, creation of an ecosystem for impact investing in Indigenous communities, and performance of the due diligence investors need to manage risk. Read More
Carbon Clean 200: Investing in a Clean Energy Future 2021
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
Top Sustainable Business Trends 2021 from GreenBiz
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
Praxis Mutual Funds Releases their Real Impact 2020 Report
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 Money Shows Up and Sustainable Investment Gets Rolling
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
How Has Money Influenced My Life
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
Facing Our Relationship with Money Can Change Us
I have been working with people and their finances for almost twenty years now, and one thing I know for certain: Each person’s relationship with money is unique and powerful, whether they choose to recognize it or not. I have also noticed that those who are willing to accept and work with the realities of their relationship with money generally lead happier and more balanced lives. My experience is no exception. Read More
Starbucks Announces $100 Million Investment in CDFIs and Other Impact-focused Financial Institutions
As part of its long-standing commitment to use its scale and platform to positively impact the communities it serves, the Starbucks Community Resilience Fund will invest $100 million by 2025, to advance racial equity and environmental resilience by supporting small business growth and community development projects in neighborhoods with historically limited access to capital. Read More
Ray C. Anderson Foundation’s NextGen Committee Awards $100,000 Grant to Cultural Survival
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
YourStake.org and First Affirmative Financial Network Announce a New Partnership
“The number of ESG investors is growing rapidly, and First Affirmative has been at the forefront assisting sustainable wealth managers since 1988. With this partnership, we are delighted to be advancing the forefront of the SRI ecosystem by enabling advisors to communicate to clients the impact their investments are making” said Theresa Gusman, Chief Investment Officer of First Affirmative Financial Network. Read More
10 Trends That Will Shape Sustainability in 2021 and Beyond
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
Saving Biodiversity: Investing in Climate Change is Not Enough
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
The Ten to Watch: Young Climate Entrepreneurs
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
My Journey on the Road Less Traveled
As a millennial myself, I find my generation faced with the challenge of tackling humankind’s greatest crisis: climate change. Growing up under the specter of a rapidly warming planet, we’ve had to decide that the cost of chasing unlimited profit may not be worth the payoff and the corresponding destructive social or environmental consequences. The lens of investing has broadened so that positive social and environmental outcomes can be coupled with lucrative returns. Read More
Tech Savvy Millennial Investors Positioned to Thrive in the “Roaring 2020s”
What a time to be a millennial investor. A chaotic 2020 offered both investment pitfalls and opportunities. 2021 should trend toward a more “normal” environment, but disruptive companies, elevated volatility and information everywhere will continue to define the investment landscape. These 3 themes have millennials positioned to thrive. So my advice is to trust your gut, stay flexible and maintain a sense of optimism about the future. Read More
When it Comes to Divergent Generational Perspectives, Can Compromise Drive Profits?
Whether you are a family member in endless contentious investment committee meetings or a wealth manager attempting to align disparate client priorities, differing intergenerational perspectives frequently create challenges. Oftentimes the gap between prioritizing achieving better financial returns versus prioritizing greater social or environmental impact seems insurmountable. Here is how to integrate the two perspectives. Read More
GreenMoney Interviews: Liesel Pritzker Simmons
(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
GreenMoney Journal’s 2021 Editorial Calendar
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
Starbucks Announces Mellody Hobson as Next Board Chair
Mellody has been a trusted advisor to me and the company for more than 20 years. She is a fearless leader defined by her grace and wisdom. She has long embraced the purpose of Starbucks and, along with the leadership team, will continue to reimagine Starbucks future through the foundation of its past” said Howard Schultz, founder and chairman emeritus Read More
CNote Raises $3M to Invest in Underserved Communities
CNote, a women-founded and led financial technology platform that makes it easy to invest in economic inclusion, has closed a $3M private funding round to extend its reach in the fast-growing SRI investing space. CNote is focused on advancing economic justice through community investments and will use the funding to grow its team and scale its offerings. Read More
New Domini International Opportunities Fund Launched
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
Calvert Impact Capital 2020 Impact Report & 25th Anniv.
Over the past 25 years, CIC has grown to a firm with over $575 million in total assets, raising capital from hundreds of brokerage firms and institutions and thousands of individuals. Making nearly a 1,000 loans and investments to over 500 organizations across 100+ countries, supporting hundreds of thousands of businesses and benefitting millions of lives around the world. Read More
ESG Moves Towards a Single Standard
ESG-driven products have continued to attract billions at a rapid rate during the last year, including a record $36 billion in October alone. The market keeps calling for a common set of rules to guide and govern such investments in a sector with hundreds of different ESG rating frameworks. Will that call be answered by the newly-created Value Reporting Foundation? Read More
SRI and ESG Investors Advocacy
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
ESG Incorporation by Institutional Investors 2020
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
ESG Incorporation by Money Managers 2021
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
SRI Trends Report 2020: Executive Summary
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
Biomimicry & Business: Companies Using Nature’s Strategies
“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
Why Climate Finance? Why Now?
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
General Motors’ Mary Barra on Putting Everyone in an Electric Vehicle
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
Fortune’s Most Powerful Women in Business 2020
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
Gender Lens Investing: Strong Returns for Investors and Society
When Gender Lens Investing started a decade ago, the focus was largely on the number of women in management and CEO roles, but a more nuanced and far-reaching approach is now emerging and it is likely to find increasingly wide acceptance among all investors, according to a recent report from Glenmede. Read More
Swing Out Sister: How Women Founders Can Shine in 2021 and Beyond
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
Advancing Women Through Sustainable Investing
Far more women advisors are seeking to help women investors in the sustainable investing space. Because sustainable investing, which includes screening investments for ESG factors is no longer just a way to simply feel good; it makes sense from a business perspective. All of this leads to a far more equitable society, and a more efficient and resilient economy. Read More
The Future Can Be Female: Starting the Finance CEO Pipeline Even Earlier
If we wish to see more women in finance, it’s up to us as role models to volunteer in schools and other youth organizations. We can also help to teach girls financial literacy and the power of money by linking it to achieving better environmental and social outcomes; after all, as values-based, sustainable, and impact investors know, money is often the key to making real change in this world. Read More
How Investing in Women Helps Everyone During a Pandemic
Economic insecurity among women brings long-lasting consequences for families and the overall economy. Many women are now the breadwinners in their households. Their loss or reduction of income impedes their ability to provide for their families. This, in turn, can have a negative impact on the well-being of children and can lead to increased education and economic inequality. Read More
Moving Beyond Child Labor: Faith Investors Must Pay Greater Attention to Impacts on Children from Our Market Decisions
Faith investors have long engaged companies and governments on exploitative practices involving child labor. They have also weighed in on negative infant formula marketing, violent video games, and obesity impacts from junk food over the past four decades. In fact, faith investors are typically the first shareowners to flag negative business impacts on children. Read More
Faithful Finance: Strategies for Connecting Values and Capital to Generate Real-World Impact
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
Grace vs. Greed: The Church of England Steps into the Climate Breach
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
The United Church of Christ: Pioneer in Faith and Finance and a Force for Change 50 Years Later
(From the archives) The United Church of Christ was present at the creation of a new era in the intersection of faith and finance. In the early 70s, energized by the anti-war and anti-apartheid movements, the women’s movement, and the battle for civil rights, Protestant denominations began to examine how their religious values and social justice positions were reflected in their investing and business decisions. Read More
Responsible Investment and the Faith-Based Investor
Religious investors have been a vital force in the development of modern responsible investment. Pax World, the first SRI mutual fund in the U.S., was launched in 1971 by two Methodist ministers. In that same year the Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility was founded, and over the next half-century ICCR members have been engaging with corporations on issues ranging from the South Africa boycott to climate change. Read More
Pursuing Justice Through Faith-Based Impact Investing
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
Loving Our Neighbor in a Time of Crisis
"How does God’s love abide in anyone who has the world’s goods and sees a brother or sister in need and yet refuses help? Little children, let us love, not in word or speech but in truth and action." (1 John 3:17-18, NRSV) Traditionally seen as a call to greater charity, in 2020 this verse can provide inspiration for investors to integrate their values and pursue impact through their portfolios as well. Read More
The VERGE 20 Conference Goes Virtual October 26-30 to Accelerate the Clean Economy
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
World Tree USA Becomes the Most Successful Female Founded Company Ever on Wefunder
Started by Wendy Burton in 2015, World Tree USA, recently surpassed $2M on the Equity Crowdfunding Platform. This marks the third most successful capital raise in Wefunder’s history and the highest amount raised by any female founder. The agroforestry company offers investors the opportunity to participate in a timber investment through its Eco-Tree Program. Read More
First Affirmative Financial Network is Now an Employee-Owned Certified B Corp
First Affirmative, a pioneer in SRI Investing announced in September it will return to independence as an employee-owned Certified B Corp focused on values-based investing. First Affirmative and Goldman Sachs announced the spinoff as part of Goldman Sachs's acquisition of Folio Financial, which acquired First Affirmative in 2016. Read More
GreenMoney Journal Announces Strategic Partnership with Climate & Capital Media
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
US SIF Foundation Releases Report on Investing to Advance the UN Sustainable Development Goals
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
Trillium Global Equity: Trailblazing ESG Fund Continues to Perform
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
Going Global with ESG Investing
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
Responsible Investing in China
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
Socially Responsible Investing: A Global Perspective
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
General Motors and EVgo Aim to Accelerate Widespread EV Adoption by Adding Fast Chargers Nationwide
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
Sustainable Investing Firm Blue Marble Celebrates its 20th Anniversary
“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 Funds Continue to Rake in Assets During the Second Quarter
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
Within Our Reach – Equitable Local Economies through Action and Investment
The intersection of a new pandemic and reinvigorated demands for racial equality has created a gut-check moment for communities across the country, one that calls for a “new model” of place-based philanthropy. Now is the time to re-imagine a community and an economy that work for all and re-invest to make them happen. Read More
Sustainable Investments that Foundations can make for People and the Planet
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
Asset Building for Immigrant Communities through Affordable and Sustainable Homeownership
Homeownership is an important way that many create financial security and build wealth, which are critical to a family’s financial well-being and quality of life. Many families face obstacles that lock them out of the long-term economic benefit. Homewise addresses these obstacles through a two-pronged strategy. Read More
Domini Impact Investments releases the Domini Funds 2019 Impact Report
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
Parnassus on Companies Becoming More Relevant to Customers during COVID-19
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
MSCI: How 30 Years of ESG Indexing Informs Portfolio Construction
As it happens, Index-based Investing and ESG Investing met 30 years ago, when Peter Kinder, Steve Lydenberg and Amy Domini ran a research firm in Boston, and assembled a set of socially responsible stocks they called the KLD 400 Social Index. MSCI has created a new interactive timeline, which traces the evolution of ESG indexes back to 1990. Read More
Water and Pandemics
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
The Future of Water
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
The Rise of Water Investing
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
Investors Use Climate Playbook to Scale Action on Water
(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 and ConnectMii Launch a new Virtual Meeting and Events Platform
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 Commits to Being Carbon Neutral by 2030 in its Environmental Progress Report
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
How to Accelerate Bending the Temperature Change Curve
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
Flipping the Switch: Catalytic Capital for Renewable Energy
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
Renewable Energy in Real Estate: Data Centers Lead the Way
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 Outlook for Renewable Energy
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
Practical Sustainability Strategies: How to Gain a Competitive Advantage
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 2020 GreenBiz 30 Under 30 List of Sustainability Leaders
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
The New Investor Toolkit on Human Rights from IAHR and ICCR
The Investor Alliance for Human Rights has recently published this Toolkit for asset owners and money managers to address risks to people posed by their investments. The variety of crises in the world, has shown a light on systemic economic and social inequalities across societies as well as the precarious foundation that financial markets rely upon which is more evident now than ever. Read More
How Intel is Charting a New Course in Shared Responsibility after a Decade of CSR Accomplishments
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
Valuing Nature: A Handbook for Impact Investing
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
Regenerating the Land and Native Communities with Bison
As the demand for meat continues to escalate during this pandemic, the store shelves grow bare and the food supply system shows cracks. Sustainable, smaller production models, like Niman Ranch, are succeeding and supporting the families who work the land and raise the animals. At Native American Natural Foods, we believe buffalo can positively impact the future of a more sustainable food system. Read More
WHOA NELLIE!
As I sat down to write this article, a story appeared on CNN about the Whoa Nellie Farm in Acme, PA. I had no choice but to start the article with them because when, due to covid-19 supply chain disruptions, the farm’s milk processor stopped purchasing their milk, so they ramped up the bottling and pasteurization operation on the farm and put out a call to their community. Before long, there was a line of cars. Read More
GreenMoney Journal wins 2020 Business Excellence Award
Acquisition International magazine, based in London, has announced the winners of the 2020 Business Excellence Award. The goal of the Awards is to shine a spotlight on the achievements of entrepreneurs, managers, owners and founders around the world. The GreenMoney Journal team is honored to receive this award, which is our fifth significant award over the last 3 years. Read More
As You Sow’s Invest Your Values wins FC’s World Changing Ideas Award
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
Domini Launches the Domini Sustainable Solutions Fund
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
Why Food?
As I write this, the pandemic we’re experiencing has warned me that perhaps the days of buying expensive gear and plane tickets to travel halfway around the world to fish, ski, climb and surf may be over, if not greatly reduced. But we still need to eat. In fact, I think the only revolution we’re likely to see is in agriculture, and I want to be a part of that revolution. Read More
MSCI makes public ESG metrics for indexes and funds to drive greater ESG transparency
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
Farming for the Future at Frey Vineyards
(From the Archives) As organic food sales are increasing, consumers are also drinking more organic, no sulfites added, wine. So far in 2020, in light of the global pandemic, organic wine sales are rising as people are choosing to eat and drink pure products for their health and the health of the planet, because we know that sound organic farming practices will build healthy soil today and nourish future generations tomorrow. Read More
How to Spot Opportunities in Sustainable Food and Agriculture
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
Responsible Gender Lens Investing
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
Why Investing in Women is Crucial Right Now
I am hearing loud and clear from our Ellevest community on their desire to help each other during this crisis. Some of us will donate our time, others our money. I think there’s another thing to consider doing: continue to shift capital to investments that are better for women. Because as we come out of this crisis, the same global issues that existed before will exist afterward. Read More
The 100 Women Leading the U.S. Finance Industry into the Future
Barron’s decision to recognize and honor influential women in finance comes at a time when business institutions themselves have begun to realize that their long-term competitiveness, and the health of the capital markets, require remediating the industry’s gender gap. In the financial world, men have generally made more money than women and dominated management. Read More
ImpactAssets’ IA 50 Impact Investment Fund Manager Showcase
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
Gender Lens as a Winning Strategy in Impact Investing
Within the impact investing community, the value of gender diversity as an investment evaluation screen is rarely questioned because we know a secret that mainstream private equity and venture capital investors have failed to identify. We’ve discovered that investing in women-led companies is not only exceptionally impactful, but it is also an excellent financial strategy. Read More
Gender Equality and Climate Change: The Synergies
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
Investing to Advance Women: A Guide for Investors from SIF
Investing to promote gender equality and advance the socioeconomic standing of women is a leading priority of many sustainable investors. The US SIF found that at the start of 2018, institutional investors considered “gender lens” as a criterion in $868 billion of investment assets, doubling since 2016. Read More
Recalibrating Risk Assessment for Indigenous Women
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
Investing with Tribal Partners to Create a Climate Safe World
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
Solving the SRI Puzzle
My journey understanding SRI and how to implement it within Indian Country has been a captivating and everchanging learning experience. This journey led me to meet many inspiring people that have dedicated their lives to the SRI beliefs. Their commitment and enthusiasm have kept me moving forward to help solve this puzzle for my tribe. Read More
Driving Capital from a Foundation of Indigenous Values
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
Reconciliation and the Role of the Indigenous Economy
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
At the Forefront of Economic Development in Indian Country
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
Partnering with Indigenous Peoples to Ensure a Just Transition
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
Oneida Nation: Rebuilding and Refining our SRI Practices
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
GreenMoney Interviews: Jan Bryan talks with Jason Campbell
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
How Native Entrepreneurs are Tapping into the Grand Canyon Tourism Economy
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
Native American Resources
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
Why Solar Makes Sense for Millennials
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
Millennial Workforce Tackles Poverty
Millennials are excited by social enterprises that tackle injustice at scale. At CGF, our team is motivated by the challenge of maintaining a balance between the imperative to fulfill our mission and the need to generate revenue, everyone is directly engaged in finding solutions. Read More
A Journey to Sustainable Finance
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
Born Ready: Millennials and the Financial Impact of the Energy Transition
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
Sustainable Fund Flows in 2019 Smash Previous Records
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 State of Green Business 2020 from GreenBiz
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
MSCI’s Five ESG Trends to Watch in 2020
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 Have a Fiduciary Responsibility to Combat the Climate Crisis
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
Millennials and Money: A Shared Sense of Destiny
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
Facebook – Another Moral Dilemma
The second saga of Facebook has begun, as they capitalize on the rise of social media as a primary news source. They do not call themselves a news outlet, but a news ‘platform.’ That is a subtle but meaningful distinction as it relates to the issue of their responsibility for the news that finds its way onto the Facebook ‘platform’. Read More
Ethical Corporation’s 2019 Responsible Business Awards
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
The New Capitalism with Patagonia founder Yvon Chouinard
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
Calvert Impact Capital hits Milestone & Launches New Guide
Calvert Impact Capital passes $500 Million milestone in distribution of Community Investment Notes via Incapital Network and releases new Guide to Impact Investing to help Financial Advisors keep pace with growing client demand Read More
RBC Global Asset Mgmt: 2019 Responsible Investing Survey
The new survey from RBC Global Asset Management uncovers a variety of views on responsible investing among institutional investors. While more institutional investors are going “all in”, others stay on the sidelines for now. Read More
30 Under 30 Award Winners Named at The SRI Conference
These leading Millennials and Gen Z financial advisors, investment professionals, social entrepreneurs, issue advocates, employees of mission-driven organizations, students and researchers are set to lead the way forward in SRI and ESG Investing. Read More
Positive Impact Bonds Build on Strong Foundations
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
What Mainstream Means
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
Sustainable Investing & Stakeholder Capitalism
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
Sustainable Investing: The Enduring Revolution
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
Morgan Stanley Survey: High Investor Enthusiasm for SRI
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
GreenBiz Names the 2019 VERGE Vanguard Award Winners
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
Toniic: How Private Impact Investments are Funding SDGs
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
A First Step for Place-Focused Foundations
In the next decade, local impact investment funds will be an essential asset for most place-focused foundations. Why? Principally, communities need this type of flexible investment. The mission-aligned foundations leading these funds demonstrate their willingness to remain relevant in their communities – putting distance between themselves and other financial services companies and online tool providers. Read More
Plan for Tomorrow by Supporting Vulnerable Communities Today
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
Why Invest Internationally in Companies with Strong ESG Practices?
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
GreenMoney Journal Wins 2019 International Finance Award
Acquisition International magazine, based in London, has announced the winners of the 2019 International Finance Awards. The Award recognizes the companies, and individuals, within the finance industry who have shown excellence and dedication in their field. The GreenMoney Journal team is honored to receive this award. Read More
CCM’s Impact Bond Fund Celebrates its 20th Anniversary
The Fund focuses on place-based community investments primarily utilized by financial institutions. It has evolved to include 18 impact themes and diversified its client base through the launch of Institutional Shares for religious organizations, non-profits, foundations, and HNW investors along with Retail Shares for individual investors. Read More
Natural Investments Named a 2019 “Best For The World” B Corp
Natural Investments has been named a Best For The World honoree in recognition of their work to improve the lives of their customers through the use of their financial products or services. Ranking in the top 10 percent of all 3,000 B Corps for their positive impact on society and the environment. Read More
Matthews Asia ESG Fund Looks Beyond ESG Integration
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
International SRI Funds – Domini, Thornburg and Boston Common
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
International SRI Funds – Calvert, Green Century, Praxis, Mirova
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
Money, Money, Money – It’s What We Want?
One of GreenMoney’s main goals since 1992 has been to bring our readers more clarity about their relationship with money as it informs so much of how we approach our daily lives on a variety of levels. Assessing our relationship with money requires honest self-examination. Here are my latest thoughts on the topic. Read More
From Monk to Money Manager
I’ve always hated talking about money. Growing up in a rich family, I learned through the behavior of those around me that money and materialism were evil. Instead of being used in love and service, money was weaponized and became a tool to manipulate and control behavior. Read More
From Brooklyn to Asia with Love
Growing up as a little girl in Brooklyn, I had no idea that we were low to middle income. Our community was rich and full. We loved and respected each other, our neighbors and our friends. We never talked about money but somehow we managed to “manage.” Then at age 11, I experienced what not having money meant. Read More
thinkPARALLAX on Effective ESG Communications
The new white paper, The Formula for Communicating ESG serves as a practical guide for corporate sustainability leaders looking to increase ESG ratings and better engage investors around corporate sustainability initiatives. Read More
Frank Coleman of CBIS wins ICCR’s Legacy Award
Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility’s annual award was created to honor those whose work has provided a strong moral foundation and an enduring record of demonstrated influence on corporate policies. Read More
Praxis Mutual Funds Celebrates 25 years of Impact
Praxis, a leading faith-based, SRI family of mutual funds from Everence Financial, is celebrating it’s 25th anniversary. Since 1994, Praxis has achieved a number of important milestones in stewardship investing. Read More
The Case for Investing in Sustainable Buildings
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
The Productivity Equation
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
Millions of Idle Power Plants
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
The Sustainability Edge in Real Estate Investing
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
Mid-Course Correction Revisited
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 Releases its 2018 Impact Report
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
Green Transition Scoreboard Reports over $10 Trillion in Private Green Investments
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
VERGE Conference: The Platform for Accelerating the Clean Economy
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
America’s Housing Crisis is a Chance to Change the Narrative and Fix the Future
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
The Movement Towards Natural & Organic Food and Healthy Lifestyles
Consumer demand for healthier products continues to grow. With concerns ranging from the cost of healthcare to the effects of food and agriculture on climate change, consumers of all ages are opting for natural, organic and functional foods and beverages, nutritional supplements, natural medicines and other eco-friendly products from mission-based companies that share their values and address their concerns. Read More
A Seed to Stalk Future: Financing America’s Grain Economy
The idea of “nose-to-tail” dining, shorthand for using as much of an animal as possible, has no field-grown counterpart. What about the grains that make up so much of our agricultural production and diet? Where is our “seed to stalk?” In Maine, the craft beer industry is making sure that grain is valued from field to glass to trough. Read More
U.S. Organic Sales Break Through the $50 Billion Mark in 2018 setting a New Record
Clean, transparent, fresh, sustainable. Environmentally-friendly, animal humane, high quality are all traits identified with organic, and in 2018 they all helped push organic sales to unprecedented levels. Read More
The Growing Organics Market Presents a Natural Investment Opportunity
As Americans become more aware of the environmental and health benefits of organics, we are presented with an increasing number of opportunities to align our investments with our lifestyle choices – by investing in the companies and agricultural operations that are driving organic innovation and bringing natural products to the marketplace. Read More
Paths to Sustainability
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
Campbell’s named to the 100 Best Corporate Citizens List by Corporate Responsibility Magazine
Ranked No. 4 among all large-cap Russell 1000 companies in the annual listing, which measures and ranks corporate responsibility, analyzing 98 environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors. Read More
Intel releases 2018-19 Corporate Responsibility Report: Creating Value Through Transparency
The report highlights the progress made over the past year toward their 2020 goals with important insights and information for all stakeholders, including investors, customers and employees. Read More
A Train Ride to Perris: Investing in a Sustainable Future
The 2028 Olympics in LA will occur as the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development approaches. What might a train ride to Perris, CA look like through a lens of sustainable urban agriculture? Will passing neighborhoods display small-lot gardens, homes with grey water and rain catchment systems? Will large open spaces be organized into working landscapes, blooming with ecosystem benefits? Read More
What Innovative Companies and Women on Boards Have in Common
ESG investing has garnered more and more acceptance and enthusiasm in the market as investors tackle some of the most urgent environmental and social issues of our time, from climate change to social inequalities. I have long been passionate about women’s advancement and inclusion in the workplace. Read More
Morgan Stanley and Bloomberg: Sustainable Investing a Business Imperative Among U.S. Asset Managers
New survey shows that 75% say their firms now offer sustainable investing strategies, up from 65% in 2016 because of increased expertise, better data and impact reporting. Read More
ImpactAssets Releases New IA 50 Impact Investment Fund Manager Showcase
The industry’s first publicly available, searchable resource of impact investing fund managers sees record number of applicants and features firms that manage $28.5 billion in assets. Read More
MacArthur Foundation Commits $150 Million in Catalytic Capital to Address Social Challenges
The Rockefeller Foundation and Omidyar Network join the new Catalytic Capital Consortium and call for more flexible impact investments and more collaboration. Read More
Pentegra, Social(k) and LeafHouse Financial Introduce the Big Green Retirement Plan
The aggregate retirement program has a focus on SRI, offering comprehensive, bundled 401(k) plan services with full fiduciary outsourcing capabilities for companies. Read More
Rewarding Careers for Women in Tech
Author and web developer Acacia Carr shares her journey as a self-employed web developer as well as highlights rewarding careers for women in tech. Read More
Women and Sustainable Investing: Driving Assets and Benefitting from a Gender-Lens Approach
US SIF’s Lisa Woll on how women are moving forward with investments in sustainability-focused products and strategies with 84 percent of women expressing interest in SRI. Read More
Board Diversity: Time’s Up on Good Intentions
When I began working to make boards more gender diverse in 2001, the percentage of women on the boards of large companies in the United States was around 12 percent. By 2011, women had gained a few more seats at the table, and by 2016 women held 21 percent of board seats at Fortune 500 companies. Read More
Helping Women Build Assets through Successful Homeownership
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
Women in the Field of Finance
At the financial firms I am involved with, Domini Impact Investments has five employee equity-owning managers in leadership. Four of the five are female. The Sustainability Group has four partner-level members and three of the four are female. I feel pretty secure in stating that female leadership is possible, even within the financial asset management field. Read More
Make Every Dollar Count: Is Your Cash Sleeping with the Right Partners?
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
The Capacities Foundations Need to Embark on Place-Based Impact Investing
Place-based impact investing is sparking community development projects that create more just, equitable local economies, and build prosperous, vibrant communities. Place-focused foundations, like community foundations and family foundations are exploring ways to complement their traditional grant-making with local investments that can catalyze positive community change. Read More
Aligning Resources for Good: Incorporating SRI into a Philanthropic Framework
Philanthropy is transforming to incorporate advocacy and investing, presenting new opportunities to create change and measure impact. Among a field of new players, vehicles and approaches, one strategy gaining traction is SRI investing. As philanthropies broaden beyond traditional grant making they are reassessing and reallocating their financial as well as non-financial resources. Read More
Philanthropic Investors Tap “Catalytic Capital” to Seed Innovation & Scale Progress
Often, the most compelling impact investments are made, not found. That phrase describes how foundations and impact investors use “catalytic capital” to support social and environmental progress. These patient, flexible, “catalytic” investments take on more risk and/or accept a lower return than commercial capital to finance gains that would not otherwise be possible. Read More
Global 100: The World’s Most Sustainable Companies
Sustainable companies don't just make the world a better place, they offer higher returns and longer lifespans according to Corporate Knights. Read More
Foundations Moving to Greater Mission Alignment
These foundations, large and small, are beginning to move their endowment assets to align with their values–-and their missions keep expanding. Read More
Want to Change the World? Here are Five Steps to Take
Case Foundation’s CEO Jean Case’s new book, Be Fearless, profiles leaders who have used their desire to solve a problem, to drown out their fears or risk of failure. Read More
Triskeles Foundation Launches Impact Coffee
Sourced in Peru and roasted locally by Stolen Sun Craft Brewing & Roasting Co., Impact Coffee supports the empowerment and promotion of women-grown coffee. Read More
Native American Credit Unions: Building Financial Access and Capability
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 State of Green Business 2019 from GreenBiz
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
Millennials & Money: Insights from an Often Overlooked Community
As a millennial, my generation has little trust in large institutions — from governmental offices to our large banks and financial institutions. We want our money aligned with our values and desires for a more sustainable planet. We are poised to catalyze big shifts in how financial services operate. Read More
How Exxon Taught Me That Shareholders Can Change the World
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
Best Kept Secret for Millennials: A Career in Financial Services
Companies that are winning at attracting millennials are nailing it on culture and values. My career path is a perfect example. I left a large mutual fund company to join a sustainable investing firm because its focus on investing for both performance and impact resonated with me. Read More
On Impact Investing and Building the Next Economy
I examine my personal finances by asking myself three overarching questions: How am I making money? How am I investing it? And how am I spending it? As a full-time social entrepreneur, I routinely ask myself if I’m making money in a way that allows me to have a real impact. Read More
How Impact Investing Can Change Our Relationship with Money
Millennials see investment decisions as a way to express their social, political and environmental values. With CNote, we make investing simple and impactful. Our members’ money works towards revitalizing communities; building affordable housing; and getting women and minorities business loans. Read More
Natixis Investment Managers Launches Mirova International Sustainable Equity Fund
The fund focuses on solutions to major global transitions such as demographics, environmental issues, technological advances, and governance changes by investing in companies with a positive impact on the UN SDGs, while avoiding companies that have a negative impact. Read More
Green Alpha Next Economy Index Achieves Ten-Year Milestone
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
The Real Leaders 100 Top Impact Companies 2019
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’s Five ESG Trends to Watch in 2019
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
Reflections on SRI Investing in 2018
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
The Nature Conservancy’s CEO on How to Scale Up Investments in Nature
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
Here’s a Way to Fight Climate Change: Empower Women
“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
10 Years of Green Bonds: From Evolution to Revolution
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: More Money Than Ever Invested in Climate Action, but is It Enough?
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
CSE Research Links Financial and Corporate Sustainability (ESG) Performance
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
UK Leads Europe in Sustainable and Responsible Investment
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 Trends Report 2018: Executive Summary
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
ESG Outlook for 2019
Amidst all of the important improvements in Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) data, all of the thoughtful research reports, and all innovative new investment options, another, deeper trend has taken root. As we turn towards 2019, we see increasing evidence that Systems Thinking is becoming more prevalent and influential throughout corporations and the sustainable investment community. This subtle, under-the-surface development is one of the most vital requirements for effective long-term investing. Systems Thinking aims to understand the whole, in addition to the individual parts. Read More
Three ESG Trends in Asia to Watch in 2019
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
It’s Time to Invest in Her
As engaged investors, we need to persuade the companies in our investment portfolios to say loudly and clearly: We will no longer tolerate gender inequality — on our boards, in our executive suites, in our workplaces or in our supply chains. Our industry cannot even begin to talk about investing in the transition to a more sustainable global economy unless gender equality is a core component of that transition. Eradicating gender inequality could help unleash perhaps the greatest period of economic growth in the history of the planet. Read More
Ray C. Anderson Foundation’s NextGen Committee Awards $90,000 to Second Nature
Ray Anderson believed the industrial sector could create positive environmental change because it is so large. The university sector is next. Read More
How Calvert Impact Capital Strengthens Communities Through Impact Investments
Investors increasingly seek opportunities to make a social and environmental difference through their impact investment portfolios. Read More
Veris Wealth Partners Reports Gender Lens Investing (GLI) Assets Rise 85% and Exceed $2.4 Billion
The growth of GLI is a positive development in a year overshadowed by the gender pay gap, lack of women on boards and harassment scandals. Read More
New Gender Lens Investing Tool Helps Drive Capital to Mutual Funds Supporting Gender Equality
As You Sow released its fifth ‘Invest Your Values’ screening tool, Gender Equality Funds, an online resource that can be used by any investor. Read More
Thornburg Better World International Fund Celebrates Three-Year Anniversary and Receives Five-Star Morningstar Rating
Incorporating ESG factors into an investment strategy has shown to decrease volatility and improve risk-adjusted returns over the long term. Read More
Water Risk: Single Largest Risk Threatening People, Planet and Profit
“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
The Year Wall Street Got Sustainable Investing
The Financial Times published an article stating that Larry Fink, CEO of the world’s largest asset manager, BlackRock, had announced that “sustainable investing will be a core component for how everyone invests in the future.” He further explained that a sustainable investing strategy will lead to higher returns. Read More
God Calls His Followers to Honor Him with Their Finances
With the rising number of “responsible” funds in the early 90s, there wasn’t really an option for Christian conservatives to invest without compromising their beliefs, in life and family values. In 1994, under Art Ally’s leadership, the Timothy Plan unveiled its fund aimed at evangelical Christians. Secular investment firms weren’t thrilled by the arrival of Timothy Plan’s Biblically Responsible Investments, but investors were, and today there are over a dozen successful BRI-based mutual funds with billions in assets. Read More
The High Calling of Business
God gives us work and entrusts us with the task of world-making. In the story of creation, God created the garden rich with latent potential, yet withheld the task of completing it for the people he would make. God intends humanity, through work, to be his partner in developing the world. Humanity was to enlarge the locus of the beauty and provision of the garden, in all our culture making, throughout the world and for the benefit of all. Many Christians believe that the purpose of business is to serve the global common good. Read More
Inspired Stewardship – A Woman of Faith
Each financial seed we plant in each and every field we choose, is only destined for success if all the criteria in the divine mandate has been met. Good seed in good soil and people of integrity managing the process. Unethical practices, policies or products erode human dignity and moral enterprise. Read More
What Would the Good Samaritan Do?
The phrase “What would Jesus do?” emerged in American consciousness during the 1990s as motto for many Christians seeking to regularly reflect on how the moral teachings of Jesus could be reflected in their daily lives. Whether one participates in organized religion or not, the idea of finding a mechanism that calls us to step outside of our personal situation to view things from a different, morally-grounded perspective can have many benefits especially for values-driven investors. Read More
Billion Dollar Energy Fund Expands its Portfolio of Startups Fighting Climate Change
Bill Gates has Breakthrough Energy Ventures investing in radical energy startups capable of drastically cutting global emissions Read More
The Impact Investing Landscape in Latin America: Trends 2016 and 2017 – A new report from ANDE and LAVCA
Direct investments in companies with social and financial objectives is a dynamic industry with robust activity in the region Read More
The Purpose of Capital: Elements of Impact, Financial Flows, and Natural Being – a new book by Jed Emerson
The path from modern Financial Capitalism to Integrated Investing that helps create the World and lives we seek Read More
The Future Is Decentralized
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
Strengthening Clean Energy with a Diverse Workforce
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
Clean Energy Investing: Changing Lives, Changing the World
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
Decarbonize, Decentralize and Democratize: Investing in a More Just Energy Future
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
The Future of “Clean” Energy
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
Newday Investing Brings Impact Investing to the Mainstream
New app and platform enables consumers to invest in proprietary portfolios for social good with a low minimum Read More
Impax Launches the Pax Global Opportunities Fund
The new fund invests in companies positioned to benefit from the transition to a more sustainable global economy Read More
2018 Money Manager Roadmap on SRI from the US SIF Foundation
A new comprehensive guide for money managers on incorporating sustainable, responsible and impact investing at their firms Read More
The Clean Trillion: A CERES Report on Clean Energy Investments
The "In Sight of the Clean Trillion" report gives an update on the ever-expanding landscape of investor opportunities Read More
First-Ever Clean Energy Credit Union Officially Launches
The new credit union focused exclusively on clean energy lending also begins taking deposits and making loans all online Read More
2018 VERGE Vanguard Awards: Leaders in the Clean Economy
From individuals to companies that demonstrate leadership in clean energy, sustainable transportation, and the circular economy Read More
The GreenMoney Interview: Muhammad Yunus
(Fall 2011) When Holly Mosher read about Muhammad Yunus and the story of Grameen Bank’s microcredit for women in Bangladesh, she was fascinated. Why had an economist and a bank won the prize for peace and not the prize for economics? And how had one man gone from loaning $27 to 42 people, to helping millions of people? With these questions in mind, she embarked on a film about his work. Read More
Impacting the Next Generation
(Feb 2016) Without a doubt we, the millennial Generation, believe that we can change the world. There is a “change agent” in each and every one of us. How do I know? Well, because we are different. Huge economic, cultural, and social shifts have changed our view on the world, and as a generation, we have demonstrated a desire to leave the world a better place than it was when we entered. Read More
Responsible Investing – Principles, Pillars and Progress
(July/Aug 2017) 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. Read More
Good Greed
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
From Growth Capitalism to Sustainable Capitalism
(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
The Resilient Investor: A Plan for Your Life, Not Just Your Money
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
The Next 25 Years – Big Picture Thinking
(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
Impact Investing: Aligning Capital with the Conservation of Nature
(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
Biomimicry = Return on Inspiration
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
What’s Next on a Random Walk Down Facebook Lane
(Dec 2017) There are numerous lessons to be learned from experiences at Facebook. First, agnosticism comes at a price. We live in a values laden society. To presume that our wide spectrum of values can be discounted and factored out of the algorithmic equation ignores the current reality of our society and world. It is still people who are using the platform and people are imperfect. Of course humans are integral to Facebook and when complemented by algorithms, that incorporate ESG factors, they can make an excellent product even better. Read More
Achieving Zero in the Built Environment
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
In Mandela’s Footsteps: The Long Walk Continues
(Feb 2014) “Eliminating poverty is not a gesture of charity. It is an act of justice… Like slavery and apartheid, poverty is not natural. People have created and tolerated poverty. And it is people who will overcome it.”
In 2013 on Nelson Mandela’s 95th birthday, children with crayons in Kazakhstan drew his face on the sidewalk. At the UN, Malala Yousafzai from Pakistan, who has been shot in the head by the Taliban, says Mandela has influenced her and she forgives her shooters. Later that year the world mourned his death but we still harvest lessons from this monumental man who has taught us so much, and left so much more to do. Read More
Our Vision for Moving Humanity Forward
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
2018 Financial Advisor Roadmap: Incorporating Sustainable, Responsible and Impact Investing into Your Practice
The US SIF Foundation recently released a guide for financial advisors on how to incorporate sustainable, responsible and impact investing into their practice. The Financial Advisor Roadmap was prepared with insights from financial advisors and other industry professionals. Read More
2018 Green Transition Scoreboard Finds $9.3 Trillion in Green Sectors Worldwide
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
Celebrating its 35th Anniversary, Stonyfield Organic Takes its Good-For-The-Planet Mission to New Pastures
Marking its 35th anniversary, Stonyfield Organic, the country’s leading organic yogurt maker, announced in April 2018 a bold commitment that not only celebrates the brand’s organic leadership role in the food space, but also casts an eye to a different and equally as large issue facing families. While huge strides have been made in the organic food space over the past 35 years, less is happening around environmental and health issues specific to the use of pesticides beyond food. Read More
Corporate Responsibility (CR) magazine’s 100 Best Corporate Citizens List for 2018
Corporate Responsibility Magazine (CR Magazine) announced in early May its 19th annual 100 Best Corporate Citizens list, recognizing the standout environmental, social and governance (ESG) performance of public companies across the United States. Read More
Gender Pay Scorecard: Failing Grades for Facebook, Goldman Sachs and Walmart; Top Marks for Apple, Nike and Wells Fargo
Published to coincide with International Equal Pay Day in April 2018, the first edition of a new annual scorecard ranking 33 of the world’s largest financial, technology, and retail companies on their current gender pay disclosures, performance, and commitments shows Apple, Nike, Starbucks, Wells Fargo and JP Morgan with the highest grade (A-), while Facebook, Goldman Sachs and Walmart are among 11 companies that share the lowest grade (F). Read More
50 Farms and No Regrets
Iroquois Valley Farms has reached a milestone: This spring we added the 50th farm to our portfolio. Our farmland REIT provides secure land tenure for 35 farm families working 9,000 acres of farmland. More families will be joining us soon. We have seen strong and steady growth in the value of our investment portfolio since 2007. We recently launched a new offering to raise $20 million to help fund more farmers. We also offer Soil Restoration Notes to investors, with a portion of the returns going to help our farmers transitioning to organic. Read More
Developing the New Mexico Landrace (Heirloom) Corn Project
On February 2016 The New York Times ran a story, "Oaxaca’s Native Maize Embraced by Top Chefs in US and Europe", highlighting the work of a new company called Masienda that was sourcing landrace (heirloom) corn from small farms in Mexico. Masienda’s business model emphasizes conservation of agrobiodiversity, while supporting smallholders using sustainable/organic farming methods. When some of us here in Santa Fe saw this article we asked the question, "Why can’t this be happening in New Mexico as well?" And so the New Mexico Landrace Corn Project was born. Read More
Engage the Chain: An Investor Guide to Engaging the Food Sector on Sustainability Risks
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
Maturing U.S. Organic Sector Sees Steady Sales Growth of 6.4 Percent in 2017 to Nearly $50 Billion
American consumers in 2017 filled more of their grocery carts with organic, buying everything from organic produce and organic ice cream to organic fresh juices and organic dried beans, according to the Organic Trade Association's 2018 Organic Industry Survey released in mid-May. Read More
The Best is Yet to Come
Farming, like investments, carries some degree of risk. How SFP mitigates these risks is unique and key to the opportunity. Market demand for organic food is the fastest growing segment in grocery stores. Geographically, our established operating network of farms is spread out to minimize the impact of local weather. Our distributed farm network is focused on areas with the best available soil and linking that network allows us to negotiate better offtake agreements and discounts on inputs. In the event of any crop damage due to weather, which diminishes yields, we have crop insurance. Read More
Frey Vineyards – Out of the Ashes
This story begins with a strange orange glow in the sky that awakened me at 1:00am on the morning of October 9th, 2017. Stepping outside into a howling wind, I watched in horror as a huge wildfire burned on the distant ridge. The wind was blowing away from us and towards are neighbors, then it all changed. Read More
Emerging Challenges in Gender Lens Investing
For the past several years Domini Impact Investments has been incubating a small portfolio that, in addition to other standards, applies a gender lens of the simplest nature. In order to qualify for stock purchase, the company must employ one female on the executive management team or have one female on the board of directors. The portfolio is unconstrained, multi-cap, global and opportunistic. Within this Wild West of a universe, this one standard has produced portfolio management challenges, personal challenges and frustration well beyond anything I had anticipated. Read More
Women in Finance: Plant Your Garden and Tend It
My path to finance has not been unusual; throughout my childhood, my parents ran an investment management and brokerage firm, so I grew up in the industry. Watching and admiring the dedication my parents put into their business and their careers showed me the value of entrepreneurship, independence, and of planting a garden and tending it. I’m grateful for the lessons in responsibility, hard work, and drive that have been ingrained in me, and early on it became obvious to me that finance could and should be a tool for good. Read More
Putting our Feminism into our Finances
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
Women, Politics and Climate Top Shareholder Issues for Proxy Season 2018
Corporate Annual Meetings will Reflect Opioid Crisis, Gun Laws, Board Diversity and more Read More
Sonya Dreizler, CFP Interviews Gloria Nelund, CEO, TriLinc Global
Impact Investing Success Story: Lending in Developing Countries - Improving Lives and Livelihoods While Generating Market Rate Returns Read More
ImpactAssets Releases IA 50 Impact Investment Fund Showcase
Industry’s only free, searchable resource of impact investing fund managers features firms that manage $29.2 billion in assets Read More
Top 10 Stakeholder Engagement Trends of 2018 – New Report from Future 500
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
Pax World Funds Persuades Finance and Tech Companies to Close Gender Pay Gap
Sustainable Investment Firm Withdraws Pay Equity Shareholder Resolutions at Discover, HP, KeyCorp and US Foods Read More
Investment Decisions That Impact Your Career
By Bonnie Foley-Wong, Pique Ventures Some impact fund managers began their careers in traditional venture capital whilst other investors have found success previously as entrepreneurs. Read More
Gender Equality: With or Without the Federal Government
Investors are more interested in gender equality than they ever have been before, judging by things like proxy voting and shareholder engagement. BlackRock, the world’s largest asset manager, recently has signaled in its proxy voting guidelines that all-male boards are not acceptable, and noted that boards should have at least two women on them. Pax World has been voting like that for years and we know our impact will be multiplied if other investors vote similarly. Another large investor, State Street, reportedly voted against directors of 400 companies whose boards were all-male Read More
Barron’s 100 Most Sustainable Companies (with Calvert Research)
Every weekday, instead of a private car, Benno Dorer takes Bay Area Rapid Transit from San Francisco to Clorox’s headquarters in Oakland. The Clorox CEO buys sustainable products, including his company’s Brita water Read More
NIA Impact Capital Launches RIA for Impact Investing Investment Solutions
NIA Impact Capital Launches RIA To Provide Wealth Advisors with Impact Investing and Women-Focused Investment Solutions Nia Impact Capital (www.niaimpactcapital.com) announced in February 2018 the launch of its women-led Registered Investment Advisor Read More
MSCI’s 2018 ESG Trends to Watch
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
The Business of Planting Trees: A Growing Investment Opportunity
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
Many investors don t know what restoration is or realize the Read More
Nature-inspired water collection system wins $100,000 Ray of Hope Prize®
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 State of Green Business – 2018 Report
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
Should Your Investment Strategy Incorporate a Climate Risk Discount?
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 and Investing: Is Your Portfolio on the Growth Side of Disruption?
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
A Bill of Rights for Clean Water
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
Top 10 Sustainability Trends for 2018 from The Centre for Sustainability and Excellence
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
The 2018 Forbes 30 Under 30 List includes Twenty Industries
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
Amalgamated Bank Agrees to Acquire New Resource Bank
Amalgamated Bank (“Amalgamated”) and New Resource Bancorp, the parent company of New Resource Bank (OTC: NRBC; together, “New Resource”) announced in mid-December 2017 the signing of a definitive merger agreement by which Amalgamated Read More
AIM2Flourish: Business Education Meets Business for Good
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
Millennials & Money: We’re Not as Different as You Think
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
Investing in Our Nation’s Future: No One Left Behind
Walter Cronkite was the legendary CBS News anchorman known as “The most trusted man in America.” In 2003, I had the chance to go sailing with Mr. Cronkite, we talked constantly while tacking our way through the waters off the British Virgin Islands and while visiting his friend, Remar Sutton, who I worked for. Having the opportunity to talk for hours on end with such an iconic figure was life changing for me. From those wind-swept discussions the FoolProof Foundation was born. The big question we needed to answer was: is financial education, as it exists, working? Read More
Providing Millennials with the Financial Planning They Need
There are two opinions about millennials floating around society. The first is that our generation is lazy, and we feel "entitled." The second is that we are going to change the world because we don't settle for following in the set paths that have been established before us. As a millennial that has had to work hard on all levels, including being a 4x Olympian and an entrepreneur in financial planning, I agree with the second opinion. Millennials are different than previous generations, but that's how we are going to set ourselves apart. Read More
The ImpactAssets Handbook for Investors
Edited by Jed Emerson
Practical guide to impact investing lays out how individual investors, family offices, financial advisors and foundations can generate social and environmental value through capital investing.
With greater demand than Read More
Bloomberg Includes Gender Pay Trailblazer Natasha Lamb on its “50 Most Influential” List
Investor Activist/Sustainable Wealth Manager Championing Gender Pay Equity in Tech, Banking and Retail Industries Earns Unique Spot in Special Issue of Businessweek; Which Sector is Next?
“The Bloomberg 50” list of the Read More
Vert Asset Management Launches the First Sustainable Real Estate Mutual Fund in the US
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 Impact Investments Signs the Stockholm Declaration on the UN SDGs
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
Building an Economy That Works for Everyone
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
Local Investing for Impact: A New Tool for Place-Focused Foundations
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
Invest Close to Home with the Homewise Community Investment Fund
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
Community Impact Investing
Community Capital Management is an RIA, based in South Florida, with offices in Boston and Charlotte. The firm manages just over $2.4 billion, most of which is in our CRA Qualified Investment Fund (CRA Fund). "CRA" stands for the Community Reinvestment Act, which regulates banks within the U.S. The CRA Fund is a market-rate, fixed income fund that invests in U.S.-based community impact investments. Community impact investments focus on positive criteria for inclusion in a portfolio and can include a wide range of intentions such as affordable housing, neighborhood revitalization, and small business development. Read More
The SRI Conference Announces 2017 SRI Service Award Winners
The annual award recognizes Sustainable, Responsible, Impact Investment Industry Leadership. Richard Liroff and Cliff Feigenbaum named as 2017’s most influential leaders in SRI. The SRI Conference, which hosted more than 800 investment professional Read More
Greenpeace USA Releases 2017 Guide to Sustainable Electronics
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, the First Fossil Fuel-Free Mutual Fund Family Reaches $500 Million
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
ImpactAssets Adds New Private Debt and Equity Impact Investment Options
ImpactAssets announced in September 2017 the addition of new lower minimum, high-impact investment options within the ImpactAssets Giving Fund (www.impactassets.org), its donor advised fund. The four private debt and equity investments are managed Read More
Giving Capitalism a Social Conscience: An Interview with Muhammad Yunus
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
SRI is Growing Up Right Before Our Very Eyes
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
Urgent Needs for 2018
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
What’s Next on a Random Walk Down Facebook Lane
There are numerous lessons to be learned from experiences at Facebook. First, agnosticism comes at a price. We live in a values laden society. To presume that our wide spectrum of values can be discounted and factored out of the algorithmic equation ignores the current reality of our society and world. It is still people who are using the platform and people are imperfect. Of course humans are integral to Facebook and when complemented by algorithms, they can make an excellent product even better. The company itself could also better manage the risks to their brand that seems to be dogging them these days. In 2018, ESG is here to help. Responsible algorithms anyone? Read More
My 2018 Outlook
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 named to the “Best for the World” 2017 List
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
Sustainability Reporting Trends in North America 2017
Surprising Trends in Sustainability Reporting -- Research shows US lagging Europe despite better revenue returns with strong reporting practices The Centre for Sustainability and Excellence (CSE) announces its second annual research of Sustainability Read More
Change Finance Launches CHGX, Impact Investing ETF
Change Finance, a majority women-run asset manager, announced in October the launch of its first ETF. The Change Finance Diversified Impact U.S. Large Cap Fossil Fuel Free ETF (CHGX) is the only ETF Read More
The Magic of Money and Other Cautionary Tales
It began with a magic trick. When I was young a friend of my father's would pull a quarter out from behind my ear, and then make it disappear again. This became an apt metaphor for my relationship with money: one moment there and the next moment gone, feeding two powerful feelings about money: insecurity and lots of fear about never getting it back. My next memory of money was of being gifted with Kennedy silver half dollars on my birthdays (one for every year). Not realizing their worth, I spent most of them, but when I moved some years ago I found a stash of them in a small black bag. Read More
It’s Monday Morning
It’s Monday morning, the beginning of a new week. The day starts with greeting the sunrise from our garden that faces to the East. A few minutes of taking in the energy that provides us so many benefits every day, and then some meditation, establishes the foundation for all else. After a stroll in the garden it is time to enter into the technological universe with a quick review of Bloomberg.com and WSJ.com. What is happening on the global stage and in the financial markets? How are the markets doing and how might global factors and the events of the day impact the people that I work with? Read More
Doubling Down on Impact: Leveraging all that I have for the World I want to see
As a child, money was tight; often a stressful topic at our house. Money messages included being prudent, entrepreneurial and thrifty. I wore hand-me-down clothes, planted seeds in our victory garden and overheard as my parents argued over whose turn it was to pick up the food stamps. My father taught math at a local high school and then took to the streets as a Fuller Brush salesman in the evenings. To bring in additional income, my mom corrected high school English papers and my father managed apartments to reduce our rent. I learned about the importance of saving money, of looking for opportunities, and of working hard. Read More
GM Boosts STEM Education for Girls and Women
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
How ‘Catalytic Philanthropy’ Could Solve Global Waste
The world faces a looming challenge of handling our waste, an in creasing percentage of which is made of plastic, which simply does not go away. Plastic usually accounts for up to 20 percent of a municipality’s waste generation by weight, but by volume, the proportion is significantly higher. Most small communities do not have access to solutions, and this is where "catalytic philanthropy," particularly in the resource recovery sector, can make an enormous impact on peoples’ lives on a global basis. Read More
Wildlife Works Launches Everland To Accelerate High Impact Forest Conservation Projects That Fight Climate Change
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
Morningstar and Sustainalytics Expand Their Sustainability Collaboration
In a continuing and growing commitment to helping investors integrate sustainability considerations into portfolio decisions, Morningstar, Inc. (NASDAQ: MORN), a leading provider of independent investment research, and Sustainalytics, a leading global provider of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) research and ratings, announced in July 2017 that Morningstar has acquired a 40 percent ownership stake in Sustainalytics. The direct investment represents an important milestone in Morningstar’s long-term sustainability strategy and intends to support Sustainalytics’ ability to deliver high-quality, innovative ESG products and services to the global investment community. Read More
The 2017 GreenBiz 30 Under 30 in Sustainable Business List
The GreenBiz team is proud and excited to reveal our second annual list of promising young professionals in the field of sustainable business. This year's "30 Under 30" cohort was selected by GreenBiz editors Read More
UPS Commits to more Alternative Vehicles, Fuel and Renewable Power by 2025
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
Our Vision for Moving Humanity Forward
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
The Next Quarter Century’s Organic Marketplace
As an entrepreneur, I lean optimistic, and so here are a few predictions for where the organic marketplace is heading. Several megatrends will combine to keep the sales of organic foods growing at a robust rate, they include: Increased awareness about the negative health impacts and costs of widespread agrichemical exposures; Organic Certification will remain the only reliable standard for consumers seeking real, clean foods; the positive role that organics can play in mitigating the effects of climate change including better data on the benefits of organic production; and Lower cost organic offerings. (Sept./Oct. 2017) Read More
Sustainable Investing: From Possibilities to Probabilities
When SRI industry leaders look at the future of sustainable investing, our tendency is to pat ourselves on the back for the tremendous progress we have made and make optimistic predictions about the wonderful progress that still lies ahead. While not wanting to be the skunk at the garden party, and while remaining a die-hard optimist when it comes to possibilities, I am more pessimistic about probabilities if we remain on our current course. We need to up our game and here is how. Read More
Reflections from a Field Builder: The Next 25 Years of Sustainable, Responsible and Impact Investing
The SRI field has grown rapidly to nearly $9 trillion and the next decade will bring continued expansion in assets and in the types of investors who control those assets, as well as further growth in the products and services available. From high net worth individuals to retail investors to new robo-advisor platforms all will increasingly bring their assets into SRI. Foundations of all sizes will be changing their investment process to better connect their mission to their endowments and Pension funds, including private sector funds will offer sustainable investment options. Read More
Responsible Investing: Past, Present and Future
I believe that companies will continue to benefit economically by pursuing excellence in corporate responsibility, especially in the context of climate change and increased resource scarcity. As responsible investing integrates into the mainstream, ESG data will be incorporated into greater numbers and types of investment strategies. Investment firms that can successfully identify companies with leading ESG profiles, strong financials and attractive fundamentals will be the most likely to succeed. Also leadership in the responsible investment industry will require meaningful engagement with portfolio companies on ESG issues. Read More
GreenMoney’s 25 Year Journey
Where did this begin for me? Was it watching the “Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau,” or the ecology flags we pasted on our bumpers in the early 70s? Or that public service TV spot of the canoeing Native American tearing up as he looked at the litter along the river. Or maybe it was those smog alerts in LA where I grew up. Fast forward to the 80s when I was working at a hospital in the NW. After I chose my 401k plan I soon discovered, as I tried to make more “informed” financial decisions, that the mutual funds had numerous tobacco stocks in their holdings. Wow! At a healthcare institution! A good friend who was a skilled editor decided after much research to join me in writing an article on SRI for the local Journal of Business – they published our first draft. Read More
BSR at 25: Redefining Sustainable Business to Meet the Moment (Parts 1 & 2)
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
The Next 25 Years – Big Picture Thinking
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. My purpose in advocating what I called ethical investing was to build a large enough investor presence that demanded a clean and dignified future for all. Read More
Better Life Breakthroughs: Innovation in Investment – SRI and fintech
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
Responsible Investing – Principles, Pillars and Progress
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
The Future of SRI
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
New Report on Opportunities for Impact Investing in Employee Ownership
With income inequality in the United States at record high levels, employee ownership is increasingly being lauded as a potential solution to spreading wealth more broadly. Most recently, research from the National Center for Employee Ownership released in May 2017 shows that employee owners have a household net worth that is 92 percent higher than non-employee owners. They also make 33 percent higher wages, and are far less likely to be laid off. Read More
Investing in the New Industrial (R)evolution: Insights for asset owners and managers financing the circular economy
A report published June by The Investment Integration Project (TIIP) examines the opportunities, challenges, and breakthroughs needed for investors to finance the circular economy. Written by William Burckart (TIIP) and Jamie Butterworth (Circularity Capital), Investing in the New Industrial (R)evolution: Insights for asset owners and managers financing the circular economy details how investors and corporations are incorporating global issues related to the health, food, and energy systems, as well as others, into their investment and production design processes, respectively. Read More
Benefit Chicago Fund Announces First Round of Impact Investments
The for-profit subsidiary of a West Side nonprofit that provides transitional jobs for the formerly incarcerated in its production of local honey and honey-infused skincare products; a company that employs adults with autism founded by the father of an affected child; a collaborative created to renew a corridor that was once the heart of entertainment and shopping on Chicago’s south and southwest side – these are three of the beneficiaries of the first loans to be made by the impact investment fund established for Benefit Chicago. Read More
Ethisphere Announces 124 Companies to Make the 2017 World’s Most Ethical Companies List
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
The Nature Conservancy Wins WTTC Tourism for Tomorrow Innovation Award for Mapping Ocean Wealth
"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
A Guide to Sustainable Farmland Investing – Healing People and the Planet
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
SOIL–Slow Opportunities for Investing Locally
I often refer to Slow Money as "the CSA of investing." As with community-supported agriculture, our efforts revolve around informal, direct relationships and shared risk. Slow Money funding is flowing in a variety of ways in dozens of communities across the US — peer-to-peer lending, investment clubs, and angel networks. Read More
‘Drawdown’ and Global Warming’s Hopeful New Math
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
Global Sustainable Investment Alliance Releases Biennial Global Sustainable Investment Review 2016, now totaling $23 trillion
In Late March, the Global Sustainable Investment Alliance (GSIA) released its biennial Global Sustainable Investment Review 2016, showing that global sustainable investment assets reached $22.89 trillion at the start of 2016, a 25% increase from 2014. Read More
2017 Green Transition Scoreboard® Tracks Private Green Investments At $8.1 Trillion
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
Whole Foods Market CEO John Mackey Releases New Book “The Whole Foods Diet: The Lifesaving Plan for Health and Longevity”
Whole Foods Market CEO John Mackey announced the release of his new book last month, The Whole Foods Diet: The Lifesaving Plan for Health and Longevity. Mackey co-authored the book with Dr. Alona Pulde and Dr. Matthew Lederman, known for the documentary, Forks Over Knives. Read More
SOCAP announces the Good Capital Project – the Next Step in Bringing Impact Investment into the Mainstream
Social Capital Markets (SOCAP) is in the vanguard of the emerging global impact economy - convening ideas and capital to catalyze world change. We are a network of investors, entrepreneurs, and social impact leaders addressing the world’s toughest challenges through market-based solutions. Read More
The 100 Things We Need To Do To Reverse Global Warming – from Paul Hawken’s new book “Drawdown”
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
State Street Says It Will Start Voting Against Companies That Don’t Have Women Directors
Index-fund giant State Street Global Advisors on Tuesday March 7 began pushing big companies to put more women on their boards, initially demanding change at those firms without any female directors.
The money manager, which is a unit of State Street Corp., says it will vote against board members charged with nominating new directors if they don't soon make strides at adding women. Firms won't have an exact quota to be in compliance with State Street's mandate, but must prove they attempted to improve a lack of diversity. A firm that doesn't add women, for example, would have to prove to State Street it attempted to cast a wider net and set diversity goals. Read More
Momentum Grows for Gender Lens Investing
In the world of Sustainable and Impact Investing, few ideas have captured the imagination as quickly as Gender Lens Investing (“GLI”). In just the past few years, the number of Gender Lens solutions has grown rapidly. The premise of this Read More
ImpactAssets Releases Annual IA 50 Impact Investment Fund Showcase
ImpactAssets has released its 2016 impact investing showcase, the ImpactAssets 50 (IA 50), a free online resource for investors and financial advisors. The sixth annual list provides a diversified overview of fund managers representing private debt and equity investments that deliver social and environmental impact as well as financial returns. Read More
HERproject at 10: Celebrating HERsuccess, Inspiring HERfuture
Back on March 8, International Women’s Day 2017—we thought it was a good time to take stock of our collective progress toward gender equality. And such a moment of reflection is particularly relevant for HERproject (herproject.org) this year, as we are hitting a big milestone: It’s our 10th birthday! On our anniversary, we’re taking a moment to think about what we have achieved and what we have left to do. Read More
Dear Financial Services CEO: Where are the women?
For an industry that prides itself on mastering risk management, finding value and uncovering arbitrage opportunities, I think the financial services sector is falling flat. Why? Because most firms are overlooking one of the biggest investment opportunities ever: women.
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Building a Career in Impact Investing
What do an artificial heart, the theater, and Gabon all have in common? From where you’re sitting, probably not much. For me, however, they are key facets of my life that have led me to a career in impact investing.
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Proxy Season 2017 to Highlight Big Gaps Between Investor Expectations and New Administration Goals
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
Corporate Social Responsibility Trends in 2017
For the past six years, I’ve been predicting what trends will impact Corporate Social Responsibility in the coming year. Sometimes, I’m right; sometimes I’m less right. Read More
The State of Green Business 2017
2016 was undoubtedly a year of change. Aside from major political shifts (in the US and the UK), there were also significant shifts in climate action. The implications of the Paris Agreement at COP21 filtered through to both businesses and investors, leading to a number of breakthroughs in policy and behavior. Read MoreThis article introduces the latest annual assessment of corporate sustainability produced in our partnership with GreenBiz.
Top Sustainable Business Trends of 2017
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
The Clean Money Revolution: Billionaires of Love
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
The 100 Most Sustainable Global Companies
Every year the Canadian-headquartered firm Corporate Knights (publishing, research) ranks “the world’s most sustainable companies,” from a universe of 4,000 global enterprises with market cap of at least US$2 billion each. The research team applies 14 metrics in its analysis of “corporate sustainability” to evaluate the management and governance of the sustainability journey. Read More
Sustainable Business Trend: Unlimited Water Becomes a Goal
The World Economic Forum’s 2016 global risk report ranked water crises as one of the top societal risks to the global economy ahead of fiscal crises, cyber attacks and even food crises [1]. Megatrends are converging to create this vortex: a growing middle class with greater demand for water; a changing climate altering the availability of water; and global declines in water quality, reducing the supply of clean water, increasing the treatment cost and putting people’s health and communities at risk. Read More
Sustainable Business Can Unlock $12 Trillion in New Market Value and Repair Economic System
More than 35 CEOs and civil society leaders of the Business & Sustainable Development Commission (the Commission) recently reveal that sustainable business models could open economic opportunities worth up to US$12 trillion and increase employment by up to 380 million jobs by 2030. Putting the Sustainable Development Goals, or Global Goals, at the heart of the world’s economic strategy could unleash a step-change in growth and productivity, with an investment boom in sustainable infrastructure as a critical driver. However, this will not happen without radical change in the business and investment community. Real leadership is needed for the private sector to become a trusted partner in working with government and civil society to fix the economy. Read More
10 for 2017: Investment Themes in a Changing World from Sustainalytics
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
A New Fund Seeks Both Financial and Social Returns
Just about every big Wall Street firm and big-time philanthropist has recently tried to get in on what’s often called double bottom line investing. The idea is that an investment isn’t just intended to score a high return; perhaps more important, it is supposed to make a significant difference in an area that had been considered un-investable. Goldman Sachs, for example, created social impact bonds to reduce the recidivism rate for adolescent offenders at the Rikers Island correctional facility in New York City. Read More
ESG in 2017: A Fundamental Rethink?
6 Trends to Watch
This year may ring the bell on a fundamental rethink for investors. Underlying all the major trends we identified for 2017 is a strategic decision point – do we change the way we think about investing, or is this business as usual in a new order? Read More
Major SRI Drivers and Trends from the SRI Trends Report
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 – In for the Long Haul: Investment for a New Strategic Era
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 MoreETHICMARK Award Winners for Best Advertising Campaigns in 2016
ETHICMARK® Winners: “Do Right Initiative” and “Give Mom Back Her Name” were awarded the Best Advertising Campaigns For 2016. The Advertising campaigns showed the positive effects of community action in India and the importance of women’s identity in the Middle Read More
CSE Announces Surprising Findings for Corporate Sustainability In Silicon Valley
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
Patagonia’s Record-breaking Black Friday Sales of $10 million all to Benefit the Planet
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
The Future of Ecotourism
Twenty-five years ago travelers were just beginning to think about the environmental impacts of their travel. Ecotourism became a catch-all term in the 1990s for making travel environmentally and socially beneficial — that both conserved the environment and sustains the well-being of local people. Read More