Albert Einstein once said ”Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” That quote definitely applies to the political leaders of Europe. Almost half a decade on from the inception of the global financial crisis, they have doggedly stuck to their failure of a policy that is austerity. And […]
Europe’s turning point on the way? Stimulus finally comes to Ireland Read More 👉
Global economic conditions over the past five years clearly indicate that fundamental changes are needed if some sort of balance in the global economic system is to be achieved. Given the tremendous growth China’s economy has experienced in the past two-plus decades, and the repercussions of its US dollar peg, transitioning to a floating rate currency system could serve both China and its trading partners worldwide well.
China’s US Dollar Peg & Mercantilism Redux, Part 2 Read More 👉
To what extent do socially and environmentally positive initiatives in the private sector boost a [public] company’s value? And is the downside greater for those that that do not engage in CSR activities or worse flout environmental or social concerns? We know that significant events such as the BP oil spill will go a long
The Effects of CSR on Market Capitalization Read More 👉
So America’s greatest investor and economic cheerleader, Warren Buffet, discussed his annual investment outlook recently for 2011. This included, among other things, a recovery of the housing market during this calendar year (noted). But it got me wondering about his interest in sustainability, particularly as it relates to his already mythic influence in the world
Dear Mr. Buffet, Please Speak Up on Corporate Responsibility Read More 👉
According to a new report by The Green Transition Scoreboard, private investments in green markets now total more than $2 trillion. This update is significant because many studies indicate that investing $1 trillion annually until 2020 will accelerate the Green Transition worldwide. The updated 2010 finding of $2,005,048,785,088 puts global investors and countries on track to reach
Green Investments Surpass $2 Trillion Globally Read More 👉
Mission Markets is the world’s first fully functional, FINRA-regulated electronic impact investment platform. Its mission is to provide the essential infrastructure to scale the social and environmental markets by facilitating transparency, efficiency, and impact measurement. It is one step closer to achieving scale with its first two investments on its Impact Investment Platform.
Mission Markets: The World’s First Impact Investing “stock market” Read More 👉
A recent report from Ceres details the risks to investors of the unproven extraction technologies of oil shale and coal-to-liquid fuels, according to the SocialFunds.com press release. The report, entitled Investor Risks from Development of Oil Shale and Coal-to-Liquids, details a number of risks with both of these technologies that are not new, but are considered “still in the
Water Constraints among Investor Risks from Unproven Fuel Extraction Technologies Read More 👉
Economic sanctions have often been a tool used by the US government in order to punish rogue (sorry, couldn’t think of anything else) regimes. Such has been the case when dealing with countries such as Iran, Myanmar and Zimbabwe. While the results have been mixed, the moral imperative has been quite clear. It is wrong
Socially Responsible Investing: With More Attention Comes More Debate Read More 👉
In the December 2010 issue of FAgreen, Jerilyn Klein Bier authors a feature article regarding college students driving SRI efforts through their universities’ endowments. Bier reports that students at 39 U.S. schools have established Committees on Investor Responsibility (CIR) while Yale University undergraduates are managing an innovative socially responsible endowment fund. This just two weeks after
Students Drive Change Through SRI: How Universities Can Get Involved. Read More 👉
SAN ANTONIO, TX: Today I attended an energizing discussion regarding opportunities for investors to invest directly in their communities. At a conference dominated with discussions of shareholder activism, stakeholder engagement with big oil and the business case for integrated ESG reporting, I was worried that the break out session for place-based strategies for social finance
Community Investment 2.0 through Place-Based Strategies at SRI in the Rockies Read More 👉
Believe it or not, this is not some twisted April Fool’s Day joke, but as highlighted in today’s New York Time article “India Microcredit Faces Collapse From Defaults”, is something that is actually taking place in India and could potentially be akin to the sub-prime crisis in the United States. This is clearly terrible news
The Microcredit Industry May Need a Bailout Read More 👉
Gender equality in the workplace is a lesser discussed issue in Corporate Social Responsibility, yet an important one. A new report by Calvert finds improved disclosure of policies addressing gender diversity among S&P 100 companies; yet women and minorities are still underrepresented in the highest-paid executive positions according to the SocialFunds.com press release. Calvert reports who
Calvert Report Ranks S&P 100 on Diversity Indicators: Who Made the Top 10? Read More 👉
Today is Blog Action Day, and Halosource is one company taking action to bring clean drinking water to developing countries around the world. Founded in 2002 in Seattle, Halosource has grown by focusing on providing their clean water technologies to emerging markets. In 2006, Halosource partnered with a domestic water purifying company in India. Two
Halosource Raises $80 Million and Expanding Clean Water Services Read More 👉
Back in May Google Inc. invested $38.8 million in two North Dakota wind farms. This was the company’s first investment in a utility-scale wind-energy project. Google’s green business operations manager, Rick Needham, said then that Google is “aiming to accelerate the deployment of renewable energy—in a way that makes good business sense, too.” Yesterday it
Google Makes Big Investment in Wind-Energy Read More 👉
The world of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), Socially Responsible Investing (SRI) and Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Reporting is not always easy to navigate. It is heavily laden with definitions that often overlap, yet their users (or opponents) attempt to keep them distinct. I always thought this peculiar. If a company is concerned with reporting
Strategically Aware Investing: Do We Really Need Another Acronym? Read More 👉
The United Nations’ Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI) is an investor initiative in partnership with UNEP Finance Initiative and the UN Global Compact that aims to incorporate issues of environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) in investment portfolio decisions. Their Report on Progress 2010 highlights greater participation of institutional investors worldwide. See whose reporting and what
Principles for Responsible Investment: Who Reported In 2010? Read More 👉
Speaking of who is using the G3 Guidelines of the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), CRD Analytics recently published its list of the Global 1000 Sustainable Performance Leaders and incorporated the G3 Guidelines into its analysis. See who made the top ten and the method behind the ranking. According to the SocialFunds.com press release, Merck is
CRD Analytics’ Top 1,000 Sustainable Companies: Who’s in the Top 10 and How? Read More 👉
Despite all the bad news we’ve received due to issues in the financial sector over the last two years, it turns out some banks are doing significant work greater than the occasional philanthropic project. Mark Stoiber of Fast Company has outlined some of these cutting edge banks and the interesting work they are doing in
Has Banking Gone Nuts? A Look at Sustainability in the Financial Sector Read More 👉
SocialFunds.com reports today that the EPA will revisit the issue of hydraulic fracturing announcing that the EPA will conduct a new scientific study of the effects of the practice. This is an acknowledgement on the EPA’s part of increased public concerns about the effects of hydraulic fracturing on drinking water supplies. Investors show concern also by filing shareholder resolutions
Shareowner Resolutions and a New EPA Study on Hydraulic Fracturing Read More 👉
It’s unlikely that anyone’s ever cited the UN as a first mover or an organization that leads the way in international policy, but one cannot deny it’s clout. Just last week UNCTAD (United Nations Conference on Trade and Development) presented the Investment and Enterprise Responsibility Review at the World Investment Forum in Xiamen, China. The
The Push to Standardize CSR Metrics Continues Read More 👉
The annual review of the Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes (DJSI) has been completed. See which U.S. firms made the cut. The components of the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index (DJSI World) represent the top 10% of the leading sustainability companies out of the biggest 2500 companies in the Dow Jones Global Total Stock Market Index.
Eight U.S.-based Companies Added to Dow Jones Sustainability World Index Read More 👉
Urban Partnership Bank, the reincarnation of pioneer CDFI ShoreBank Corp, cut its workforce by 20% last week. Is this a necessary evil to continue a good banking mission? ShoreBank, the Chicago-based community bank that since 1973 was a leader in the Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) industry, was seized by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) on
Urban Partnership Bank: A Rose By Any Other Name? Read More 👉
Energy efficiency service companies (ECOs) soon may be venturing abroad to take their businesses into regions where the demand for energy is growing tremendously. The most notable countries in need for energy efficiency technology and services are China, India, and countries in the Middle East. Although China’s solar energy industry is among the world’s largest,
Emerging Markets and Foreign Opportunity for Energy Efficiency Service Companies Read More 👉
Whether you are a social enterprise, NGO (non-governmental organization), non-profit, policy-maker or an investor interested in a quantifiable social return on your investment, measuring social value remains an elusive goal. A new article by Geoff Mulgan suggests a new approach in measuring social value that calls for collaboration across sectors. In a recent collaborative project
Measuring Social Value: Can subjectivity guide real decisions? Read More 👉
