It’s odd that the “sustainable investing” experts often put little emphasis on investing in sustainable democracy—Michael Brush, Marketwatch

It’s odd that the “sustainable investing” experts often put little emphasis on investing in sustainable democracy—Michael Brush, Marketwatch
The paper [called Return on Equality] is ultimately about an untapped opportunity in gender-lens investing, the practice of investing for return while also considering benefits to women delivered by a company’s products and services. We took a sample of five sectors (water, telecommunications, energy, contraception and child care) and ran the numbers to calculate the economic benefits of achieving gender parity. What we found was a $300 billion spend opportunity by 2025 in just those five sectors alone.
“We are already seeing anecdotal signs that private sector investors will be motivated to increase their impact investing,” says Daniel Kern, chief investment officer of investment management firm TFC Financial Management in Boston.
Source: www.irmagazine.com/articles/sustainability/21934/trump-could-be-fueling-sri/
Deutsche Asset Management has been ranked among the worst asset managers in Europe with regard to responsible investment performance and transparency. KBC Asset Management, Union Investment, SEB and BBVA Asset Management respectively held the other bottom spots on the list, compiled by ShareAction.
Source: www.fundstrategy.co.uk/deutsche-ranked-worst-europe-responsible-credentials/
Asset owners and asset managers who ignore the threat of anti-microbial resistance (AMR) to asset valuations do so at their peril— Abigail Herron, head of engagement, Aviva Investors
Source: www.ipe.com/investment/esg/esg-antibiotics-on-the-agenda/10017782.article
Note: Clear Profit wrote a piece on the topic last year, which can be found here. ■
Aramco is the world’s largest oil company, but when it sells shares next year its foray into renewables is what may lure investors who would otherwise be forced to stay away. Saudi Arabian Oil Co., as it is formally called, is considering investments of as much as $5 billion in renewable energy, part of the kingdom’s effort to reduce the amount of oil feeding domestic energy needs.
The Parliamentary Contributory Pension Fund, whose investments have never been made public before, ploughed more money into British American Tobacco (BAT) and oil giant BP and than any other two companies over the past year. … The fund’s top 20 holdings also include three US tech companies–Amazon, Google and Apple–that have been accused by MPs themselves of avoiding tax.
The Equality Trust is asking you to sign our petition calling on the UK government to introduce mandatory pay ratio reporting in the private sector immediately, and require businesses to reveal, and justify, the difference in pay between bosses and workers. … Because more equal societies work better for everyone.
Most agree that banks should keep our money safe and avoid unnecessary risk. But is the sector capable of much more than avoiding leading us into another financial crash?
Source: www.positive.news/2017/economics/25748/banks-not-just-less-bad-force-positive-change/
Activist points to “hypocrisy” in BNP Paribas’s involvement in south Texas export terminal, given bank’s claimed commitment to the environment.
Source: www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/mar/02/texas-fracking-bnp-paribas-environment