Investors Put Their Money on ESG/Sustainability, US SIF Survey Tells Us. And the Business Sector Says Let’s Keep Moving Toward the Low-Carbon Economy in 2017!
SustainabilityHQ Highlights (11.21.2016)
Investors Put Their Money on ESG/Sustainability, US SIF Survey Tells Us. And th…
For the past two years a few data points / narratives stood out in conversations about making the sustainable investing case: “$1-in-$6 in Assets Under (professional) Management; $6 trillion-plus; 12% and more of the total equity AUM. Hey – there are important new references points now to use, courtesy of the U.S. Forum for Sustainable and Responsible Investment (US SIF) and the SIF Foundation, and SIF/Croatan Institute research team. These findings come from the report just released by US SIF: “Report on US Sustainable, Responsible and Impact Investing Trends 2016.”
Keep in mind for your conversations and writing exercises:
·We are now at $1-in-$5 of all Assets Under [professional] Management (AUM).
·That is 20%-plus of all AUM in the United States. (US total is $40 trillion.)
·AUM total that is managed following ESG/Sustainable Investing etc. approaches $8+ trillion (closer to $9 T).
There’s more in the top story by G&A Institute chair Hank Boerner.
And what about those assets that are in the main issues of corporations? Good news on the corporate side for you, today. And another key number to keep in mind: 365!
Ceres, announced this week that more than 365 businesses and investors in 35 states – including more than a dozen from the Fortune 500 -- have sent a strong message to President Barack Obama, President-elect Donald Trump and other leaders to reaffirm their support of the progress made in the Paris Climate Agreement. We need to accelerate the transition to a low-carbon economy in the U.S.A. and around the globe was the message coming out of “COP 22,” the follow on meeting of COP 21 (Paris) in Marrakech, Morocco.
The bold names among the signatories makes this a very important communication: Dupont, General Motors, Hewlett Packard, Nike, Mars, Starbucks, Unilever, and more! Typical among the signatories, was this comment: Now more than ever, Levi Strauss & Co. believes it is important to reaffirm our commitment to address climate change by supporting the Paris Climate Agreement,” said Michael Kobori, vice president of sustainability at Levi Strauss & Co. “Building an energy-efficient economy in the U.S., powered by low-carbon energy will ensure our nation’s competitiveness and position US companies as leaders in the global market - all while doing the right thing for our planet.”
That’s our second and very relevant top story for you. What are your thoughts on the future as we await the transition of power at the top of our government? Let us know – we will share them with colleagues – and thought leaders.
May we live in interesting times, as the ancient Chinese curse & blessing goes. U.S. Senator Robert F. Kennedy used this in a speech in 1966, saying the 20th Century was the most interesting period humankind has seen. Well, just watch the 21st!
