We believe that after the dust has settled, more people will understand that the work of sustainable investing is vitally important.  More people will bring their commitment, their energy, and their assets to join this movement. In many important ways, the 2016 election cycle has echoed the extended legacy of the financial crisis and subsequent Great Recession.  The November 8 election sharply highlighted the deep divides in America, which the 2007-2009 financial crisis exacerbated.  These divides, including those between coastal urban centers and interior, small town America, between college-educated Americans and voters without a college degree, and between white and …

Boston Security Analysts Society’s 4th Annual Sustainable Investing Seminar will be held on Thursday, November 17th. Cheryl Smith, CFA, Partner and Portfolio Manager at Trillium will be moderating a panel titled, “A Fresh Perspective on Engagement” with Pat Zerega, Senior Director of Shareholder Advocacy at Mercy Investments and Gergoge Serafeim, Jakursi Family Associate Professor at Harvard Business School. This press release was originally distributed by Boston Security Analysts Society which is solely responsible for its content.  NOVEMBER 8, 2016 // BOSTON, MA – On Thursday, November 17th, the Boston Security Analysts Society will host its fourth full-day Sustainable Investing Seminar. “Sustainable Investing” is often …

October 27, 2016 – On October 5th, the Paris Climate agreement reached in December 2015 officially came into force. In Paris, 195 countries committed to a long term goal of limiting the increase in global average temperatures to less than 2 degrees Centigrade above pre-industrial levels. These countries also agreed to create greater transparency, build resilience, and work to reduce carbon emissions to minimize prospective damage globally. The U.S. pledged a 28% reduction from 2005 greenhouse gas emission levels, which will require substantial redirection of investment, both from fossil-fuel based energy to renewable energy and toward improving climate resilience and adaptation. …

On October 13, 2016, Trillium Asset Management filed a shareholder resolution with BlackRock asking the company to issue a report discussing its proxy voting on workplace LGBT non-discrimination policy shareholder resolutions. Below is a press release regarding the filing. PRESS RELEASE October 18, 2016 // Boston, MA – Based on an analysis of mutual fund voting, it has been discovered that funds managed by BlackRock (NYSE: BLK) voted against the majority of recent shareholder resolutions requesting companies to add sexual orientation and gender identity to their corporate equal employment opportunity (EEO) policies – to protect lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) employees that …

Boston, MA // October 11, 2016 – Trillium Asset Management filed a shareholder resolution with Visa, Inc. (NYSE: V) asking the company to prepare a diversity report available to investors to include: “A chart identifying employees according to gender and race in major EEOC-defined job categories, listing numbers or percentages in each category A description of policies/programs focused on increasing gender and racial diversity in the workplace.” Currently, Visa does not disclose workforce data or results related to its diversity initiatives. As a result, shareholders lack sufficient information to determine if the company has a diverse workforce or has effectively expanded …

PRESS RELEASE  Investing in Equality: Integrating LGBT Issues into Total Portfolio Activation A group of investors has released a new white paper, Investing in Equality: Integrating LGBT Issues into Total Portfolio Activation. The paper was prepared by Croatan Institute with the guidance of the Social Justice Fund Northwest, Out Leadership, and Trillium Asset Management. Microsoft Corporation is profiled for its history of leadership in advancing LGBT rights. The paper provides a framework to help impact investors expand the scope of investing in LGBT issues across asset classes. It is the first effort to structure a total portfolio approach thematically around …

NYC Comptroller, Trillium Asset Management, and Croatan Institute organize investors calling for a full repeal of the state’s anti-LGBT law SEPTEMBER 26, 2016 // RALEIGH, NC: In a statement organized by Trillium Asset Management, Croatan Institute and the New York City Comptroller, investors representing $2.1 Trillion in collective assets under management are calling for a full repeal of North Carolina’s notorious House Bill 2. The bill overturns municipal non-discrimination protections for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people and prohibits transgender people from using restrooms consistent with their gender identity. Not only does the bill invalidate the human rights of …

Boston, MA // September 16, 2016 – On Monday, Vice President of Shareholder Advocacy, Brianna Murphy, completed a 5-day, 390-mile ride from Bar Harbor, ME to Boston, MA  as part of this year’s 2016 Northeast Climate Ride. Riding as a member of “Team Ceres”, Brianna and her fellow team members raised over $12k to fund Ceres’ work towards advancing a sustainable global economy. Trillium is proud to support the riders and more than 150 beneficiaries who are making an impact in sustainability, renewable energy, and similar environmental causes.  For thirty-four years, Trillium’s shareholder advocacy group has been a leader on …

ORRVILLE, OH // AUGUST 10, 2016: Trillium Asset Management has published a letter to shareholders of J.M. Smucker Company (NYSE: SJM) urging them to vote next Wednesday, August 17, 2016, in favor of a shareholder proposal on the company’s 2016 proxy card. The proposal, asks J.M. Smucker to issue a report by January 2017analyzing and proposing how the company can increase renewable energy sourcing and/or production. The letter provides the following rationale for voting “Yes”: Opportunities: Increased renewable energy sourcing can lead to cost savings, improve the company’s license to operate, and enhance U.S. energy security Risk management: Investing in …

Boston, MA // August 8, 2016: Trillium is pleased to share that following a yearlong engagement with transportation company J.B. Hunt (NASDAQ: JBHT) the board has decided to amend the company’s equal employment opportunity policy to protect all lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered (LGBT) employees. These changes follow our shareholder proposal presented at the June annual meeting asking the company to add sexual orientation and gender identity to the EEO policy. Although J.B. Hunt management advised shareholders to vote against these changes, the proposal received a remarkable 54.7% vote. In response to the majority vote, the board appointed an internal …