US SIF Foundation: Client Demand is Major Factor Driving Growth in SRI
WASHINGTON, DC // NOVEMBER 20, 2014: Sustainable, responsible and impact investing (SRI) assets have expanded 76 percent in two years: from $3.74 trillion at the start of 2012 to $6.57 trillion at the start of 2014, according to the US SIF Foundation’s latest biennial survey, the Report on US Sustainable, Responsible and Impact Investing Trends 2014. As a result, assets managed with SRI strategies now account for more than one out of every six dollars under professional management in the United States. “The findings released today clearly demonstrate that investment decisions using sustainable, responsible and impact investing strategies are on …
Shareholders File Palm Oil Shareholder Proposal with Yum! Brands
NOVEMBER 2014 // BOSTON, MA: Shareholders, concerned about the negative financial, social and environmental impacts of unsustainable palm oil production including deforestation, human rights abuses and climate change, recently filed a shareholder proposal with YUM! Brands (NYSE: YUM) asking the company to prepare an annual public report demonstrating the extent to which Yum is curtailing the actual impact of its palm oil supply chain. Approximately 85% of palm oil is grown in Indonesia and Malaysia, where it is the leading driver of deforestation. Primarily due to forest and peatland conversion, Indonesia was ranked the 3rd largest emitter of greenhouse gases …
New Initiative Tracks Impact of Shareholder Engagement
Investors and Stakeholders Present New Reporting Framework for Impact of Equity Engagement November 2014: The multi-stakeholder Impact of Equity Engagement (IE2) initiative released a new report revealing the positive outcomes of investor engagement on the environmental, social, and corporate governance practices of publicly traded companies. Investors often engage in the proxy process, dialogue, public policy advocacy, and assertive action with public companies. However, the report found that no standard method exists to date for demonstrating the impact of these activities. The report, which proposes a new reporting framework to track the impact of shareholder engagement, is available for download from: …
Wabtec Expands Non-Discrimination Policies to Include Gender Identity and Expression
NOVEMBER 2014: Following a productive dialogue between Trillium and Wabtec (NYSE: WAB) on the issue of workplace protections, Wabtec has amended its Code of Business Conduct and Ethics to include gender identity and gender expression as stand-alone protected categories. The company’s policy on Diversity and Equal Opportunity now states: Wabtec’s future depends on its ability to attract and retain the best people at all levels of the Company. To do so, Wabtec must establish and foster an environment that embraces individual differences and encourages everyone to attain their full potential. Wabtec policies and practices strive to assure equal employment and …
Trillium and Walden File Lobbying Spending Disclosure Shareholder Proposal with American Express
NOVEMBER 7, 2014 // BOSTON, MA: Trillium Asset Management, LLC and Walden Asset Management have filed a shareholder proposal at American Express (NYSE: AXP) urging the company to improve its lobbying spending disclosures. Currently, American Express does not disclose its payments to trade associations or the percentage they used for lobbying. While the company does disclose its non-deductible trade association payments for political contributions, it is not fully disclosing payments used for lobbying. This leaves a serious disclosure gap, as trade associations generally spend far more on lobbying than on political contributions. We believe it is important that American Express’s …
Trillium Sponsoring BSAS Full-Day Sustainable Investment Seminar
Boston Security Analysts Society’s 2nd Annual Sustainable Investment Seminar on will be held on November 20th NOVEMBER 5, 2014 // BOSTON, MA: In response to overwhelming feedback to last year’s seminar, on Thursday, November 20th the Boston Security Analysts Society is hosting its second full-day Sustainable Investment seminar. This event will bring together expert practitioners to provide practical advice on navigating the evolving sustainable investing landscape. When: Thursday, November 20, 2014, 8 am – 5:30 pm Where: The Westin Boston Waterfront Cost: BSAS members: $200 / Non-Members: $300 Register: www.bsas.org “Over the last few years there has been a dramatic …
Financing Food Justice
The importance of bees and other pollinators on our food system is substantial. About one out of every three bites we eat comes from plants pollinated by honeybees, and more than 85% of the plant species on earth require pollinators to exist. According to the USDA, “bee-pollinated commodities account for $20 billion in annual U.S. agricultural production and $217 billion worldwide.” However, our food system faces peril as pollinator populations have declined significantly in recent years. A growing body of science has emerged pointing to neo-nicotinoid pesticides, or “neonics,” the most widely used class of insecticides in the world, as …
Trillium’s Updated Equity Strategy Factsheets and Commentary are Available for Download
Trillium’s Q3 2014 Equity Strategy Factsheets and Market Commentary are now available for download here. …
The Thirty Percent Coalition Expands Campaign For More Women on Corporate Boards
The Thirty Percent Coalition is reaching out to Russell 1000 companies lacking women board directors. October 22, 2014: Trillium has joined institutional investors, representing more than $3 trillion in assets under management, along with some of the nation’s leading women’s organizations, sending letters to 100 companies in the Russell 1000 Index that lack women on their boards of directors, urging them to embrace gender diversity. The Thirty Percent Coalition, in its latest initiative led by The California State Teachers’ Retirement System (CalSTRS), is calling for companies to seek and place women on their boards of directors. This is the third …
Investors Urge European Union to Adopt Stronger Conflict Minerals Legislation
Investors Representing more than €855 Billion Recommend Changes to Proposed EU Regulation October 22, 2014: Yesterday, global, sustainable and responsible investors and investment organisations representing more than €855 billion in assets under management sent a joint statement to the European Commission, the European Parliament, and the European Council. The statement urges EU policy makers to ensure more compatibility between the proposed EU conflict minerals regulation and Section 1502 of the US Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (known informally as “Dodd-Frank Section 1502”), which aims to prevent mineral sourcing revenues from fueling the armed conflict in the Democratic Republic …
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