“Rian Fried was a pioneer of Sustainable and Responsible Investing. As co-founder of Clean Yield, his uncompromising ethical standards set the bar for our industry,” said Matthew W. Patsky, CEO of Trillium Asset Management. “Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and our colleagues at Clean Yield.” …

Legal accountability and full multi-stakeholder participation, including trade union role in governance structure, cited as critical elements lacking in plan versus Bangladesh Accord on Fire and Building Safety. New York, NY // July 10, 2013: Upon initial review, members of the Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility (ICCR) and long-term shareholders in apparel brands and retailers found the new initiative put forward this morning by the Alliance for Bangladesh Worker Safety lacking in sufficient worker protections and accountability mechanisms. ICCR members, including Boston Common Asset Management, Calvert Investments, Domini Social Investments LLC, the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate and Trillium Asset …

Passage of Master Limited Partnerships Parity Act and Updated Real Estate Tax Terms Would Boost Investment in Renewable Energy Projects, Investors Say July 1, 2013: Less than a week after President Obama unveiled an ambitious climate change action plan, major U.S. investors are encouraging policymakers to extend benefits available to oil, gas and real estate projects to spur investment in renewable energy developments. Specifically, investors are calling for the passage of the Master Limited Partnerships (MLP) Parity Act, introduced by Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.), as well as tax code adjustments that would enable renewable energy projects to be classified as …

Jonas Kron, Trillium’s Director of Shareholder Advocacy, was recently interviewed by Ben Matheson, a reporter for KDLG, NPR’s affiliate in Dillingham, Alaska, regarding the environmental and economic importance of Bristol Bay. Matheson writes, “With a few days left of public comment on the EPA’s Bristol Bay Watershed Assessment, sustainable finance firms are chiming in on the issue. A group of 27 investors who represent 35 billion dollars in sustainable industry holdings are asking the EPA to begin a 404(c) review process, which could halt the mine’s development. They say it makes sense for the environment, as well as their bottom …

Call for ‘Principled and Independent Judgment’ in Protecting Privacy Rights June 25, 2013 / / New York, NY: Citing the potential of “unprecedented and dangerous threats to the privacy of hundreds of millions of people” from government surveillance programs, a group of leading sustainable investment firms has called upon publicly-held U.S. companies to demonstrate leadership by adopting “a pro-active, principled approach to protecting the privacy and rights of their users.” In an open letter to companies, the investors said that while the surveillance programs “stem from a legitimate concern over terrorism and national security – a concern that we share …

“Today’s Supreme Court decision striking down DOMA is a win for the American people. Millions of loving couples will no longer be denied Social Security, medical benefits and other federal protections,” said Matthew W. Patsky, CEO of Trillium Asset Management. “DOMA, which forced employers to treat employees with same-sex spouses as separate and unequal to their colleagues, also imposed unnecessary costs on businesses and we are pleased to see it overturned.” Trillium Asset Management is proud to be among 70 employers listed on an amicus brief in support of Gill v. Office of Personnel Management, a 2012 challenge to DOMA. …

Avery Fellows, a reporter for Bloomberg BNA, writes: “Barclays and MSCI Inc. launched a family of fixed-income indices June 11 based primarily on environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors, which could spur growth in sustainable investing by bond investors, the organizations said. The set of ESG indices is the first of its kind for bonds, Barclays and MSCI said in a statement. Cheryl Smith, executive vice president at Trillium Asset Management, told BNA the move was “very welcome,” and that it was the first set of fixed-income ESG indices of which she was aware. Barclays is the industry standard for …