The Responsible Investor Handbook

The Responsible Investor Handbook PDF

Author: Thomas Croft

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2017-09-08

Total Pages: 229

ISBN-13: 1351283626

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For decades, workers’ capital stewards have invested wisely to provide a secure retirement for millions of people around the world. This money – our money – represents an enormous share of economic and capital market wealth. It has seeded and grown innumerable innovative industries that have had far-reaching impacts. However, the 2008 financial crisis has seriously threatened these trusted assets and drained away prosperity.In response, a growing number of investors are moving towards responsible investment policies and strategies, addressing the rising expectations of consumers and benefiting from the financial advantages such strategies bring. Everyday citizens now want to see their investments not only do well, but do good. But, what constitutes responsible investment, and how can it be undertaken in practice? What is the impact of responsible investment strategies on investment performance? How can trustees, managers and advisors implement these strategies in line with their fiduciary responsibilities? How can plan trustees and staff members convince all stakeholders of the need to invest in resilient growth?The Responsible Investor Handbook, commissioned by the AFL-CIO and global progressive investors, is a lay-friendly “how-to” manual, sharing the best in responsible investment practice with capital stewards and other policy leaders who want to do the right thing with our common wealth.This invaluable toolkit enables readers to: Understand the pioneering role of workers’ capital in building infrastructure and vital services Devise a responsible investment strategy Select and monitor service providers Bring on board stakeholders with conflicting interests Avoid short-termism The Responsible Investor Handbook is the first book devoted to aligning the long-term investment priorities of working people with capital stewards and the financial complex that manages their assets. It is an essential read for trustees and capital stewards seeking the positive outcomes of a responsible investment strategy; pension and institutional investors looking to realign their strategies with the interests of workers and citizens; and any professional seeking a better understanding of the importance of responsible investment and its impact on capital markets.

The Responsible Investor

The Responsible Investor PDF

Author: Anna Hyrske

Publisher: Taylor & Francis

Published: 2022-10-31

Total Pages: 209

ISBN-13: 1000737772

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• Provides an easy-to-access guide to what sustainable investing is and how it can influence investment decisions. • Written by experienced investment professionals, the book covers the full scale of Responsible Investment approaches and asset classes. • The book is based on global best practice and definitions as set by the UN-backed Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI), which is today the leading institution for responsible investors.

The Routledge Handbook of Responsible Investment

The Routledge Handbook of Responsible Investment PDF

Author: Tessa Hebb

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2015-08-11

Total Pages: 764

ISBN-13: 1136249745

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The UN-supported Principles for Responsible Investment initiative has led to around a third of the world’s financial assets being managed with a commitment to invest in a way that considers environmental, social or governance (ESG) criteria. The responsible investment trend has increased dramatically since the global financial crisis, yet understanding of this field remains at an early stage. This handbook provides an atlas of current practice in the field of responsible investment. With a large global team of expert contributors, the book explores the impact of responsible investment on key financial actors ranging from mainstream asset managers to religious organizations. Offering students and researchers a comprehensive introduction to current scholarship and international structures in the expanding discipline of responsible investment, this handbook is vital reading across the fields of finance, economics and accounting.

Handbook on Sustainable Investments: Background Information and Practical Examples for Institutional Asset Owners

Handbook on Sustainable Investments: Background Information and Practical Examples for Institutional Asset Owners PDF

Author: Swiss Sustainable Finance

Publisher: CFA Institute Research Foundation

Published: 2017-12-27

Total Pages: 200

ISBN-13: 1944960368

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A fast growing share of investors have recently widened their scope of analysis to criteria regarded as extra-financial. They are driven by different motivations. Adoption of sustainable investment strategies can be driven, on the one hand by the sole motivation to hedge portfolios against knowable risks by expanding the conceptual framework to incorporate the latest best practice in risk management. Other investors focus rather on a long-term view and make an active bet on societal change. Recent empirical research has shown that considering sustainability factors within investment practices does not come at a cost (i.e. through a reduced opportunity set) but allows for competitive returns. Furthermore, the growing market and resulting competition in the wake of sustainable investing going mainstream has the welcome effect to compress fees for such products. Hence, staying informed about recent trends in sustainable investing is imperative no matter what the main motivation is.

Compelling Returns

Compelling Returns PDF

Author: Scott J. Budde

Publisher: John Wiley & Sons

Published: 2008-09-09

Total Pages: 224

ISBN-13: 047024058X

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Achieve competitive financial returns and make a difference at the same time by applying the information in Compelling Returns: A Practical Guide to Socially Responsible Investing, a well-rounded guide to socially responsible investing (SRI). Understand the basics of SRI and discover how you can align your values with your investments by choosing from three basic strategies. Learn to implement these strategies in your investment portfolios and combine your newfound knowledge with the basic principles of successful investing. An up-to-date directory of companies involved with SRI is included.

ESG and Responsible Institutional Investing Around the World: A Critical Review

ESG and Responsible Institutional Investing Around the World: A Critical Review PDF

Author: Pedro Matos

Publisher: CFA Institute Research Foundation

Published: 2020-05-29

Total Pages: 80

ISBN-13: 1944960988

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This survey examines the vibrant academic literature on environmental, social, and governance (ESG) investing. While there is no consensus on the exact list of ESG issues, responsible investors increasingly assess stocks in their portfolios based on nonfinancial data on environmental impact (e.g., carbon emissions), social impact (e.g., employee satisfaction), and governance attributes (e.g., board structure). The objective is to reduce exposure to investments that pose greater ESG risks or to influence companies to become more sustainable. One active area of research at present involves assessing portfolio risk exposure to climate change. This literature review focuses on institutional investors, which have grown in importance such that they have now become the largest holders of shares in public companies globally. Historically, institutional investors tended to concentrate their ESG efforts mostly on corporate governance (the “G” in ESG). These efforts included seeking to eliminate provisions that restrict shareholder rights and enhance managerial power, such as staggered boards, supermajority rules, golden parachutes, and poison pills. Highlights from this section: · There is no consensus on the exact list of ESG issues and their materiality. · The ESG issue that gets the most attention from institutional investors is climate change, in particular their portfolio companies’ exposure to carbon risk and “stranded assets.” · Investors should be positioning themselves for increased regulation, with the regulatory agenda being more ambitious in the European Union than in the United States. Readers might come away from this survey skeptical about the potential for ESG investing to affect positive change. I prefer to characterize the current state of the literature as having a “healthy dose of skepticism,” with much more remaining to be explored. Here, I hope the reader comes away with a call to action. For the industry practitioner, I believe that the investment industry should strive to achieve positive societal goals. CFA Institute provides an exemplary case in its Future of Finance series (www.cfainstitute.org/research/future-finance). For the academic community, I suggest we ramp up research aimed at tackling some of the open questions around the pressing societal goals of ESG investing. I am optimistic that practitioners and academics will identify meaningful ways to better harness the power of global financial markets for addressing the pressing ESG issues facing our society.

Inside Private Equity

Inside Private Equity PDF

Author: James M. Kocis

Publisher: John Wiley & Sons

Published: 2009-04-20

Total Pages: 292

ISBN-13: 0470421894

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Inside Private Equity explores the complexities of this asset class and introduces new methodologies that connect investment returns with wealth creation. By providing straightforward examples, it demystifies traditional measures like the IRR and challenges many of the common assumptions about this asset class. Readers take away a set of practical measures that empower them to better manage their portfolios.

The Ethical Investor’s Handbook: How to grow your money without wrecking the Earth

The Ethical Investor’s Handbook: How to grow your money without wrecking the Earth PDF

Author: Morten Strange

Publisher: Marshall Cavendish International Asia Pte Ltd

Published: 2018-09-15

Total Pages: 162

ISBN-13: 9814841072

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Global warming, overpopulation, the biodiversity crisis... the world we live in is in a state of emergency. This is not just an ecological problem; it is an economic problem as well. The state of the natural world impacts – and is impacted by – human society. Our actions have long-term consequences, so we must be wise in the choices we make, not least in the companies/practices we support through our investment decisions. In The Ethical Investor’s Handbook, author Morten Strange connects the dots, to show how economics and finance play a direct role in perpetuating this crisis. What can we as individual investors do to avoid wrecking the Earth while growing our wealth? How can we navigate the capital allocation space without compromising our ethical values? It can be done – some of the Big Boys have done it – and this invaluable new book shows us how. Delving into topics such as alternative energy sources, conservation and natural capital, The Ethical Investor’s Handbook offers practical advice on how to build a sustainable green portfolio that reaps handsome returns. There are pitfalls and stranded assets to avoid, but also new opportunities if you know where to find them. Do-gooders, with the right understanding of the issues at hand, can make a good buck!

Your Essential Guide to Sustainable Investing

Your Essential Guide to Sustainable Investing PDF

Author: Larry E. Swedroe

Publisher: Harriman House Limited

Published: 2022-04-05

Total Pages: 175

ISBN-13: 0857199056

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Sustainable investing is booming. The investment industry is fast approaching a point where one-third of global assets under management are invested with a sustainable objective. But do sustainable investment products do what investors expect them to do? How can an investor tell if their investments are having the social impact they want? Does that impact come at a financial cost? And how can investors weave their way through the web of confusing acronyms, conflicting agency ratings, and the mass of fund offerings, confident that they can recognize and avoid corporate greenwashing? Larry Swedroe and Sam Adams cut through the fog and bring clarity on all of this and more—providing investors with a firm plan for truly sustainable investing. The authors first define sustainable investing, illuminating the differences between ESG, SRI and impact investing, and reveal who is currently investing sustainably and why. They then move on to a comprehensive review of the academic research. What does the data really say about risk and return in sustainable investing? What performance can you genuinely expect from sustainable investments? And how are today’s sustainable investors using their influence to drive positive changes for society and the environment? Finally, this book arms you with a practical guide to investing sustainably, including how to effectively choose your asset allocation strategy, and select the managers and funds through which your money can create the change you want to see in the world. Your Essential Guide to Sustainable Investing is the definitive go-to resource that investors have been waiting for.

Socially Responsible Investment in a Global Environment

Socially Responsible Investment in a Global Environment PDF

Author: Hung-Gay Fung

Publisher: Edward Elgar Publishing

Published: 2010-01-01

Total Pages: 191

ISBN-13: 1849805237

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The authors have done an excellent job explaining the development and practice of Socially Responsible Investment (SRI). Under the recent recognition of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in Asia and its strong emphasis by US and European corporations, this book provides important guidance to students and professionals who are interested in the effects and implications of SRI. This book is truly informative and should be on the reading list of all fund managers and CFOs of international corporations which are serious about CSR. Louis T.W. Cheng, Hong Kong Polytechnic University Individual investors and corporate heads have the responsibility to keep abreast of major changes in the marketplace. Socially responsible investment is one of those changes. Fung, Law and Yau provide, in a single source, a great opportunity to get up to date on an area that will be a force for years to come. I encourage any thoughtful investor or manager to read this book. Thomas Schneeweis, University of Massachusetts Amherst, US Socially responsible investment (SRI) is becoming increasingly popular and can be potentially rewarding to all parties concerned. This book discusses the opportunities, challenges, and practices of SRI in a global financial environment in a consistent and integrated framework of risk management. It also covers a wide variety of environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) issues related to various participants, such as values-based retail, institutional investors, corporations, banks, supranational agencies, and non-governmental organizations. Readers are provided with the perspectives of SRI from various players in the financial community from values-based investors to fiduciaries to supranational agencies. The authors analyse the incorporation of ESG issues into investment practices within a regulatory, legal, reputational, and operational risk management framework. Academics, corporate executives, government regulators and policymakers, bankers, and non-governmental organizations involved with sustainable development will find much of interest in this book.