Original, independent, thought leadership
« Back to Glossary Index

Fund Complex: Riverbridge Partners

Management Company: Riverbridge Partners, LLC

Funds Affected: Rivebridge Eco Leaders Fund

Sustainable Investing Strategy:  ESG Integration

Summary:

The fund invests in equity securities of “Eco Leader” companies, which are companies that the investment adviser believes are positioning themselves for sustainable market leadership and long-term growth, while demonstrating environmental stewardship (i.e., companies that understand their supply chain impact and dependency on the environment while seeking to improve resource productivity), social responsibility and corporate governance best practices.

This firm’s fundamental approach includes a rigorous research and due diligence process, including a thorough assessment of a company’s culture and sustainable market leadership through direct interactions with a company’s management team. In addition, the advisor performs an assessment of the company through interactions with the company’s management team, as well as a peer-review process that includes interactions with the company’s competitors, suppliers, partners and/or customers. The advisor believes these interactions allow for the opportunity to evaluate key aspects of the company’s environmental, social and governance profiles. In selecting the Eco Leaders Fund’s investments the advisor selects companies based on the advisor’s investment process and criteria, which includes environmental, social and governance standards.

« Back to Funds Directory

Research

Research and analysis to keep sustainable investors up to-date on a broad range of topics that include trends and developments in sustainable investing and sustainable finance, regulatory updates, performance results and considerations, investing through index funds and actively managed portfolios, asset allocation updates, expenses, ESG ratings and data, company and product news, green, social and sustainable bonds, green bond funds as well as reporting and disclosure practices, to name just a few.

A continuously updated Funds Directory is also available to investors.  This is intended to become a comprehensive listing of sustainable mutual funds, ETFs and other investment products along with a description of their sustainable investing approaches as set out in fund prospectuses and related regulatory filings.

Getting started

Many questions have surfaced in recent years regarding sustainable and ESG investing.  Here, investors and financial intermediaries will find materials that describe the various approaches to sustainable investing and their implementation.  While sustainable investing approaches vary and they have thus far defied universally accepted definitions, many practitioners agree that they fall into the following broad categories:  Values-based investing, investing via exclusions, impact investing, thematic investments and ESG integration.  In conjunction with each of these approaches, investors may also adopt various issuer engagement procedures and proxy voting practices.  That said, sustainable investing approaches will continue to evolve.

In addition to periodic updates regarding sustainable investing and how this form of investing is evolving, investors and financial intermediaries interested in implementing a sustainable investing approach will also find source materials that cover basic investing themes as well as asset allocation tactics.

Inesting ideas

Thoughts and ideas targeting sustainable investing strategies executed through various registered and non-registered sustainable investment funds and products such as mutual funds, Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs), Exchange Traded Notes (ETNs), closed-end funds, Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) and Unit Investment Trusts (UITs). Coverage extends to investment management firms as well as fund groups. 

Independent source for sustainable investment management company research, analysis, opinions and sustainable fund disclosure assessments