Original, independent, thought leadership

Sustainable Investing Alerts: November 1 – November 15, 2018

November 13, 2018 DUE DILIGENCE Alert: MODERATE COMPETITIVE Alert: 3 Event: HSBC Introduces Global Sustainable funds in the UK. Briefing Points: i) HSBC Global Asset Management (GAM) introduced two global sustainable funds, a multi-asset conservative portfolio and a multi-asset balanced portfolio. The funds are part of the established HSBC GAM multi-asset series, ii) The conservative […]

Sustainable Investing Alerts: October 16, 2018 – October 31, 2018

October 25, 2018 DUE DILIGENCE Alert: LOW COMPETITIVE Alert: 1 Event: New European ESG fund from Spanish insurer, Mapfre. Briefing Points: i) The Spanish insurance company, Mapfre, has opened a new ESG-responsible fund with an emphasis on capital preservation, ii) The new Luxembourg domiciled fund, which is part of a new line of Mapfre ESG […]

ESG Liquidity Fund Targeted to Institutional Investors Offered by DWS

Summary DWS launched an institutional money market fund that integrates environmental, social and governance considerations while at the same time employing exclusionary screens. This $329.3 million fluctuating Net Asset Value (NAV) fund contrasts with the stable value GuideStone Money Market Fund that pursues a values/religious-based approach.  Other significant differences extend to eligible security types, minimum […]

Sustainable Investing Alerts: September 16 – September 30, 2018

Sept. 27, 2018 DUE DILIGENCE Alert : HIGH COMPETITIVE Alert : 3 Event: Vanguard Charitable to add new ETF-based ESG strategies. Briefing Points:  i) The new strategies or “goals,” scheduled to become effective on October 1, allow charitable assets of investors to be directed into 3 ETF-based ESFG options, ii) Two of the new options correspond to […]

Sustainable Investing Alerts: September 1, 2018 – September 15, 2018

Sept. 12, 2018 DUE DILIGENCE Alert: MODERATE COMPETITIVE Alert: 2 Event: DWS files for 3 new ESG ETFs and operationalizes one. Briefing Points: i) DWS (formerly Deutsche Asset Management) has launched one of the three ESG international ETFs that it registered  with the SEC earlier in the month, ii) The firm’s first sustainable entry in […]

Sustainable Investing Alerts: August 15, 2018 – August 31, 2018

August 30, 2018 DUE DILIGENCE Alert: HIGH COMPETITIVE Alert: 2 Event: New ESG focused fund in Indi for later this year announced for Avendus. Briefing Points: i) Avendus Capital Public Markets Alternative Strategies, which is the alternatives’ asset management division of Avendus Capital, is expected to open a new ESG focused fund in India by […]

Sustainable Investing Alerts: July 31, 2018 – August 15, 2018

August 13, 2018 DUE DILIGENCE Alert: MODERATE COMPETITIVE Alert: 2 Event: BlackRock sustainable funds continue to maintain positions in Turkey in face of crisis. Briefing Points: i) Blackrock’s sustainable investment funds continue to hold debt positions in Turkey as sovereign concerns rise, ii) Giulla Pellegrini, who heads BlackRock’s EMD sustainable investments stated that they have, […]

Sustainable Investing Alerts: July 16, 2018 – July 30, 2018

July 30, 2018 DUE DILIGENCE Alert: MODERATE COMPETITIVE Alert: 2 Event: Co-Head of responsible investing announced for MAN Group. Briefing Points: i) Jason Mitchell is MAN Group’s new co-head of responsible investing, a position he will share with Steven Desmyter who will focus on client- and corporate-level efforts in the same area:  ii) Mr. Mitchell’s […]

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