Original, independent, thought leadership

Sustainable Funds Monitor: May 2020

The Bottom Line: Sustainable mutual funds and ETFs continue their streak of nine consecutive monthly gains, reaching $2.6 trillion of assets under management in May.

Sustainable Funds Cash Flows Summary: April 2020

The Bottom Line: Sustainable fund assets reached a new high in April 2020 at almost $2.5 trillion, boosted largely by market movement and fund re-brandings. Sustainable mutual fund and ETF assets reached a new high of almost $2.5 trillion at the end of April Stocks and bonds moved sharply higher in April, with the S&P […]

SEC Investor Advisory Committee Recommends Updating ESG Reporting

The Bottom Line:  Contemplated for close to 50 years, SEC Investor Advisory Committee recommends updating reporting requirements of issuers to include material, decision-useful ESG factors. Recommendation to update reporting requirements to include material, decision-useful ESG factors supported by five reasons is greeted with some degree of skepticism At the May 21, 2020 Investor Advisory Committee […]

Sustainable Funds Monitor: April 2020

The Bottom Line:  Sustainable mutual funds and ETFs reach another all-time high at the end of April with almost $2.5 trillion in assets under management.

Response to SEC Request for Comment on Fund Names

The Bottom Line:  Response to SEC’s RFC on Fund Names to such terms and “ESG” or “Sustainable” proposes for consideration a potential fund classification framework. Summary This comment note was submitted on May 5, 2020 in response to the SEC’s Request for Comment (Release Nos. IC-33809; File No. S7-04-20) on Fund Names, in particular as […]

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