by Jessye Waxman, Green Century Capital Management
As a shareholder advocate for an environmentally-responsible mutual fund company, I directly engage companies on their supply chain strategies and have successfully convinced them to adopt practices that have real-world impacts that protect a triple bottom line. I’ve collaborated with Aramark and Tyson Foods to develop robust no-deforestation commitments, and have successfully pressed Kroger, the largest grocery chain in the US, to adopt a no-deforestation policy that will cover its private label products.
Following my time in the military and as a regulator with the FDIC, I made my way into financial services in an investment capacity, with an intention to help people navigate their financial challenges. I wanted to help build a better outcome for their financial goals. Part of that was development of a process around investing in companies that support a more sustainable world as a whole, and not just companies that are financially sound.
by Benjamin Bailey, CFA, Praxis Mutual Funds & Everence Financial
Praxis Mutual Fund shareholders expect us to invest with their values in mind. The Praxis Impact Bond Fund turned 25 this year and through the first half of the fund’s tenure we diligently focused on screening out holdings contrary to those shared values. In 2006, our eyes were opened by a public bond offering that showed us what positive impact bonds (those bonds that make a positive impact on the climate and/or communities) could do.
by Leslie Samuelrich, President of Green Century Funds
The climate crisis is precipitating a sustainable investment revolution, and I think that revolution will endure in 2020.
When the environmentally-responsible mutual fund company that I lead was founded in 1991, the average investor was not concerned about sustainability. Times have changed. Nearly 80 percent of respondents to a recent study said that they “love the idea of investing in companies that care about the same issues” as them. This isn’t just lip service.
With a new investment of more than US $170,000 signed earlier this year, Gildan and World Vision Honduras are enhancing their existing partnership and will collaborate to diligently strengthen World Vision’s sustainable education intervention program in 1,200 schools in Honduras.
by Emily E. Robare, head of ESG (environmental, social, and governance) research on the municipal credit research team at Gurtin Municipal Bond Management
