ESG issues
Environmental, social, and governance (ESG) issues are important, but are all of them material? California State Teachers Retirement System (CalSTRS) CIO Christopher J. Ailman discusses how he resolves investment conflicts.
In the final analysis, can we truly measure the emissions of our portfolio? Or understand what the actual “carbon footprint” is? No, not really, says Christopher K. Merker, CFA, but it is becoming easier.
Jason Voss, CFA, provides his picks for Weekend Reads for Investors. This edition curates stories on the potential repeal of the tax deduction corporations in the United States receive on debt payments, the end of Big Oil, how we can recognize machine consciousness, and more.
India's agricultural woes, the appalling state of the world's oceans, "sin stocks," and reshaping market mechanisms, are just a few of the selections in this edition of Weekend Reads from India by Shreenivas Kunte, CFA.
So what are the risks and opportunities associated with integrating or failing to integrate human rights issues into asset allocation considerations? Anjali Pradhan, CFA, explores the issue.
The environment's margin of safety is narrowing with each uptick in global temperatures. This will translate into greater effects on investor portfolios. It is the job of the investment manager to cushion against those risks while still seeking profitable opportunities.
Lynn Blake, CFA, discusses State Street's new gender diversity exchange-traded fund (ETF), the benefits of bringing more women into the finance industry, and the wisdom and experiences she's accrued during her nearly 30 years in investment management, in an interview with Susan Hoover.
"Standards for disclosure around material ESG factors by sector are critical. Once we have this, we can start to innovate at a faster rate," says Erika Karp, founder of Cornerstone Capital.
“Responsible investment” has nothing to do with nebulous moral considerations — it’s all about generating sustainable financial returns, says Sandra Carlisle of Newton Investment Management. Understanding three different levels of a company's profile can help to identify and avoid bad actors, bridging the gap between values-based investing and prudent fiduciary duty.
How can institutional investors integrate climate change into their investment decisions? It's a challenging question certainly, and some would expect it to remain unanswered — or be relegated to obscure academic papers. On the contrary, it is a question that is being addressed head on by investment practitioners. Here is a list of five publications from 2015 that directly take on the challenge of climate change and investing.