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责任投资论坛与史蒂夫Schueth

Socially responsible investment strategies serve as the foundation for the United Nations' new Principles for Responsible Investment. The U.N.'s voluntary guidelines provide a framework for the systematic integration of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) issues into investment decision-making. I share Secretary-General Kofi Annan's hope that the Principles will "contribute to a more stable and inclusive global economy." Fortunately, most of the investment management and mutual fund companies who serve socially conscious investors have been operating in a manner consistent with the U.N. Principles for years -- it's what differentiates us in the marketplace. So this no experiment -- we've been proving the wisdom of a more holistic approach to investing for a long time.


U.N. Launches Principles for Responsible Investment

"With only rare exceptions, the financial community has not sufficiently recognized or rewarded corporate efforts to respond to environmental, labor or human rights challenges, even though such factors can be directly material to corporate performance," U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan said when he announced the United Nations负责任的投资原则

来自16个国家的领导机构,代表超过4万亿的国有资产$首脑已经签署了原则。

这些原则承认环境,社会和治理(ESG)问题可能影响企业利润表现和投资组合。六项首要原则,通过35可能采取的行动支撑,引导机构投资者和资产管理者在实践负责任的投资。该原则旨在鼓励整合ESG问题纳入投资分析,激发积极的所有权和代理投票,并通过提高公司披露ESG。

原则期间,由联合国秘书长召集和协调由联合国环境计划署金融行动(UNEP FI)和联合国全球契约近一年之久的工艺被开发出来。

“这些原则增长的认识指出,虽然金融燃料的全球经济中,投资决策不能充分反映环境,社会和公司治理方面的考虑,或者换一种说法,可持续发展的原则,”秘书长说,。

他补充说:“通过领先的机构投资者开发的,这些原则为实现更好的长期投资回报和更可持续的市场框架,我邀请机构投资者及其金融合作伙伴无处不在采用这些原则。”

签署分为三类:资产所有者,投资管理和专业服务的合作伙伴。资产所有者包括一些在美国最大的州养老基金,如加州公共雇员退休基金(CalPERS),纽约州和地方退休系统,以及康涅狄格退休计划和信托基金。签署还包括SRI基金公司卡尔弗特和多米尼社会投资公司,以及独立的投资顾问,首先肯定金融网络。

“我们很自豪地赞同原则,其中认识到,社会和环境问题可以是物质的公司,因此我们在那家公司股票的价值和财务前景,”丹尼斯Nappier,康涅狄格州的掌柜说。“市场往往过多地专注于长期的和非传统的,可能会影响公司的底线财务健康的因素为代价的短期结果。对于许多机构投资者是长期的事项,并在这方面环境,社会和治理问题采取了新的含义。”

签字者被要求严格在整个组织中应用的原则,防止组织声称来自基于有限的SRI基金发行或隔离ESG实践签署状态。该原则促进持股人的参与和积极投票,同时阻止基于ESG因素排除筛选。

“通过他们的重点参与,不撤资,这些原则代表了我们的努力,在普世价值观根全球业务,以实现更可持续的全球经济的一个重要里程碑,”乔治·凯尔,联合国全球契约的行政主管说。

添加显著首肯的倡议下,联合国工作人员养恤金联合基金还签署了原则。“联合国,就其本身而言,必须言行一致,”安南秘书长说。“所以,我也很高兴地宣布,联合国工作人员养恤金联合基金,在资产近30十亿$,在签署这些原则。”

根据网站的原则,没有legal or regulatory sanctions associated with the Principles -- they are designed to be voluntary and aspirational. There may be reputational risks associated with signing up and then failing to take any action, but the commitments are, for most signatories, a work in progress and a direction to head in rather than a prescriptive checklist with which to comply.

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Steven J. Schueth is president of首先肯定金融网络有限责任公司。在证券交易委员会注册的独立的投资咨询公司,首先肯定专门供应全国社会意识的个人和机构投资者。对于社会投资论坛前主任和发言人,Schueth住在科罗拉多州博尔德。

Reference to a specific company or mutual fund should neither be considered an endorsement of the company or fund, nor an investment recommendation. Past performance is never a guarantee of future results.

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