SRI Advocates Call for Help Against Foreclosures and Regulation of Wall Street (10/02)
Responsible investors have led the fight against predatory lending for nearly 10 years with both successes and failures. Advocates see opportunity in current crisis to put end to practice. Last of a three-part series.

Sustainable Endowments Institute Releases College Sustainability Report Card (09/29)
Annual survey encourages commitment to sustainability, including investment priorities, shareholder engagement, and endowment transparency by colleges with largest endowments.

Calvert Foundation Receives $10 Million Investment from Merrill Lynch (09/27)
Investment in foundation's Community Investment Note is intended to support women entrepreneurs in developing countries.

Effects of Predatory Lending Lead to Economic Crisis (09/23)
Proposed $700 billion bailout by Treasury Department offers measure of relief to roiling markets while raising questions of fairness. Part I of a three-part series.

FTSE4Good Index Series Updates Component Companies and Eligibility Components (09/18)
FTSE Group added 36 companies and removed 12 in semi-annual update of its leading SRI index.

Dow Jones Sustainability Index Updated (09/17)
Dow Jones Sustainability World Index lists 320 corporate sustainability leaders, up from 312 in 2007.

Investors Take Note of Clean and Sustainable Geothermal Energy Production (09/12)
New technologies such as EGS offer potential for large-scale electricity production and lead to high-visibility investments.

Investors Push Companies For Greater Disclosure on Lawsuits (09/11)
A proposed FASB rule change would require that loss contingencies related litigation be disclosed to investors.

Eurosif Study Finds Increasing Investment in Sustainability by Wealthy Individuals (09/04)
First-ever study addresses sustainable investment by high net worth individuals.

New Sustainable Transportation ETF to be Launched on NASDAQ (09/02)
Index-based ETF to track companies offering green solutions to growth in worldwide transportation.

ESG Criteria Creeping Slowly into Mainstream Investing (08/28)
New report lays out the five hurdles ESG investing has to clear before it can be incorporated on a large scale.

Getting on Board with Corporate Social Responsibility (08/25)
Corporate boards can and should influence their companies' social and environmental performances finds a new report.

The Assurance Industry Grows in League with ESG Reporting (08/21)
With more companies publishing sustainability reports, more third parties are stepping in to validate the information in CSR reports.

Social Platform for Socially Responsible Investors (08/14)
The SRI community has a new way to share information about what companies are or aren't doing on social, environmental, and governance issues.

Investing to Empower Homeowners (07/30)
The Calvert Foundation partners with Habitat for Humanity to offer investors a vehicle to drive homeownership while also receiving a financial return.

Sunshine is the Best Disinfectant: Shareholder Activists Promote Corporate Transparency (07/23)
SocialFunds writer Bill Baue speaks with Sanford Lewis of the Investor Environmental Health Network on his shareholder activism promoting corporate disclosure

The Very Rich Green Their Portfolios (07/16)
With European and Middle Eastern investors leading the way, high-net-worth investors are putting their money into green technologies and alternative energy sources.

Green Fast Food: Really Here or a Green Dream? (07/11)
The fast food industry is seeing a growing demand for environmental sustainability. How can investors, consumers, and other stakeholders know which restaurants are truly embracing sustainable development and which are only greenwashing their practices?

Cleantech Index Goes Global (07/09)
Cleantech rebalances its Index to include worldwide clean tech companies.

Renewable Energy Wows World Investors (07/08)
The United Nations Environmental Program reports a new record in sustainable energy investments in 2007 with more than $148 billion invested globally.

Mainstream Fund Managers Vary Widely on Social Responsibility (07/01)
Even as more fund managers accept the impact of environmental, social, and corporate governance issues on performance, the application of responsible investment practices is hit or miss with most mainstream firms.

Bob Monks: ExxonMobil Exemplifies Corpocracy (06/30)
SocialFunds writers Bill Baue and Francesca Rheannon interview corporate governance advocate Bob Monks about his shareholder activism at ExxonMobil and his new book, Corpocracy.

Shelley Alpern on How Tar Sands Perpetuate Petro-Addiction (06/26)
SocialFunds writer Bill Baue speaks with Shelley Alpern of Trillium Asset Management about its shareholder activism on oil company exploitation of tar sands.

The Sunny Side of the Street: Investing in Solar (06/23)
More investors are seeing the benefits of buying solar stocks, whether to diversify portfolios or to champion an energy movement.

Principled Companies Praised (06/16)
Ethisphere Magazine publishes its second annual list of the World's Most Ethical Companies.

Investors Support UN Business and Human Rights Mandate (06/11)
Coalition of socially responsible investors sends a letter to the United Nations Human Rights Council supporting businesses' responsibility for human rights.

Executive Pay Weighs Heavy with Shareholders (06/04)
With more than 90 "say on pay" resolutions this year, shareholders continue to push for advisory votes on executive compensation.

Michael Conroy on Activist Campaigns and the Certification Revolution (06/02)
SocialFunds writer Bill Baue speaks with Michael Conroy about his new book, Branded! How the “Certification Revolution” is Transforming Global Companies

Large UK Companies Put Their Best Foot Forward (05/28)
New study of the FTSE 100 finds most companies, but not all, are improving their performance on environmental, social and governance issues.

Executive Compensation Consultants: The Next Battlefield for Say on Pay (05/23)
Investors ask the SEC to mandate disclosure of a company's use of executive compensation consultants and if the consultants are used in other areas of the business as well.

Will 2008 Be the Year Congress Acts on Climate Change? (05/21)
Institutional investors send a message to Congress that action on climate change policy is a business imperative.

Disney and McDonald's Take Steps to Protect Global Labor (05/13)
In partnership with prominent stakeholders, the two companies strive to improve working conditions in factories overseas while new data shows an uptick in companies monitoring suppliers' labor practices.

Proxy Voting Made Painless (05/07)
A new website helps individual investors better understand proxy voting.

Tracking Suppliers' Carbon Footprints (05/01)
The Carbon Disclosure Project reports on the carbon emissions of some of the world's largest corporations' supply chains.

Climate Change Resolutions Picking Up Heat (04/18)
A new report from Ceres shows mutual funds are starting to move away from voting against climate change resolutions, to not voting on them at all.

Ford Establishes Greenhouse Gas Reduction Plan (04/15)
Shareholders withdraw resolutions at Ford after the carmaker agrees to release its plans on how it will decrease greenhouse gas emissions.

Transparent Supply Chain Sends A Clear Message (04/10)
Hewlett-Packard recently released a list of its largest suppliers in hopes of increasing accountability from factory floors to consumers' front doors.

New Fund Invests in Tomorrow's Green Stars (04/09)
ThinkCapital launches a green growth fund that focuses on sustainable companies.

Do Your Proxy Votes Really Count? (04/03)
A new report examines how boards of directors respond to shareholder concerns by adopting or ignoring non-binding shareholder proposals.

Three New SRI Funds from Pax World (04/02)
Sustainable investing pioneer Pax World adds Global Green, International, and Small Cap Funds to its SRI family of funds.

Are Alcohol Screens Outdated? (03/27)
Social investors have used exclusionary alcohol screens for decades. Is it time to reconsider this strategy?

ICCR Defines the Past, Present, and Future of Shareowner Activism (03/25)
Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility Executive Director Laura Berry speaks with SocialFunds.com about transformative changes in shareowner activism.

New Coal Plants: At What Cost? (03/20)
Uncertainties abound around the 100-plus proposed US coal-burning power plants contends a report from the Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility.

New Energy Technologies Entice Investors (03/18)
A report from Clean Edge looks at developments in the clean energy markets and forecasts clean energy sectors will continue their rapid rate of expansion.

B Corporations: Verified Sustainability (03/13)
B Labs takes the guesswork out of which companies are actually working for the future.

EarthFolio Screens the Big SRI Picture (03/11)
New investment site offers fully managed SRI portfolios for every type of investor, from timid to tenacious.

SRI Assets Surge Ahead (03/06)
New socially responsible investing study reports one dollar out of every nine dollars under professional management is invested responsibly.

Shareholder Activists Try New Tactic in Divestment Campaign (03/05)
Activists are bringing resolutions to shareholder meetings of mutual funds in a bid to widen pressure on companies doing business with the Sudanese government.

Measuring Companies with a Ruler of Responsibility (03/02)
With 21 return businesses from the 2007 list, CRO's 100 Best Corporate Citizens 2008 ranks large-cap companies' corporate responsibility.

Fighting Climate Change, State by State (02/27)
A core group of state treasurers and controllers are moving their investments into environmentally friendly and clean tech funds, while thinking big about climate change.

Institutional Investors Plan Long-term for Climate Change (02/20)
Summit at the UN unveils an action plan for addressing climate change risks and opportunities.

Foundations Move Toward Mission Related Investing, One Foundation at a Time (02/15)
Climate change issues may push foundations to examine their portfolios and proxy voting policies.

Three Major Banks Sign The Carbon Principles (02/13)
With the help of environmental groups and power companies, Citi, JPMorgan Chase and Morgan Stanley outline carbon risk management for banks.

Making a Real Difference with Real Estate (02/07)
The Responsible Property Investment movement gathers momentum with the help of the Responsible Property Investment Center and the backing of UNEP FI.

Yearbook Presents Sustainability Trends and Leaders (02/05)
SAM and PricewaterhouseCoopers offer insights into the sustainability efforts of cutting-edge companies.

Joel Makower on the GreenBiz.com State of Green Business 2008 Report (02/01)
GreenBiz founder talks about the inaugural report, which surveys the top 10 green business stories of 2007 and introduces the GreenBiz Index.

Growing Interest In Green Investing (01/31)
New research shows that individual investors think the environment is hot, with solar energy an important investment opportunity.

New Survey Uncovers Discrepancies on Corporate Citizenship Issues (01/29)
There is gap between what executives say on corporate citizenship and what their corporations actually do, finds a survey of over 750 executives.

New Index Contains Companies that Support Stewardship (01/24)
Index leader launches first index series based on the Dharmic religions.

Supreme Court Rules on Naming Secondary Actors in Fraud Cases (01/22)
In a ruling last week, the Supreme Court laid out what businesses can be held liable under current securities fraud laws.

Social Investment Options on the Rise (01/17)
A flurry of new socially responsible mutual funds and products makes it easier then ever to invest in a double bottom line.

Are Banks Getting Caught With Their Umbrellas Down? (01/14)
A new report from the RiskMetrics Group ranks 40 of the world's largest banks responses to climate change risks and possibilities.

Microfinance: Catch the Swelling SRI Wave (01/11)
The microfinance sector offers socially responsible investors a growing arena to create positive social and financial growth according to a new Deutche Bank study.

Top Five Socially Responsible Investing News Stories of 2007 (01/08)
New alternative energy and green funds fuel expansion of socially responsible investing; climate change is pushed to the forefront; community development organizations flourish despite the subprime mortgage debacle; consumers demand healthy products and work environments; and SEC limits shareholder rights.

Exposed: The Toxic Chemistry of Everyday Products (01/07)
The United States is no longer setting the agenda for manufacturers’ standards and American consumers are paying the price with their health.

Whistling Past the Graveyard—Socially Responsible Investing and the Financial Crisis (12/31)
SRI thought leaders analyze the potential impacts of the widespread economic downturn caused by the subprime meltdown and deflating dollar.

Screening for Satisfaction (12/26)
The 2007 Moskowitz Prize for Socially Responsible Investing was awarded to a study that shows higher employee satisfaction has historically correlated to higher stock prices.

Buying and Selling Loans for the Good of Communities (12/19)
The Community Reinvestment Fund USA offers investors a way to help keep capital flowing into community development organizations.

Socially Responsible Investing Branches Out Over Asset Classes (12/17)
A handbook published by Boston College's Institute for Responsible Investment outlines how managers can diversify socially responsible investments.

Burning Bunker Fuel: The Shipping Industry's Dirty, Not-So-Secret Shame (12/13)
Friends of the Earth is extremely concerned about the greenhouse gases and other pollutants ships spew into the atmosphere. The UN agency working on the issue stands behind the shipping industry's efforts to comply with international protocols.

SEC Sacrifices Shareholder Rights to Achieve Temporary Certainty (12/11)
Instead of reaffirming shareholder rights to file resolutions to nominate directors, the SEC cites uncertainty as a rationale for stripping these rights.

Giving the Gift of Gore? Video Game Buyers Beware (12/06)
ICCR works to educate video game buyers on video games ratings and works with retailers to keep mature and violent video games out of children's hands.

Equalizing the Economic Playing and Farming Fields (12/05)
Equity Trust invests in farms, non-profits and communities, helping people take charge of their economic futures.

Jolly Green Giant: Google Gives the Green Light to Alternative Energy (12/04)
Google promises millions of dollars to create inexpensive renewable energy.

Sustainability Issues All Over the Map at Large Cap Companies (11/30)
An extensive study from RiskMetrics shows sustainability governance among companies varies widely from country to country, and from sector to sector.

Environmental, Social and Governance Standards: Glass Half-Empty or Half-Full? (11/28)
The spread of voluntary and mandatory ESG disclosure and performance standards for business raises the question, how robust is implementation and enforcement?

Consumers Demand Companies Walk Their Green Talk (11/20)
The growing number of consumers who identify themselves as "conscious" creates more opportunities for sustainable companies.

Wal-Mart's First Sustainability Report: Just a Gesture or a Just Account? (11/19)
Many call the biggest retailer's sustainability report a good first step on a long road.

Launch of Five Climate Change Funds May Enrich Investors, But Won't Save the World (11/15)
Deutsche Bank, F&C, HSBC, Schroders, and Virgin Money launch climate funds, a trend that validates the role of finance in addressing--though not solving--global warming.

Making Toys is Not Child's Play (11/14)
A group of shareholders have come together to demand safer working conditions for workers along the toy supply chain.

Growing Up Green: Winslow Offers New Mid-Cap Green Mutual Fund (11/13)
As the green market place expands, Winslow launches a mutual fund to capitalize on middle-sized growth companies that offer green solutions.

CEOs Add ESG Issues to Business Blueprints (11/08)
A report from McKinsey & Company finds that more CEOs are including environmental, social, and governance issues in core strategies.

Green Financial Products Take Root in North America (11/01)
A new report commissioned by UNEP FI lists green financial services and products as it makes the case for green banking's environmental, social, and economic benefits.

Are Colleges Only Green Skin Deep? (10/31)
The Sustainability Report Card 2008 examines colleges and universities dedication to sustainability, on campuses and in endowment portfolios.

Connecting the Dots Between Climate Change, Companies, and Financial Performance (10/30)
Laying the groundwork for new investment products, Innovest releases the first study relating how companies manage climate change risk to their financial performance.

Corporate Operations in Burma Fuel Human Rights Abuses, Say Shareowner Activists (10/26)
Shareowner letters to Chevron and Total criticize the piping of revenues to the Burmese regime, while the Norwegian Pension Fund defends its decision not to divest from Total.

Engaged Employees Equal Increased Earnings (10/25)
A recent study by Towers Perrin shows employee engagement and financial performance are intertwined and outlines how companies can help employees become engaged.

Risking the Weather: The Insurance Sector Faces Climate Change (10/24)
A new report sponsored by Ceres and written by Evan Mills, one of the recipients of the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize with Al Gore, highlights new products offered by the insurance sector in response to the changing climate.

Green Angels: Venture and Private Equity Capitalists Help Sprout a New Generation of Environmentally Friendly Companies (10/17)
Private investors and high-net worth individuals are making a difference--in hopes of making a profit--by actively recruiting start-up and middle-sized companies dedicated to the environment and society.

Emissions Trading Commodifies Carbon, But Does It Really Help Solve Climate Change? (10/15)
Proponents of carbon trading see markets as the best mechanism for reducing emissions, while critics characterize carbon trading as a devil's bargain that steers profits to polluters.

"Living" Companies Perform Better (10/12)
Corporations that care about people more than things are more sustainable and profitable, puts forth author and financial counselor Jay Bragdon.

Working for the Earth: Green Companies and Green Jobs Attract Employees (10/09)
New research shows that employees want to work at green companies and are happiest at companies with solid corporate social responsibility programs in place.

Ardour Global Index Offers Unique Alternative Energy Universe (09/27)
Ardour Global Index adds new companies in quarterly rebalancing, including US manufacturer Beacon Power.

Contracting Human Rights? Ruggie Teams with IFC on Study (09/26)
Empirical research conducted by John Ruggie and the International Finance Corporation examines if foreign investment contract clauses enable human rights violations.

Companies, Carbon and Climate Change: The Carbon Disclosure Project Issues its 5th Global Corporate Climate Change Report (09/24)
More companies are moving from simple carbon awareness to carbon action, but further work still needs to be done.

Big Bosses Embrace Corporate Responsibility (09/21)
A new survey of executives finds many companies are increasing their spending on environmental, social, and governance issues, in spite of a decline in business confidence.

Canada is Coming Clean: First Canadian Global Clean Energy Fund Launched (09/19)
Criterion Investments has announced its Global Energy Fund, reflecting a growing enthusiasm for clean energy by investors, companies and governments.

Where in the World is Corporate Responsibility? (09/15)
EIRIS' new report "The State of Responsible Business" details growing corporate responsibility in businesses worldwide.

Excessive CEO Compensation Hurting US Companies and Society (09/14)
A new report claims that excessive executive compensation in the US is taking a staggering economic and social toll on American society, threatening leadership in the business, government, and nonprofit sectors and creating instability in the economy.

The Subprime Meltdown and SRI: Engage, Avoid, Predict (09/12)
Shareowner activists engaged banks on predatory lending long before the subprime crisis climaxed, and SRI research predicted the meltdown in time to avoid some impacts.

17th and Jackson: Community Development in Action, Turning a Vacant Lot into Affordable Housing and More (09/07)
Non-traditional financing, including an investment by Enterprise Community Investment, funds a green multi-use building in Seattle's Central Area Neighborhood.

Shareholder Activists Turn Up Heat on the SEC (09/06)
The Social Investment Forum and the Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility launch a website as part of a campaign to garner support against SEC's proposals limiting shareholder rights.

Leave Only Footprints: Measuring and Managing Corporate Carbon Emissions (09/04)
Corporate carbon footprinting is on the rise, but so too is the number of footprint methodologies, challenging companies and investors to discern the best options. Part two of a two-part article.

Green Outsourcing: Companies Demanding More Environmentally Sound Suppliers (08/30)
Brown-Wilson Group's newest "Black Book of Outsourcing" reports that businesses are including more environmental factors when choosing suppliers.

Fiddling While The Planet Burns: Mainstream Investment Funds Blinkered To Climate Risk (08/25)
Part one of a two-part article looks at the lack of climate risk calculations by UK fund managers. Part two will examine some new tools for assessing climate risks to investments.

Book Review-World Inc: How the Growing Power of Business is Revolutionizing Profits, People and the Future of Both (08/21)
Author Bruce Piasecki argues that better products will help make a better world as companies face the "S" frontier.

To Avoid Risk of Alien Tort Claims Act Cases, Companies Must Improve Human Rights (08/17)
The first-ever corporate ATCA verdict of not guilty does not diminish the ongoing liabilities companies face in US courts for human rights violations committed overseas.

A Win for Generic Drugs: Indian Court Rules Against Drug Maker Novartis (08/15)
In a test case for drug patents in developing nations, Novartis loses an attempt to challenge an Indian patent provision.

Jitters About Regulatory Outlook Rile Confidence in Coal Mining Stocks (08/12)
Growing political momentum for enacting state and national laws to reduce CO2 emissions is raising worries among investors of the long term viability of the coal industry.

Proxy Advisors Come Out Clean (08/10)
A report from the Government Accountability Office finds that the largest proxy advisor ISS and other advisor firms disclose potential conflicts of interest.

Book Review-A Billion Bootstraps: Microcredit, Barefoot Banking and the Business Solution for Ending Poverty (08/03)
Phil Smith and Eric Thurman offer a primer on microcredit for businesspeople who want the best bang for their charitable bucks.

Many Sustainability Reports Upbeat, Ignoring Climate Change Risks (08/02)
A new study from GRI and KPMG on sustainability reports notes that companies highlight new business opportunities created by climate change and shy away from risks associated with climate change.

SEC Chair Cox Votes For Two Opposing Proxy Access Proposals--Both May Curtail Shareowner Rights (08/01)
Republican commissioners support a proposal barring shareowners from nominating directors; Democrats support one allowing it, though it introduced other reductions in shareowner power.

Executives and the Environment: Looking Back at Proxy Season 2007 (07/27)
With the 2007 proxy season over, shareholders saw a jump in the number of socially responsible proposals, with support growing for climate change proposals and accountability for executive pay.

Twenty Diverse Companies Make the Sustainability Cut (07/26)
With some help from KLD, SustainableBusiness.com releases their 6th annual Sustainable Business 20 List: The World's Top Sustainable Stocks.

BSR Proposes Going Beyond Monitoring to Achieve Truly Sustainable Supply Chains (07/24)
The new report from Business for Social Responsibility posits a four-pronged vision for shifting supply chain management from a surveillance model to a comprehensive, proactive solution.

One and Two Percent Allocations Add Up for Social and Community Development (07/18)
TIAA-CREF allocates 2% of its Social Choice account for proactive social investments and the Social Investment Forum and Co-op America's 1% or More for Community campaign aims to double the amount invested in community development.

Sustainability Picks Up Where Supply and Demand Meet (07/16)
Both investors and companies are working on sustainability issues as new reports by UN PRI and Goldman Sachs show ESG issues are gaining momentum.

Book Review--Ethical Markets: Growing the Green Economy (07/13)
Author Hazel Henderson's exhaustive survey of the sustainable business landscape serves as a perfect primer on green economics and tracks lesser-known trends and developments.

Wachovia NEXT Awards for Opportunity Finance Honor CDFIs (07/05)
Three heavy-hitters come together to support community development financial institutions with $42.5 million pledged over the next five years in grants and loans.

Seeing Retirement Investment Through Green-colored Glasses (06/30)
A new report shows that Americans have more SRI retirement choices than ever before, but it remains to be seen if people chose to put their savings in socially and environmentally screened funds.

ABN Amro: Honored for its Global Sustainability Work and Called Out for Its Climate Change Finance (06/29)
The Financial Times awards banking goliath ABN Amro its 2007 Sustainable Banking Award while a new report points to the bank's carbon-intensive investments.

Biofuels: Keeping Good Intentions on the Right Path (06/27)
With the biofuels industry growing by leaps and bounds worldwide, controversy is erupting over whether this important new energy source is truly as sustainable as it claims to be.

New Eurosif Reports Identify ESG Challenges in the European Food and Insurance Sectors (06/24)
Eurosif's raises awareness of social and environmental issues across European companies in a series of sector-by-sector reports, the two newest covering the insurance and food production sectors.

Forget Fossil Fuels, Calvert Now Offers Global Alternative Energy Fund (06/20)
Calvert releases a survey of US investors on climate change and expands its family of funds with an alternative energy fund.

One and Two Percent Allocations Add Up for Social and Community Development (06/18)
TIAA-CREF allocates 2% of its Social Choice account for proactive social investments while the Social Investment Forum and Co-op America's 1% or More for Community campaign aims to double the amount invested in community development.

MMA Now Offers Small Cap and Growth Index Funds (06/16)
Leading faith-based investment company MMA Praxis Mutual grows its offerings with two new screened funds.

SustainAbility Predicts How Sustainable Development Will Play Out Over Next Two Decades (06/15)
Part two of this two-part article looks at a recent report from SustainAbility that projects four scenarios of potential developments in sustainability over the next 20 years.

Shareholders Push Social and Environmental Issues to the Forefront (06/13)
Proxy season 2007 sees a huge number of social and environmental resolutions at US companies with the growing support of voters.

Brundtland Report Celebrates 20th Anniversary Since Coining Sustainable Development (06/11)
Part one of this two-part article examines how the Brundtland Report has promoted sustainable development over the past two decades.

Gabelli Launches New Value-Oriented SRI Fund (06/08)
Gabelli Funds offers its first open SRI Fund, backed up by years of SRI experience working with institutional investors.

Calvert's New Growth Fund Has Global Focus (06/06)
American SRI pioneer Calvert launches the Calvert International Opportunities Fund, a small and mid-cap fund with UK-based F&C Management as sub-advisor.

Principles For Responsible Investment Quadruples Assets in First Year (06/01)
The United Nations sponsored Principles for Responsible Investment is only one year old, but have already reached $8 trillion plus in assets and expect to keeping on growing.

Nanotechnology: The Smallest Green Revolution? (05/25)
A new report from the Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies touts "green" nanotechnology, and calls for Federal oversight.

Innovative Fund Looks to Johnny Appleseed for Inspiration (05/24)
The Appleseed Fund offers social investors a fresh venue for investing in undervalued companies selected for their social and environmental records.

Fidelity Divests Large Chunk of Sudan-Related Holdings (05/22)
Despite similar pressure from Sudan divestment activists, Warren Buffett and Berkshire Hathaway retain holdings in PetroChina, which is linked to genocide in Darfur.

Proven Community Investment Fund Now Open to All (05/18)
Access Capital Strategies changes the structure of its Community Investing Fund to allow individuals and small institutions to invest in the Fund.

Banking on the Future: The Two Biggest US Banks To Dedicate Billions to Halting Climate Change (05/16)
Citigroup and Bank of America have pledged billions of dollars to help fight climate change while a new report questions Chinese banks' environmental policies.

Opening Up Pandora's Box: SEC Proxy Roundtable Questions Role of Non-Binding Resolutions (05/15)
SEC officers and panelists discuss the possibility of removing non-binding resolutions from the proxy and replacing them with online communications between shareowners and companies.

Risky Business: The Outlook for Investing in Nuclear Power (05/10)
A new report scrutinizes the nuclear industry from an investor's perspective and finds a rotting fantasy of cheap energy and huge returns.

Going In and Out the Windows: Weaving a Web of Political Accountability (05/09)
The Center for Political Accountability's new report "Open Windows" calls on companies for greater transparency and accountability in political giving and outlines a model of political accountability.

Book Review: Deep Economy: The Wealth Of Communities And The Durable Future (05/07)
Author Bill McKibben's latest book helps lay the groundwork to create a more livable and viable world in which less is actually better.

Grading Sustainability Reports: Creating the Curve (05/04)
As more and more companies publish sustainability reports, awards and studies of these reports help raise reporting standards.

Shareholders One Step Closer to Having a "Say on Pay" (05/03)
The US House of Representatives votes to give shareholders an advisory non-binding vote on executive compensation.

Yes and No: Newmont Recommends Voting For One Resolution, Petitions SEC to Omit Another (05/02)
The actions span the gamut of corporate responses to shareowner resolutions on environmental, social, and governance issues, from wholehearted support to forceful opposition.

Over the Hedge: New Green Hedge Fund of Funds (04/27)
Kenmar plans to launch socially responsible hedge fund of funds for institutional investors.

Shareholders Work to Make AIDS Drugs Available Worldwide (04/26)
Abbott Labs changes its tune and lowers price of AIDS fighting drugs in low-and-middle income countries.

Corporate Social Responsibility: Perfect Playing Field for Tipping Points and Cognitive Frames (04/25)
The Lifeworth review of CSR developments in 2006 fuses two popular concepts on social beliefs and change to promote personal, corporate, and societal transformation.

Surveillance, Schmurveillance? (04/20)
Wal-Mart's apparent research and surveillance activities geared toward shareholders raises troubling, but perhaps fleeting questions about trust.

If You Tag It, It Will Be Used: Sustainability Reporting in XBRL (04/16)
Weeks after the latest SEC roundtable on interactive data, the Global Reporting Initiative releases a draft taxonomy of XBRL tags mapped to G3 Sustainability Reporting Guidelines.

Water, Water, But Not Everywhere (04/12)
The entry of private equity firms and consolidation of utility operations by large conglomerates are poised to change the water industry over the next 20 years.

Spectra Green Fund Offers a Different Shade of Green (04/11)
The Spectra Green Fund, from Fred Alger Management, broadens approach to selecting sustainable and environmentally conscious companies.

Porter and Kramer Framework Melding CSR with Business Strategy Wins Harvard Award (04/10)
The Harvard Business Review grants the 2006 McKinsey Award to an article arguing companies create competitive advantage by integrating social and environmental issues into core strategy.

Subprime Lending Hurts Homeowners (04/05)
The Center for Responsible Lending contends that subprime lending has led to a net loss in homeownership.

Carbon Offsets: Modern-Day Indulgences to Assuage Carbon Guilt or Market Mechanism for Supporting Clean Energy (04/04)
Even as they gain popularity as a climate change solution, carbon offsets have come under considerable criticism for diluting action on global warming--the truth likely resides between these extremes.

The World's Poor: Huge Market or Just a Marketer’s Fantasy? (03/29)
New report from the International Finance Corporation and World Resources Institute measures the market-size of the Earth's people who live in poverty.

Concerned Investors and Businesses Call for Congress to Pass a Carbon-Cap or Wear a Dunce Cap (03/27)
A large group of institutional investors and US companies call on the federal government to pass legislation to fight climate change that includes a demand for mandated cuts in greenhouse gasses.

ABN AMRO Asset Management Launches First Indian SRI Mutual Fund (03/22)
New fund focuses on companies screened by Indian research and ratings company CRISIL.

TIAA-CREF Ups the Ante With New Stance on ESG Issues (03/20)
TIAA-CREF’s new policy statement and proxy voting guidelines address social, environmental and governance issues, moving SRI arguments into the mainstream.

Ruggie Report Says Voluntary Human Rights Initiatives Set Stage for Binding Global Standards (03/19)
While the report finds significant flaws with voluntary collaborations between corporations and civil society, they currently fill the gap created by nation-states failing to protect human rights.

S&P Tracks Sustainability With a New Global Index (03/15)
S&P jumps into the growing pool of sustainability indexes with the launch of its Global Thematic Index Series.

Carrying the Shield for Responsible Investing in Canada (03/14)
Corporate Knights magazine names top Canadian SRI mutual funds and releases survey that finds SRI funds mirror market performance.

Mutual Funds Inch Toward More Conscientious Proxy Voting on Social and Environmental Resolutions (03/14)
Corporate social responsibility resolutions addressing climate change reveal the increasing complexity of assessing proxy voting records.

Chocolate Giant Commits to Responsible Supplier Code (03/08)
The Hershey Company is working to create a supplier code of conduct that goes above and beyond just cocoa suppliers.

New Bond Index Focuses on Climate Change (03/06)
JP Morgan Chase and Innovest introduce the first bond index that addresses climate change risks and possibilities.

Toxic Cosmetics Getting Under the Skin of Concerned Investors (03/01)
Health-conscious investors and consumers are starting to demand cosmetic companies report and ban toxic ingredients.

New Ethical Fund Brings Value-Based Investing to High Street (02/28)
Marks & Spencer Money, a former division of the top English retailer Marks & Spencer, has started offering a new SRI fund called the M & S Ethical Fund, which will be managed by two well-respected SRI mangers.

Citigroup, Lehman Brothers, and UBS Report on Climate Risks and Opportunities for Investing (02/27)
Lehman Brothers and UBS agree climate change represents a market failure for neglecting to price carbon externalizations in valuations, while Citigroup makes specific stock picks.

New Fund for Affordable Housing In Latin America (02/22)
With $100 million pledged from OPIC, the Alsis Latin America Fund supports home construction and local capital markets in Latin America.

Business for Social Responsibility Fuses the Theoretical and Practical to Promote Sustainability (02/20)
SocialFunds.com speaks with Aron Cramer, CEO of Business for Social Responsibility, about past developments in corporate social responsibility and future trajectories of sustainability.

Aflac Shareholders Get Say on Executive Pay (02/20)
Aflac becomes the first major US company to offer shareholders a non-binding vote on executive compensation packages.

Shareholders Ask Companies for Transparency on Corporate Political Giving (02/15)
With 43 companies facing shareholder resolutions on political accountability this proxy season, a handful of companies have already reached agreements with filers on this issue.

Top US Jewelry Retailers Get the Gold for Signing Responsibility Pledge (02/14)
In time for Valentine’s Day, seven out of the top ten US jewelry retailers sign No Dirty Gold’s "Golden Rules" to back responsible gold mining practices.

The Gates Foundation and Mission Related Investing: Room for Alignment? (02/13)
An investigative report into the investment practices of the Gates Foundation has reinvigorated the debate over the obligation of foundations to align their missions with their investments.

Social(k) Catalyzes SRI Retirement Opportunities for Employees (02/09)
Social(k)’s online retirement platform expands companies’ retirement options by offering over 100 SRI funds.

S&P 500 Lags on Climate Disclosure, Electric Utilities Burning Economic Value Into Carbon (02/05)
Two recent reports use findings of the 2006 Carbon Disclosure Project to assess limits of transparency on climate risks and opportunities and drag on value creation at electric utilities.

Proxy Votes on Sexual Orientation Nondiscrimination Draw Strong Support (02/05)
Shareholder resolutions calling for equal rights for all employees at Commercial Metals and Micron highlight growing support for companies to include sexual orientation in their nondiscrimination policies.

Top CEOs Address Climate Change (02/01)
A collaboration between ten major US companies and four environmental organizations calls on the Federal government to quickly enact strong legislation to reduce greenhouse emissions.

"Say on Pay" Highlighted in the Upcoming 2007 Proxy Season (01/30)
Institutional investors band together, asking for the right to weigh in on top executive compensation packages.

Inaugural Report Card Grades College Sustainability on Endowment and Campus Efforts (01/29)
The Sustainable Endowments Institute study finds endowment sustainability lagging campus sustainability policies and initiatives.

Global 100 List Raises the Profile of Sustainability at the World Economic Forum (and Beyond) (01/25)
Competition to make the third annual list of the 100 most sustainable companies--based on ratings by Innovest--continues to spur strong corporate social and environmental performance.

Surveyed Managers Emphasize Socially Responsible Issues (01/24)
EIRIS’ newest survey asserts that both SRI and mainstreams investors view specific environmental, social, and governance factors as important when applied to certain sectors.

From Competition to Cooperation: Companies Collaborate on Social and Environmental Issues (01/19)
Collaborative initiatives bring together companies, investors, and activists to address issues such as online freedom of expression, climate change, and labor rights in the global supply chain.

MicroVest Secures Mutual Fund Investor (01/17)
Meritas Jantzi Social Index Fund Invests with MicroVest

The Problem with Voluntary Corporate Initiatives Is -- Well, They Are Voluntary (01/16)
A Harvard study identifies the voluntary nature of such corporate social and environmental initiatives as their pitfall, limiting the ability to gauge their effectiveness.

Study Links Options Backdating to Corporate Governance Weaknesses (01/12)
Harvard Professor Lucian Bebchuk and colleagues use a new method of identifying CEO and outside director manipulation of stock option timing and assert correlations to governance problems.

New Domini Funds Invest in the World (01/11)
Domini charts new territory with the creation of the Domini PacAsia Social Equity Fund and the Domini EuroPacific Social Equity Fund.

Top Five Socially Responsible Investing News Stories of 2006 (01/05)
Green investing booms, microfinance pioneer wins Nobel Peace Prize, shareowner democracy increases, resolutions receive record votes, and UN launches Principles of Responsible Investment

Launch of Three New Clean Tech Indexes Culminates Banner Year for Green Investing (12/29)
The three Jefferies Global Clean Technology Indexes join the half-dozen green indexes introduced this year.

Costs of Carbon and Coal: Examining Emissions Trading Scheme Impact on Shareowner Value (12/22)
WWF and SAM Group collaborate on a study modeling impacts of rising costs of carbon dioxide emissions on the valuation of German utility RWE, the biggest private carbon emitter in Europe.

Rainforest Action Network Seeks to Stem Flow of Financing to TXU Coal Project (12/20)
Part two of this two-part articles addresses how RAN sent a letter to 54 banks urging them to withhold funding from a TXU plan to build 11 pulverized coal-burning power plants in Texas.

TXU Shareowners File Three Resolutions Questioning Wisdom of Pulverized Coal Plants (12/19)
Part one of this two-part article examines how shareowners are raising environmental and regulatory concerns over the TXU coal expansion plan, as well as environmentally preferable alternatives to coal such as energy efficiency.

Swedish Government Facilitates Corporate Responsibility (12/15)
A SocialFunds.com interview with Elisabeth Dahlin, Ambassador, Head of Global Responsibility, Sweden.

Institutional Investors in France Foresee Continuing Growth of Socially Responsible Investing (12/14)
A Novethic survey tells some of the story behind the numbers documented in the September 2006 Eurosif report on the growth of SRI in Europe.

Retailers Improve on Keeping Violent Video Games Out of the Hands of Children (12/13)
An Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility report also identifies several areas where the seven companies examined stand to improve performance--predominantly on disclosure.

Another Clean Energy Exchange Traded Fund to Launch (12/12)
First Trust Advisors is slated to introduce an ETF that tracks the NASDAQ Clean Edge US Liquid Series Index early next year.

Marriott Combats Child Sexual Exploitation (12/11)
Shareowner engagement by Boston Common Asset Management and the First Swedish National Pension Fund prompts Marriott to explicitly address child sex tourism in its human rights policy.

How to Do Sustainble Banking (12/06)
BankTrack, a coalition of nongovernmental organizations promoting social and environmental responsibility in the finance sector, issues a guide to best practices in sustainable banking.

Eight Percent of Fortune 500 Taking EPA Challenge to Double Their Green Energy Use (12/05)
Fortune 500 companies are installing renewable energy generation on-site as well as purchasing green power directly or through renewable energy certificates.

Pharma Companies Need to Keep Improving AIDS Response, Says ICCR and Nigerian Doctor (12/01)
Chukwumuanya Igboekwu of Physicians for Social Justice adds his own critiques to the Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility study on pharmaceutical industry shortcomings in addressing AIDS.

The Growth of Green Building Funds (11/30)
A new urban green real estate fund from Revival Fund Management exemplifies a budding trend toward private funds capitalized by accredited investors.

Ecosystem Depletion Presents Businesses with Risks and Opportunities (11/29)
Four prominent environmental and business organizations report on the business risks and opportunities associated with ecosystem crises such as climate change and water scarcity.

Corporate Accountability Improves, Progressing on Stakeholder Engagement But Not Assurance (11/29)
Vodafone, BP, and Shell top the annual Global Accountability Rating by AccountAbility and CSRnetwork, with Home Depot rising 10 percentage points and Chevron falling 20.

New Exchange Traded Fund Tracks Domini 400 Social Index (11/22)
Barclays Global Investors launches the iShares KLD 400 Social Index ETF.

Book Review: Green to Gold: How Smart Companies Use Environmental Strategy to Innovate, Create Value, and Build Competitive Advantage (11/20)
The plethora of real-life examples of corporate environmental initiatives is where readers will find value in this book from two authors associated with Yale.

Dear Sir or Madam: Stakeholder Letters Push Corporate Sustainability Improvements (11/16)
Letters remains an important mode for addressing environmental, social, and governance issues, encompassing a broader swath than simply communication between shareowners and companies.

Merrill Lynch and World Resources Institute Issue Second Auto Sector Climate Change Report (11/15)
The report again balances stock picking and investment analysis with in-depth discussion of regulatory and market developments in response to global warming and energy security concerns.

Sustainability Reporting Improving, But Not Necessarily Contributing to True Sustainability (11/13)
The biennial survey of global reporters by SustainAbility assesses disclosure on sustainability performance, but refrains from directly assessing corporate sustainability performance.

Study Finds Corporate Political Donations Increase Share Price, But Ignores Potential Risks (11/10)
The academic paper documents up to six percent annual return increase when companies support more candidates, but it neglects to address rising legal risks of donations being defined as bribes.

Merrill Lynch Uses CDFI Assessment and Ratings System on $93 Million Community Investment (11/08)
While many investors use the CARS ratings as secondary information in their community investment decisions, Merrill Lynch will use it as its primary underwriting tool.

KLD Fills Gap in Socially Responsible Investing by Launching Equity Income Index (11/07)
The KLD Dividend Achievers Social Index, created in partnership with Mergent, provides a new option for passive investment vehicles in this previously underdeveloped asset allocation in SRI.

As Climate Debate Matures, Companies Strategize Solutions and Investors Push for Disclosure (11/03)
Companies are taking tangible actions to minimize risks and seize opportunities related to climate change, while investors promote more robust climate-related disclosure.

Two New ETFs Fight Climate Change: One Bridges Shift to Cleaner Energy, One Pushes Cleantech (11/02)
The PowerShares WilderHill Progressive Energy Portfolio and the PowerShares Cleantech Portfolio offer investors increasing choice for investing in climate change solutions.

Glass Lewis Adds KLD Proxy Voting Guidelines to Proxy Voting Platform (10/31)
The move increases the availability of socially responsible investing proxy voting guidelines, but it remains to be seen if it inspires Glass Lewis to support more SRI resolutions in its own guidelines.

Pax World Drops Zero Tolerance Screens on Alcohol and Gambling (10/26)
SocialFunds.com speaks with Pax World CEO Joe Keefe about changes approved today, including the addition of governance, climate change, and human rights screens.

Winslow Conservation Index Outperforms the S&P 500 and Russell 2000 (10/25)
Winslow Management Company back-tested five-year performance of 15 companies focused on conservation, an oft-overlooked component of the alternative energy equation.

PepsiCo and Coca-Cola Get Cs on Report Card for Ten Percent Recycled Content in Bottles (10/24)
The report, conducted by the As You Sow (AYS) Foundation and the Container Recycling Institute, graded the ten other beverage companies D- and F on recycling.

Votes for Social and Environmental Resolutions Rising, But Proxy Firm Support Still Lagging (10/23)
Over a quarter of social and environmental resolutions topped 15 percent support this proxy season, but proxy advisory firm recommendations supporting such proposals remain low.

(PRODUCT) RED Combats HIV/AIDS by Funneling Portions of Sales to the Global Fund (10/19)
Gap Inc commits half of profits from its RED-branded product line to the Global Fund, exemplifying this new business model for generating sustainable funds for addressing the AIDS pandemic.

Nobel Prize Links Microfinance to Peace (10/17)
The granting of the Nobel Peace Prize to Muhammad Yunus and the Grameen Bank breaks new ground by explicitly linking economic development to peace development.

Blue Funds to Invest in Companies that Support Democrats (10/13)
The two new funds seek to capitalize on research that finds that Democrat-supporting companies significantly outperform Republican-supporting companies.

Global Compact Aligns with GRI and the Practical Side of the Change Agenda (10/12)
In part two of this two-part interview, SocialFunds.com speaks with Georg Kell about new alliances facilitating Communication on Progress reporting as well as broader issues facing the Global Compact.

Global Compact Puts 335 Companies in Deep Freezer Until They Communicate on Progress (10/11)
In part one of this two-part interview, SocialFunds.com speaks with Georg Kell about the de-listing of 335 companies from the Global Compact for failing to issue Communication on Progress reports.

Microfinance Crosses Continental Divide with $100 Million Commitment from TIAA-CREF (10/09)
TIAA-CREF inaugurated its Global Microfinance Investment Program by purchasing from ProCredit Holdings $43 million in private equity shares, a new strategy in microfinance.

Investors Call on S&P 500 Companies to Use New Global Reporting Initiative G3 Guidelines (10/05)
Only 13 percent of the S&P 500 issues GRI reports--those that do see the move as insulating them against the possibility of future mandated disclosure on issues such as climate risk.

FTSE4Good Deletes Nine Companies on Environmental and Supply Chain Labor Standards (10/04)
FTSE4Good criteria promote incremental progress in corporate social responsibility performance, and climate change is the latest topic covered in newly proposed standards.

New Socially Responsible Investing Portfolios Offer Alternatives to SRI Mutual Funds (10/03)
Investment advisors can now offer retail clients separate accounts tracking seven different indexes, and a new index is geared toward high net worth individuals with Catholic values.

Why Aren't We Here Yesterday? A Conversation with Social Investment Forum CEO Lisa Woll (09/28)
SocialFunds.com speaks with Lisa Woll as well as SIF President Tim Smith about the new CEO position and the future direction of SIF and socially responsible investing generally.

BP, John Deere, Goldman Sachs, and Allianz Among Renewable Energy Award Winners (09/27)
The third annual award ceremony, sponsored by Euromoney and Ernst and Young, took place during the Renewable Energy Finance Forum.

Emerging Markets Emerging as Socially Responsible Investing Opportunities (09/26)
A report by the Ethical Investment Research Services examines 50 emerging market companies using various SRI screens, and finds a number of possible plays.

Mainstreaming of SRI Boosts Assets in Europe Over One Trillion Euros (09/25)
The latest report by Eurosif on socially responsible investing in Europe notes the distinction between core SRI, which is steady, and broad SRI, which is fueling the growth.

Pennsylvania Treasurer Keys into Clean Tech Investing and Green Screens (09/21)
Keystone Green Investment Strategy commits state to $40 million in green private investments, $50 million shifted to managers investing in clean tech, and environmental screening.

Canadian Social Investment Organization Recommends Mandating Global Reporting Initiative (09/20)
In a submission to the National Roundtables on Corporate Social Responsibility, SIO advocates for amending the Canada Business Corporations Act to mandate annual GRI reporting.

Carbon Disclosure Project Finds Tipping Point in Awareness But Not Action on Climate Risks (09/19)
CDP4 reveals almost three quarters of FT500 tracking their greenhouse gas emissions, but less than half of those who think climate change poses risks are reducing GHG emissions.

Academic Joins Shareowners in Advocating Corporate Lobbying Reform (09/18)
Yale University Professor Bob Repetto issues paper calling for companies to rapidly adopt best practice on corporate lobbying, including oversight and approval by independent directors.

Court Affirms Shareowner Right to File Resolutions on Proxy Access for Nominating Directors (09/14)
The decision, which simply upholds existing rules that SEC practice had departed from, fills the void left when the SEC proposed then abandoned a rule on proxy access for nominating directors.

DJSI Takes Holistic Approach to Assessing and Promoting Corporate Sustainability (09/11)
Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes assesses overall sustainability performance, driving constant improvement through the competitiveness to attain best-in-class status.

Barclays Files for Permission to Launch iShares ETF Tracking the Domini Social Index (09/07)
The exchange-traded fund will likely have a low expense ratio, but will not conduct shareowner engagement like the other fund tracking the DSI, the Green Century Equity Fund, does.

Pax World and Citizens Announce Engagement (09/05)
The marriage would consolidate two leading socially responsible investing firms with primarily complementary offerings.

Hydropower Stocks as an Alternative Energy Play (08/31)
Phaethon and Creative Investment Research recommend hydro to gain exposure to the energy boom, contending new technologies offer potential for reducing environmental impacts.

Green Century Equity Fund Seeks Shareowner Okay to Continue Tracking Domini Social Index (08/30)
Green Century also announced its intention to lower the expense ratio for the fund with aim of enlarging the fund's investor base.

How Insurers Are (and Are Not) Tackling Climate Risk in Underwriting, Investing, and Policies (08/29)
A new report from Ceres identifies almost 200 activities recently introduced by insurers to address climate change, but calls on the industry for further action.

Trucost Joins Yale Professor to Devise Tool to Gauge Financial Cost of Environmental Impacts (08/25)
Professor Robert Repetto and Trucost Researcher Dan Dias apply the TRUEVA methodology for measuring externalities in financial terms to the US electric sector, which scores terribly.

Domini Shareowners Approve Shift from Index Tracking to Active Management (08/24)
The transition carries implications for investors, such as capital gains taxes, which Domini is strategically mitigating.

ICCR Benchmarks Pharma Responses to AIDS and Diseases of Poverty in Emerging Markets (08/18)
The Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility report assesses 15 pharmaceutical companies, and finds all of them falling short of best practice in most areas on AIDS and neglected diseases.

Alternative Energy Revolution Fueled by New Fund Launches Despite Sector Downturn (08/17)
The launch of the Guinness Atkinson Alternative Energy Fund testifies to optimism about the sub-sector echoed by the launch of the first renewable energy hedge fund by Ardsley Partners.

Calvert and Ford Foundations Help Launch Public Radio Fund to Democratize the Airwaves (08/10)
The foundations jointly seeded $4.5 million in the revolving loan fund administered by Denver-based Public Radio Capital to provide low-interest loans to public radio projects nationally.

Shareowners Push TimeWarner on Movies Depicting Smoking, Recycled Paper, and Pay Disparity (08/09)
Part two of this two-part article documents steps forward made by TimeWarner, as well as areas where shareowner activists continue to press for progress.

Shareowner Activists See Progress at TimeWarner, and Room for Improvement (08/08)
In part one of this two-part article, activists applaud the company on its first corporate social responsibility report while continuing to push on environmental, social, and governance issues.

Book Review--International Documents on Corporate Responsibility (08/04)
A comprehensive compendium of important codes on corporate social responsibility.

ADVANCE Converts Corporate Environmental Metrics Into Monetary Terms (08/03)
The transparent methodology stands to advance corporate social responsibility and socially responsible investing, but it remains to be seen if it measures true sustainability.

Biofuels May Not Be Sustainability Panacea, According to Bank Sarasin Report (08/02)
The report identifies strengths and weaknesses of biofuels from social and environmental perspectives, as well as positing minimum sustainability criteria to qualify for investment.

BP, Suncor, and Shell Top Oil Sector Sustainability Rating; Chevron and ExxonMobil Rank Low (08/01)
The report by Jantzi Research examines 23 oil companies worldwide on environmental issues such as greenhouse gas emissions as well as human rights and other social issues.

First Socially Responsible Investing Portfolio Devoted to Diversity Launched (07/31)
Minority-owned Creative Investment Research conceived of the portfolio to promote corporate diversity while targeting women and minority investors for economic empowerment.

The Pages of Corporate Sustainability and Responsibility (07/28)
Books addressing climate change dominate the fourth annual SocialFunds.com Summer Reading List recommended by socially responsible investing and corporate social responsibility leaders.

Executives and the Environment: Looking Back at Proxy Season 2007 (07/27)
With the 2007 proxy season over, shareholders saw a jump in the number of socially responsible proposals, with support growing for climate change proposals and accountability for executive pay.

Nuns and Priests File Depleted Uranium Bunker Buster Resolution at Three Weapons Companies (07/26)
The resolution goes to vote next week at Alliant Techsystems, and already received more than double the support needed to re-file next year at Lockheed Martin and Textron.

Survey Examines Nomenclature and Numbers Fueling SRI and Extra-Financial Research (07/25)
The fourth annual survey from Thomson Extel and the UK Social Investment Forum looks beyond the numbers to assess the role of language in promoting uptake of SRI research.

Trillium Takes the Reins from Winslow in Managing the Green Century Balanced Fund (07/24)
The transition in portfolio managers has shifted the fund back to its roots as a core portfolio holding by reducing risk and diversifying holdings across the multi-cap space.

Filing Resolutions at Mutual Funds: The Next Frontier for Shareowner Activism? (07/21)
Eight years after the Northwest Corporate Accountability Project first filed an environmental shareowner resolution, it will finally go to vote at the Merrill Lynch Global Allocation Fund.

Parnassus Small Cap Fund Identifies Unique Sustainability Characteristics to Outperform Russell 2000 (07/19)
While the introduction of the Parnassus Workplace Fund a year ago piqued interest, the Parnassus Small Cap Fund unveiled at the same time is turning heads with strong financial performance.

UN Advances Business Case for Materiality of SRI, Leaving Skeptics Little Wiggle Room (07/18)
A new UNEP FI report assesses how investment banks are integrating environmental, social, and governance factors and linking them to financial performance in their research.

Survey Reveals TIAA-CREF Investor Desire to Up Commitment to SRI (07/17)
TIAA-CREF promises to respond to participants, of whom over three-quarters prioritize social and environmental considerations in investing choices.

Book Review--The Triple Bottom Line: How Today's Best-Run Companies Are Achieving Economic, Social, and Environmental Success--And How You Can Too (07/13)
The book lays out a framework for companies to follow on the path toward integrating the triple bottom line of economic, social, and environmental sustainability.

Revised Equator Principles Fall Short of International Best Practice for Project Finance (07/12)
While some observers praise the strengthening of labor rights, others decry the failure to implement adequate transparency, accountability, and governance mechanisms.

Some Applaud Rise in Sustainability Reporting, Others Say It Masks Corporate Un-sustainability (07/11)
A new study documents the increase in sustainability reporting, but a paper by St. Andrews researchers considers corporate sustainability an unrealistic goal under current economic system.

Missouri Farmers Union Credit Union Supports Sustainability in Low-Income Rural Areas (07/10)
The new credit union supports cooperative entrepreneurial models that advance social responsibility and environmental sustainability in low-income agricultural regions.

Assessing Job Creation as a Social Indicator Correlating to Financial Performance (07/06)
A new study from Switzerland-based Pictet & Cie argues that job creation eclipses all other labor issues as a key indicator of corporate social responsibility, and measures its impact on returns.

Recycling 1.2--Dell, HP, and Apple Upgrade Takeback Programs to Slouch Toward Sustainability (07/05)
The Computer TakeBack Campaign applauds the improvements while mapping the long road the computer industry still has to travel to attain true sustainability.

Does Trucost Measurement of Corporate Carbon Footprints Reduce Environmental Impacts? (07/03)
Trucost ranks the carbon intensity in UK portfolios, arguing for overweighting companies with lower carbon footprints to reduce ecological impact while maintaining performance.

Sending Funds Home to Mexico Just Got Cheaper for Latino Community Credit Union Members (06/29)
The Durham, North Carolina-based community development credit union will charge a flat $3 fee, use the exchange rate set by the Fed, and allow recipients to set up accounts in Mexico.

Missouri Treasurer Implements Anti-Terrorism Screen on State Fund (06/28)
The screen excludes Sudan as a state sponsor of terrorism, not necessarily as a genocidal regime, distinguishing this strategy from other Sudan-related state divestment strategies.

Book Review--Shareholder Participation and the Corporation: A Fresh Inter-disciplinary Approach in Happiness (06/27)
Australian Law Professor James McConvill applies empirical research on happiness to corporations, specifically focusing on the case it makes for shareowner empowerment.

Semantics and Semitics: Presbyterian Church Investment to Focus on Israeli-Palestinian Peace (06/26)
A recommendation approved by the church General Assembly apologizes to Jews and refines language while reaffirming commitment to corporate engagement with divestment as last resort.

Stratfor Analysis Says Rise in Support for Shareowner Activism is Hitting a Plateau (06/22)
The analysis suggests that corporate executives are building up a tolerance to higher resolution votes; mutual fund proxy voting transparency represents the next frontier for shareowner activists to boost votes.

Canadian SRI Funds Perform On Par with Mainstream Funds (06/21)
A survey of Canadian socially responsible investing funds finds a broad range of rigorousness in assessing corporate social and environmental sustainability.

Correlating Proxy Advisory Firm Recommendations with Voting Results (06/20)
A look at the link between recommendations by Institutional Shareholder Services, Glass Lewis, and PROXYGovernance and voting results at Citigroup, Chevron, ExxonMobil, and Wal-Mart.

Norwegian Government Pension Fund Dumps Wal-Mart and Freeport on Ethical Exclusions (06/16)
The $230 billion global fund--one of the largest pension funds in the world--cited Wal-Mart for systematic human rights violations and Freeport for serious environmental damage.

World Resources Institute and Citigroup Team Up to Report on Solutions to Climate Change (06/15)
The report recommends a dozen companies poised to profit from a carbon-constrained future, including Archer Daniels Midland, Caterpillar, Cypress Semiconductor, GE, Itron, Johnson Controls, Monsanto, and Waste Management

Why Do Minorities Receive More Subprime Mortgages? Can You Say, Kickback? (06/14)
A new Center for Responsible Lending study shoots holes in industry rationale that bad credit histories of African-Americans and Latinos account for disproportionate subprime mortgages.

Winslow and Jupiter Launch Global Green Fund Using Only Positive Environmental Criteria (06/12)
The Jupiter Green Investment Trust pioneers cross-continent collaboration and evolution from negative screening to positive sustainability criteria.

Corporate Shenanigans: Companies Dis Shareowners at Annual Meetings (06/09)
Home Depot exemplifies a phenomenon of companies manipulating annual meeting protocols to disempower shareowners, following in the footsteps of Weyerhaeuser, Whole Foods, and others.

Book Review--Managing the Business Case for Sustainability: The Integration of Social, Environmental, and Economic Performance (06/07)
The book presents a wide breadth of academic and practitioner perspectives on corporate social and environmental sustainability.

Bank of China International Investment Managers Launches First SRI Fund in China (06/06)
The fund combines quantitative screening with qualitative assessment on issues such as corporate governance and social responsibility, but it is unclear how it will handle human rights.

The Numbers--and the Stories Behind Them--on Community Development Financial Institutions (06/02)
CDFI Data Project recently released the most comprehensive report on the CDFI industry, with statistics documenting CDFI growth and case studies illustrating positive social impacts.

Wainwright Bank and Equal Exchange Partner to Offer the First Branded Certificate of Deposit (06/01)
This new branded CD model is particularly suited to socially responsible banks, companies, and investors, as the increased social returns can counterbalance the slightly higher financial risks.

Survey Starts to Pry Open Black Box of University Endowment Holdings and Proxy Voting (05/31)
The survey, conducted by the Sustainable Endowments Institute, finds the vast majority of universities and colleges veiling their holdings and proxy voting records in secrecy.

Applying an Ant Colony Mentality to Extra-Financial Factors and Enhanced Analytics (05/30)
A report from the Universities Superannuation Scheme, a member of the Enhanced Analytics Initiative, calls for diverse, community-wide advocacy of factoring extra-financials into research.

Domini Fund to Shift from Indexing to Active Management (05/26)
Domini Social Investments proposes shifting the Domini Social Equity Fund from tracking the Domini 400 Social Index to being actively managed by Wellington Management.

Listmania! Corporate Sustainability and Responsibility Lists Drive Improved Performance (05/25)
CSR lists take the old adage--what gets measured gets managed--one step further by spotlighting the ranking process, thereby encouraging better corporate social and environmental performance.

Using the Same Tape Measure: MicroRate To Launch Tool for Rating Microfinance Funds (05/24)
The rating tool, a project supported by Gray Ghost Microfinance Fund, Omidyar Network, and Gates Foundation, is yet another step toward establishing microfinance as a distinct asset class.

Japanese Fund First to Track KLD Global Climate 100 Index (05/19)
The construction methodology of the Global Climate 100 distinguishes it from other clean energy indexes, and distinguishes this fund from other Japanese eco funds.

The Case for Categorizing Community Development Venture Capital as a New Asset Class (05/18)
A white paper by Pacific Community Ventures lays out the argument and identifies steps to promote growth in community development venture capital, such as standardizing social return metrics.

Chemical Companies Unprepared to Reduce Toxicity for European REACH Regulations (05/17)
An Ethical Investment Research Service report finds on Akzo Nobel advanced in preparation for REACH, while an Innovest report debunks industry claims that the rules will cripple them.

Amgen Recommends Support for Political Donations Resolution, Bolstering Broader Campaign (05/16)
The Center for Political Accountability, which coordinates the political contributions campaign, released a report on trade association contributions that previews its 2007 proxy season strategy.

Hog Manure Fertilizes Improvements in Environmental Management at Smithfield Foods (05/13)
Fines for Clean Water Act violations and a lawsuit settlement spur Smithfield to clean up its act and move toward environmental leadership, but it still has a way to go to complete a turnaround.

Digging for More than Gold: SRI Letter Asks Newmont to Address Western Shoshone Concerns (05/11)
The letter cites a recent decision by the United Nations Committee for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination to support Western Shoshone claims.

Another Clean Energy Index Launches to Capitalize on Transition from Dependence on Fossil Fuels (05/10)
The NASDAQ Clean Edge US Index joins several other recently launched clean energy indexes tracking solar photovoltaic, biofuel, wind, and fuel cell companies.

Confirming the CalPERS Effect: Academic Study Links Shareowner Activism to Financial Gain (05/09)
Examining companies targeted for governance reform by the CalPERS Focus List, the study presents data correlating activism to increasing shareowner value as well as cautionary notes.

Proxy Season Report Geared to Foundations Helps Others Navigate Proxy Landscape (05/08)
As You Sow Foundation and Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors report allows for stepping back by providing a useful overview as well as an in-depth look at behind-the-scenes dialogue.

Student-Managed Socially Responsible Investing Fund Outperforms the Market (05/05)
The faculty advisor to the Arnone-Lerer SRI Fund at Villanova University attributes a quarter of the outperformance to environmental, social, and governance factors.

Investor Environmental Health Network Addresses Product Toxicity Through Safer Alternatives (05/04)
The network is coordinating 11 shareowner resolutions addressing product toxicity at companies such as Avon, Becton-Dickinson, CVS, Dow, DuPont, and Whole Foods Market, among others.

Shareholders One Step Closer to Having a “Say on Pay” (05/03)
The US House of Representatives votes to give shareholders an advisory non-binding vote on executive compensation.

United Nations Endorses SRI Strategies in Launching Principles for Responsible Investment (05/02)
Some 50 institutional investors globally representing $4 trillion in assets have signed on to the Principles, which promote the consideration of environmental, social and governance factors.

Book Review--Values-Driven Business: How to Change the World, Make Money, and Have Fun (04/25)
The first in the Social Venture Network book series provides loads of anecdotal advice on how to establish a values-driven business, but little on how to retain social responsibility in a buy-out.

Conflict of Interests Policies and Practices Vary Widely at Proxy Advisory Firms (04/19)
Part two of this two-part article examines how Institutional Shareholder Services, Glass Lewis, and PROXY Governance handle potential conflicts of interest.

Voting Recommendations on Shareowner Resolutions Vary Widely at Proxy Advisory Firms (04/18)
Part one of this two-part article compares Institutional Shareholder Services, Glass Lewis, and PROXY Governance vote recommendations on resolutions at Citigroup and Chevron.

Wal-Mart Discloses Equal Employment Opportunity Data (04/14)
The company joined six others in the S&P 100 that publicly disclose their EEO-1 report, but Wal-Mart still faces shareowner action on union-busting and selling gems mined in Burma.

Enterprise Social Fund First to Tap Corporate Community for Community Investing (04/12)
The fund partners Enterprise Community Partners, which will manage the portfolio, with Deutsche Bank, which will seek investment from socially responsible companies and individuals.

New Analysis of Sustainability Risks and Opportunities in Developing Asian Markets (04/11)
New report from ASrIA and IFC seeks to bring consideration of environmental, social, and governance factors into investment decisions in developing Asian markets.

Is Contrarian Investing Consistent With or Contrary to Socially Responsible Investing? (04/07)
SRI practitioners say that the contrarian focus on long-term prospects and overall health of a company suggest yes, while its focus on timing suggests maybe no.

Common Good Bank Advances One Branch of Community Investing Evolution (04/05)
The bank promotes the common good by distributing excess profits to the community and by making all lending and spending decisions through participatory democracy.

Analysis Advocates Strategic Approach to Corporate Social Responsibility (04/04)
McKinsey Quarterly provides in-depth analysis of its January 2006 survey documenting increasing executive interest in CSR, a finding correlated by an American Society for Quality poll.

Amana Funds Continue Strong Performance (03/31)
The Amana Funds' Islamic principles coincide with sound investment strategies that have helped fuel strong financial performance over the past three years.

Social Footprint Introduces Simple Elegance in Measuring Corporate Sustainability Performance (03/30)
The method conceived by the Center for Sustainable Innovation for quantifying corporate social and environmental impacts uses quotients to compare company action to sustainability goals.

Corporate Action on Climate Change Improves Over Past Three Years, But Still Insufficient (03/28)
A report from Ceres benchmarks corporate governance on climate change, finding steady gains by leaders while some laggards leapfrog toward the top and other laggards stagnate at the bottom.

White House and Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility Address Pediatric AIDS (03/24)
Bush Administration launches a new public-private partnership on Pediatric AIDS, an area where ICCR engages pharmaceutical companies in shareowner advocacy.

Book Review--Responsible Investment (03/23)
An impressive and wide-ranging list of contributing writers advance a balance between elucidating the strengths of socially responsible investing while also exposing its weaknesses.

Facing Campaign on Farm Working Conditions, McDonald's to Heed Independent Study Results (03/22)
The Coalition of Immokalee Workers urges McDonald's to improve farm working conditions, which the company is addressing through a study by the Center for Reflection, Education, and Action.

Cost of Clean Energy Decreases to Compete with Its Dirtier Counterparts, According to Report (03/21)
The Clean Edge report surveys clean energy, documenting market growth, strong stock performance, and expansion of venture capital investment, as well as projecting future trends.

Thirty Years and Counting: Cofounder Wayne Silby Recounts the Birth of Calvert (03/18)
To celebrate the thirtieth anniversary of Calvert, SocialFunds.com speaks with co-founder Wayne Silby about its genesis, development, and future.

A Serendipitous Match: Davis Advisors Takes Over MMA Praxis Core Stock Fund (03/16)
The portfolio holding of Wal-Mart exemplifies (oddly enough) how both Davis Advisors and MMA Praxis emphasize the importance of stewardship and shareowner empowerment.

US Banks Sink to the Bottom of the Barrel on Latest Sustainability Ratings from Oekom (03/14)
Most US banks fail to disclose enough information on their social and environmental performance to qualify for analysis, and only four of 21 analyzed earned above D-level grades.

Whole Foods Market Gags Shareowners at Annual Meeting (03/10)
A leader on corporate social responsibility, Whole Foods lags on corporate governance by stymieing shareowner democracy.

Sudan Presents Investment Risk as Genocidal Regime and State Sponsor of Terrorism (03/09)
Socially responsible investing research provider IdealsWork Financial now offers data from Conflict Securities Advisory Group on corporate exposure to human rights abuses in Sudan.

Wells Fargo Issues Alternative Energy Report to Join Ranks of Banks Advancing SRI Research (03/08)
The report provides an overview of the alternative energy market as well as the pros and cons of investment opportunities in wind, solar, hydroelectric, hydrogen, biomass, and even nuclear.

SEC Forces Chevron, Dow, and CVS to Include Shareowner Resolutions on Their Proxies (03/07)
Part two of this two-part article examines no-action activity thus far in the 2006 proxy season, focusing on attempts to apply the personal grievance rule and expand a new risk assessment rule.

Resolution Withdrawals Signal Success in Shareowner Advocacy Early in 2006 Proxy Season (03/06)
Part one of this two-part article examines withdrawal of resolutions on climate change, sexual orientation nondiscrimination, political contributions, and HIV/AIDS policies.

SRI Community Adding Its Two Cents to Comments on GRI G3 Guidelines (03/02)
The Global Reporting Initiative is seeking public comments on its new sustainability reporting guidelines by March 31st.

State Laws Effectively Curb Predatory Lending Without Stifling Subprime Market, Study Finds (02/28)
The Center for Responsible Lending study rebuts opponents of state anti-predatory lending laws, and suggests significant implications for the two competing anti-predatory bills now in Congress.

Bank Policies Fail to Meet International Social and Environmental Standards, Report Says (02/25)
The 39 banks assessed fall far short on global sustainability standards, and fail to disclose enough information on implementation to even be assessed by NGO coalition BankTrack.

Evergreen Solar and Energy Conversion Devices Rated Outperformers in Piper Jaffray Solar Report (02/23)
The report continues a trend of mainstream equity research using socially responsible investing strategies, and SRI funds confirm this assessment through wide exposure to these two companies.

Defining Corporate Complicity in Human Rights Abuses (02/22)
Business and Human Rights Seminar report maps the landscape of corporate complicity in human rights abuses, and addresses the dichotomy of mandatory laws versus voluntary codes.

Opening the Umbrella of Socially Responsible Investing to Include Energy Efficient Mortgages (02/21)
Indigo Financial Group promotes energy efficient mortgages, which have long been available through a Fannie Mae program but have yet to reach their market potential.

IT Company Collusion with Chinese Authorities to Repress Free Expression Shorts Shareowner Value (02/17)
Boston Common Asset Management submits testimony to congressional hearings asserting that protecting shareholder value and respecting human rights are not mutually exclusive mandates.

Book Review: Economic Apartheid in America: A Primer on Economic Inequality & Insecurity (02/16)
The revised and updated edition of this text (originally published in 2000) examines how excessive executive compensation contributes to the widening gulf between rich and poor.

Financial Wonks Meet Treehuggers: New Tool Places Valuation on Corporate Sustainability (02/14)
The sdEffect analytical framework takes the next step in establishing metrics to translate sustainable development into valuation.

Two New Indexes Help Wean Us From Oil Addiction Via Clean Energy and Cleantech (02/10)
The WilderHill New Energy Global Innovation Index tracks clean energy companies internationally, while the Cleantech Index tracks cleantech companies in the US.

Shareowner Action on Product Toxicity Shifts from Isolated Resolutions to Become a Campaign (02/09)
Fueling this development is the increasing visibility of product toxicity in the news, with the Environmental Protection Agency issuing record fines.

Calvert Rates Environmental, Social and Governance Practices of 100 Largest US Companies (02/08)
The move increases transparency of socially responsible investing research while maintaining the proprietary nature of the Calvert investment process.

KLD and ISS Offer Research Tools for Divesting from Sudanese Genocide and Terrorism (02/07)
The KLD tool focuses narrowly on the Illinois law mandating divestment from companies doing business with the Sudan; the ISS tool focuses beyond divestment and on other state sponsors of terrorism.

Using Mutual Fund Proxy Voting Data to Promote More Conscientious Voting (02/03)
The final installment of this multi-part series steps back to consider the implications of the findings and how to harness them to push mutual funds to support corporate social responsibility.

Two Sides of the Same Coin: Surveys Track Growth of Interest in CSR and SRI (02/01)
Part two of this two-part article focuses on a survey by McKinsey Quarterly on increasing interest from global corporate executives in corporate social responsibility.

Two Sides of the Same Coin: Surveys Track Growth of Interest in SRI and CSR (01/31)
Part one of this two-part article focuses on a survey by Mercer Investment Consulting on increasing interest from institutional investors in socially responsible investing.

How to Determine the Top 100 Sustainable Companies in the World (01/28)
Innovest Strategic Value Advisors and Corporate Knights announce the Global 100 Most Sustainable Companies at the World Economic Forum, documenting financial outpeformance.

Social Investment Forum Trends Report Tracks Rises and Falls of Socially Responsible Investing (01/26)
The 2005 report documents increases since 2003 in assets overall in SRI, in SRI mutual funds, and in shareholder advocacy, but decreases in overall screened assets and in screened separate accounts.

Eroding Support for Shareowner Resolutions on Climate Change Revealed by Unpublished Data (01/25)
In part three of this multi-part article, SocialFunds.com examines unpublished data associated with a recent report on mutual fund proxy voting from The Corporate Library, and finds decreasing support for climate change resolutions.

In the Year of the Oil Boom, Some SRI Funds Look Elsewhere for Strong Performance in 2005 (01/24)
The top-performing socially responsible investing funds compared to their category peers (SRI and non-SRI alike) drew strong performance from pharma, tech, and financials.

Unpublished Data Clarifies SRI Proxy Voting on CSR Resolutions (01/18)
In part two in this multi-part series, SocialFunds.com examines unpublished data associated with a recent report from The Corporate Library, and finds that statistics are not always what they seem at first glance.

The Corporate Library Report on Mutual Fund Proxy Voting Finds Stagnation and Even Retreat (01/17)
Part one of this multi-part series discusses the report findings on decreasing mainstream fund support for CSR resolutions; subsequent articles examine unpublished data from the research.

GE Comes Clean, Disclosing Costs Related to PCB Cleanup on the Hudson (01/12)
The move prompts the Tri-State Coalition for Responsible Investment, which characterized some of these expenditures as delay tactics, to withdraw its shareowner resolution requesting this information.

Majority-Vote Director Election Shareowner Resolutions To Top 100, Dominate Proxy Season (01/10)
A memo from corporate law firm Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz opines that majority-vote elections will become universal, but shareowners still seek proxy access to nominate directors.

New Domini Funds Invest in the World (01/10)
Domini charts new territory with the creation of the Domini PacAsia Social Equity Fund and the Domini EuroPacific Social Equity Fund.

Wal-Mart Faces Host of Shareowner Resolutions, From Union-Busting to Sustainability Reporting (01/06)
The broad range of resolutions suggests that the sustainability commitments announced by Wal-Mart last year did not convince shareowners that the company has solved all its challenges.

Top Five Socially Responsible Investing News Stories of 2005 (01/05)
Socially responsible investing, corporate social responsibility, and microfinance embraced by the mainstream; shareowner advocates withdraw several climate change resolutions as companies agree to report; and exchange traded funds apply SRI strategies.

Alien Tort Claims Act Lawsuit Alleges Slavery and Child Labor on Liberian Firestone Plantation (12/30)
The International Labor Rights Fund calls this its strongest ATCA case yet because the evidence of forced labor is so clear and Firestone owns and operates the plantation.

Socially Responsible Property Investment Still on the Drafting Table (12/29)
A blueprint of the fledgling field of socially responsible real estate investment.

Are European Finance Sector Corporate Social Responsibility Initiatives Adequate? (12/23)
A report from a recent EU conference on CSR suggest so, while a Corporate Responsibility Coalition report says voluntary CSR initiatives and current regulation fall short.

Book Review--Megatrends 2010: The Rise of Conscious Capitalism (12/22)
The newest in the Megatrends series advances a framework for conscious capitalism that highlights socially responsible investing.

Verite Report Identifies Exploitation of Foreign Contract Laborers in Asia and the Middle East (12/20)
The report uncovers placement fees that exceed legal limits, forced overtime, loans with interest rates of up to 60 percent, and so-called runaway insurance deposits that are not refunded.

EPA Tries to Pull a Disappearing Act on the Toxics Release Inventory (12/16)
In response to the Environmental Protection Agency proposal to dilute TRI, the socially responsible investing community launches the SaveTRI.org website.

Solar Energy Helps Fuel Socially Responsible Investing (12/15)
Managers from Winslow Green Growth Fund, New Alternatives Fund, and Portfolio 21 discuss the opportunities and challenges of investing in solar power.

SRI Community Releases Retailer Guidelines to Avoid Violent Video Game Sales to Kids (12/14)
The Interfaith Center for Corporate Responsibility guidelines address underage exposure to graphic violence, strong sexual content, and racist themes, as well as impact on shareholder value.

Tool for Tracking Greenhouse Gas Reductions Launched at UN Climate Change Conference (12/13)
The World Business Council for Sustainable Development and the World Resources Institute release a GHG accounting tool for projects to complement their existing corporate-wide tool.

Socially Responsible Investing Advances Anti-Racism in Helping Rebuild New Orleans (12/12)
In addition to supporting community investment and leveraging influence through shareowner advocacy, social investors can help rebuild in the aftermath of Katrina by naming root problems.

UK Kills Operating and Financial Review of Environmental and Social Information (12/08)
The move, which was seen as capitulation to the business community, leads to legal challenges.

Australian Report on Globalization of the Mainstreaming of Socially Responsible Investing (12/06)
New report examines how governments worldwide promote the mainstreaming of SRI, focusing on Australian policy options in a way that exemplifies issues facing other governments.

First Steps: Corporate Engagement on HIV/AIDS Improves Since Last World AIDS Day (12/01)
Global Business Coalition on HIV/AIDS Best Practice AIDS Standard represents an important step forward, and companies such as Intel are responding to shareowner dialogue with ICCR.

A Light Bulb Turns On: Goldman Sachs First Investment Bank to Adopt Environmental Policy (11/30)
The policy matches the robustness of other such policies recently adopted by global financial institutions, but the status of Goldman Sachs as an investment bank brings added significance.

Calvert World Values Fund Tackles Challenges of International Socially Responsible Investing (11/29)
The fund delivers double-digit three-year returns for shareholders while screening for corporate environmental, social, and governance performance in international and emerging markets.

New International Finance Corporation Sustainability Standards: Watershed or Watered Down? (11/23)
A group of socially responsible investors express concern over perceived shortcomings in the proposed IFC policy revisions, while the IFC points out where the policies break new ground.

Citigroup Smith Barney Report Seeks to Bridge Divide Between SRI and Traditional Analysis (11/21)
The report seeks to cross the metaphorical river dividing socially responsible investing analysts, who assess sustainability, from traditional analysts, who examine financial fundamentals.

Fonkoze Helps Transform Microfinance to Reach the Poorest of the Poor in Haiti (11/18)
After convening a summit on how to modify microfinance to serve the extreme poor, Fonkoze adapts a model pioneered by the Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee.

Radical/Conservative: Innovest Integrates Sustainability Factors into Financial Analysis (11/17)
Innovest Strategic Value Advisors reconciles socially responsible investing research with traditional investment research by fusing social, environmental, and financial considerations.

Shareowner Empowerment Is Alive and Well: a Preview of the 2006 Proxy Season (11/16)
Part two of this two-part article examines the developing trends in shareowner activism as resolutions are filed for the upcoming proxy season.

Forging Ahead from the Crossroads: Reviewing the 2005 Proxy Season (11/14)
Part one of this two-part article looks back at this year's proxy season, which was highlighted by majority vote director election proposals while part two previews the upcoming proxy season.

One Year On: Global Compact Maps Progress on Mainstreaming ESG Considerations (11/10)
Two recent reports paint a vivid picture of developments over the past year on integrating environmental, social, and governance considerations into traditional financial analysis.

Consortium Advances Microfinance as an Emerging New Asset Class (11/09)
The Global Commercial Microfinance Consortium, with its $75 million fund, links mainstream financial institutions to socially responsible investment practitioners with microfinance experience.

Tearing Down the Great Firewall (11/08)
Social investors issue a statement holding information technology companies accountable for collusion with repressive regimes such as China that stifle dissent expressed on the Internet.

Book Review--The Challenge to Power: Money, Investing, and Democracy (11/07)
John Harrington compiles voluminous evidence to diagnose what ails modern corporatocracy, and prescribes a comprehensive cure with socially responsible investing playing a key role.

Fiduciary Duty Redefined to Allow (and Sometimes Require) Environmental, Social and Governance Considerations (11/03)
A report commissioned by UNEP FI and prepared by Freshfields attorneys dispels the persistent myth that laws prevent fiduciaries from considering environmental, social, and governance issues.

Insurers at the Crossroads: Intersection Between Insurance and Sustainability is a Busy Corner (11/02)
Swiss Re exemplifies global sustainability leadership, as the chair of its US arm gives the keynote address at a summit on climate change and insurance in Connecticut.

Counting Stars: Top Morningstar Ratings Bespeak Strong Performance for SRI Funds (11/01)
Of the 60-odd broadly-screened socially responsible investing funds tracked by SocialFunds.com, three earn 5-star ratings and 12 earn 4-star ratings from Morningstar.

SRI Research from UBS Strikes Balance Between Ethics and Economics (10/28)
The new socially responsible investing team at UBS quantifies the costs of corporate social and environmental impacts as a means of effecting ethical and economic rectification.

Transforming the Myth of Democratic Shareholder Power into a Reality (10/27)
A new paper by Harvard Professor Lucian Bebchuk debunks the myth of shareholder power to replace directors, and recommends reforms that could jumpstart the stalled SEC proxy access rule.

Wal-Mart Embraces Sustainability: Does the SRI Community Buy It? (10/26)
Socially responsible investors cautiously applaud Wal-Mart for committing to social and environmental sustainability, but remain highly skeptical about actual implementation.

Community Development Financial Institutions Spread Like Wild Grass in Indian Country (10/25)
First Nations Oweesta Corporation serves as a national umbrella organization providing the structural framework and organizational support to fuel current exponential Native CDFI growth.

Institutional Investors Drive Research on Mainstreaming of SRI by Investment Managers (10/21)
A new line of research at Mercer Investment Consulting rates proxy voting, shareholder engagement, and analysis of environmental, social, and governance issues by mainstream investment managers.

New Index and Exchange Traded Fund Expose Risks and Potentials in Nanotech (10/20)
The Innovest Nanotech Index assesses social and environmental risks, while the PowerShares Lux Nanotech Portfolio focuses more on investment opportunities.

Scaling Community Investment: Report Addresses Growth in Community Development Finance (10/19)
An Aspen Institute report serves as the basis of a series of conferences at regional federal reserve banks on how to best scale up community investment.

Book Review--The False Promise of Pay for Performance: Embracing a Positive Model of the Company Executive (10/18)
According to James McConvill, the problem with perverse executive compensation is not managerial power, as an earlier book suggests, but rather the very pay for performance system.

Rising Oil Prices Fuel Investment Returns in Renewable Energy for New Alternatives Fund (10/14)
The first environmental mutual fund is also globalizing its reach to capitalize on innovative developments in alternative energies in other countries.

Moskowitz Prize Winning Study Correlates Corporate Eco-Efficiency and Financial Outperformance (10/13)
The paper finds a significant and positive relationship between Innovest eco-efficiency ratings and both market-based and accounting-based financial performance metrics.

Divining the Future of Socially Responsible Investing (10/12)
A study commissioned by Vancity Credit Union surveys 42 SRI thought leaders to identify trends, opportunities, and obstacles, as well as potential developments that defy prediction.

Business Roundtable May Be Seeing the Light with New Initiative (10/11)
The SEE Change program hints at a tipping point for US business community engagement of social, environmental, and economic issues, but the program's success may depend on how critics view its performance.

SRI Utilities Fund Flicks Switch to Power Strong Returns (10/07)
The Flex-funds Total Return Utilities Fund uses environmental and social screening in addition to fundamental analysis to identify sustainable utilities.

Changing of the Guard: Vanguard Pulls a Switcheroo on SRI Index Providers (10/06)
Vanguard is swapping the benchmark for its socially responsible investing index fund from the Calvert Social Index to the FTSE4Good US Select Index.

Spreading SRI: Goldman Sachs Adds Its Own Twist in Social and Environmental Assessment (10/05)
As socially responsible investment strategies migrate into the mainstream, mainstream analysts apply social and environmental considerations in innovative ways.

ICCR Online Database Eases Access to Information on Shareowner Resolutions (10/04)
EthVest, the new web-based tool from the Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility, provides access to 2,000-plus shareowner resolutions and 12-plus years of shareowner action.

Insurers Behind the Curve on Addressing and Disclosing Risks of Climate Change (09/29)
Two reports, one from Ceres and one from Friends of the Earth, concur that climate change is catching insurance companies, which are particularly impacted by global warming, unawares.

GAO Finds Federal Corporate Social Responsibility Programs Widespread But Uncoordinated (09/28)
The Congressional Human Rights Caucus convenes a briefing today to discuss the findings of a Government Accountability Office report on US government initiatives on CSR.

Book Review---An Unreasonable Woman: The True Story of Shrimpers, Politicos, Polluters, and the Fight for Seadrift, Texas (09/27)
Shrimper-turned-grassroots environmental activist Diane Wilson transforms her experience fighting corporate toxic emissions into a literary work of art imbued with the rugged beauty of the Texas coast.

Domini Goes Abroad with New European Fund (09/22)
The fund allows US social investors to diversify their portfolios into a region with attractive investment opportunities and corporations with strong sustainability commitments.

Third Carbon Disclosure Project Survey Finds Increasing Action on Climate Change (09/21)
CDP3, now sponsored by 155 institutional investors with more than $21 trillion in assets, also reveals some significant footdragging by the Financial Times 500 companies.

Community Investment Bridges the Gap from Destitution to Restitution After Hurricane Katrina (09/20)
Predominantly low-income African Americans were barred from crossing the bridge out of New Orleans, but now community development bridge loans are spanning the gulf back to stability.

AccountAbility Cooks Up a New Recipe with Stakeholder Engagement Standards (09/16)
An exposure draft of new AA1000 Stakeholder Engagement Standards to be released next week may prove useful to the socially responsible investment community of shareholder activists.

Taking Account of Corporate Social Responsibility Reports (09/15)
A Pleon survey of CSR reporting finds differing opinions on best practice for report assurance and verification amongst respondents as well as professional experts.

Business Impacts on Millennium Development Goals: A Virtuous Cycle or a Coin Toss? (09/14)
A new World Business Council for Sustainable Development report profiles corporate initiatives to alleviate poverty, but focuses less attention on how business may confound such goals.

A Next Generation SRI Strategy: The Henderson Industries of the Future Fund (09/13)
By extending to its entire portfolio a focus on ten sustainability industries, Henderson has conceived of a novel approach to socially responsible investing.

Banks and Financial Service Providers Figure Prominently in FTSE4Good Attrition, DJSI Matriculation (09/08)
Corporate social responsibility plays an important role at banks and financial service companies, which are not only recipients but also increasingly purveyors of socially responsible investment.