In the News

California's Leadership in Climate Change:

California's Budget: Progress Made & Saving for a Rainy Day
Natural Resources Defense Council
The budget also sends important signals of continued progress on maintaining leadership on combating climate change and readying California to be a more climate resilient state. Our state budget should further our climate goals. As an international climate leader, California will host a major ...
  
Lystek Wins Governor's Environmental and Economic Leadership Award (GEELA) for Sustainable ...
GlobeNewswire (press release)
“This year's GEELA recipients are demonstrating exceptional leadership in addressing some of our most significant environmental challenges,” said California Secretary for Environmental Protection Matthew Rodriquez. “Whether it's fighting climate change, conserving our water supplies or reducing ...

California Utilities Issue Draft Solicitation for Dairy Biomethane Pilot Projects
Markets Insider
The company has been recognized by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for leadership in addressing climate change, was the first to meet California's goal of delivering 33 percent of energy from renewable sources, has fueled the adoption of electric vehicles and energy efficiency through ...

Sustainable Investing:

Sustainable Fund Asset Growth Measly but Fated to Flower Fast, Report Claims
Environmental Leader
Sustainable fund assets under management in the US achieved limited gains in 2017. Estimated net inflows, including new 2017 fund launches, were $2.9 billion or 1.5%, according to new research from Sustainable Research & Analysis. However, as sustainable investing shifts away from a focus on ...
   
What is sustainable investing – and does it mean conventional investing is not sustainable?
This is Money
As consumers, we increasingly want to know where our food comes from, how our clothes are made, and we think about the impact or what we buy. So why should we not apply the same logic to investing? In this episode of the Big Money Questions, we talk through what sustainable investing is – and if ...

Wealthsimple launches socially responsible investing portfolios in the UK
Business Insider
Canadian digital wealth manager Wealthsimple has rolled out Socially Responsible Investing (SRI) portfolios in the UK. SRI portfolios invest in companies that make social responsibility a business priority. In Wealthsimple's case, the portfolios invest in exchange-traded funds (ETFs) containing securities ...

Global Reporting Initiative:

Company briefs
Times of Malta
University of Malta academic Mark Anthony Camilleri was recently nominated a member of the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI)'s Stakeholder Council. He will represent European civil society organisations. The GRI is an international, independent standards organisation that helps businesses and ...

In Uncertain Political Climate, Democratic Challengers Hope to Unseat Popular Gov. Baker
Valley Advocate
Bob Massie of Somerville has been working as a climate activist for decades and is the co-founder of sustainability reporting organization Global Reporting Initiative. Setti Warren of Newton is an Iraq War veteran and the former mayor of Newton. No consensus has yet emerged around a candidate.

The Wo-Men At Davos
VERVE
Apart from being the former President of the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU), and a member of the boards of the Australia Institute, Global Reporting Initiative Stakeholder Council and the Committee for Melbourne, she's strongly involved in researching global labour market trends to protect ... 

Renewable Energy Investments:

Report: Clean Energy Investments Hit $333.5 Billion in 2017
POWER magazine
The research group on January 16 said global investment in clean energy such as wind and solar reached about $333.5 billion in 2017, a 3% rise from the prior year, and just 7% below the record in 2015. BNEF said about half of all investment went to solar projects, with China accounting for nearly ...

Cheap green energy spurs record investment
The Sydney Morning Herald
The number of companies buying green energy has hit new levels as renewable energy becomes more affordable. Bloomberg New Energy Finance found corporations purchased a record 5.4 gigawatts of renewable energy to power their operations in 2017, up more than a fifth from the previous record ...

State fund announces major investment in solar energy
Irish Times
The project will see the Irish company develop and operate 20 new solar parks from Louth to west Cork with potential generating capacity of 140 megawatts (MW).This is the first time ISIF has invested in solar energy, which has come down in cost. Planning permission was secured on most of the sites in ...

CDP Sustainability: 

CDP: Automakers Must Embrace Disruption to Remain Relevant in Low-Carbon Transition
Sustainable Brands
In order to remain relevant in the low-carbon transition, automotive companies must rapidly adapt to address technological disruption and environmental regulation. This is the key finding of a new report from CDP, which analyzes 16 of the world's largest publicly-listed automotive companies with a total ...

Hamburg Süd honored twice for sustainability
PortNews IAA
Hamburg Süd has once again been honored by two independent organizations for its sustainability management. The Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) awarded an above-average grade, while EcoVadis bestowed its highest-possible “Gold” status rating, Port of Hamburg said in its press release.

Two sustainability awards for Hamburg Süd
English Hamburg News (press release)
Hamburg Süd has won awards by two organizations for its sustainability management for the second time, a press release said Tuesday (January 16, 2018). The Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) awarded an above-average grade, while EcoVadis gave its highest-possible “Gold” status rating.

Impact Investing:

How Impact Investors And Social Entrepreneurs Can Maintain The Mission After An Exit
Forbes
Potential investors might like you more if your mission is inextricably tied to your business model, the better to ensure you can keep your impact intact, even after your funders exit. That's one of the lessons of the Global Impact Investing Network's (GINN) new report. Called Lasting Impact: The Need for ...

How This Foundation Is Using its Grantmaking to Champion Impact Investing
Inside Philanthropy
It took them some time to come around, but the Surdna Foundation continues to be a big proponent of foundations getting involved in impact investing. Last year, we saw the foundation make a $100 million commitment (about 10 percent of its endowment) toward investing that directly supports its ...

Everyone's a winner? How 'impact investing' can make money - and do good
Reuters
LONDON (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Rural families in Africa who need access to power and investors seeking a decent return on their money are getting together so everyone prospers. The cherry on the cake? It's good for the environment too. British investors are funding solar kits for households ...

Resource Conservation Investments:

Natural Resources Conservation Service Announces Proposed $10000000 Investment to Address ...
Sierra Sun Times
January 18, 2018 - DAVIS, Calif. - USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) has selected five new projects in California for funding through the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP). These projects will bring more than nrcs usda logo $23.7 million of new conservation ...
 
$5.5M California carbon fund project halfway in investments
AGDAILY
Fund I was Iaunched in October 2016, seeded by a $5.5 million Program-Related Investment from the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, and supported by a Conservation Innovation Grant from the USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service. “Climate Trust Capital has made significant ...

Socially Responsible Investing:  

Billionaire Sam Zell: BlackRock's Larry Fink is 'extraordinarily hypocritical' to push social ...
CNBC
BlackRock's Larry Fink and other CEOs are "extraordinarily hypocritical" to push companies for more social responsibility, billionaire investor Sam Zell told CNBC on Tuesday. The New York Times reported Fink will tell business leaders in a letter on Tuesday that their companies need to do more than ...

LETTER: Seeking more socially responsible investment choices
SouthCoastToday.com
I am a retiree with an IRA. I sometimes receive ballots through the mail from corporations regarding candidates and issues connected with my investment. I discard these ballots, and they are routinely followed by a phone call asking for my vote. Since I know little about financial matters, I have always ...

Funds for Sustainable Investing:

Sustainable Fund Assets Under Management Achieved Limited Gains in 2017 But Poised to ...
PR Newswire (press release)
NEW YORK, Jan. 22, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- During a year when a number of high profile environmental, social and governance (ESG) related events unfolded, sustainable fund assets under management in the US, including mutual funds, exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and exchange-traded notes ...

Sustainability Investing:  

The world's largest investment firm wants corporations to “serve a social purpose”
Vox
Beyond active investments, Fink seems to indicate BlackRock will be taking a more proactive role in casting proxy votes at annual meetings, where shareholders can vote on a wide range of issues, including executive compensation, sustainability efforts, and directorships. BlackRock hasn't traditionally ...

Philanthropic Investing

JPMorgan Chase is raising wages to as much as $18 an hour as part of a $20 billion investment in ...
Markets Insider
As part of the $20 billion, five-year investment, JPMorgan says it will also open 400 new branches, hire 4,000 new employees, increase lending efforts, and ramp up philanthropic giving. "Having a healthy, strong company allows us to make these long-term, sustainable investments," CEO Jamie Dimon ...
  
A New Impact Investing Model for Education
Stanford Social Innovation Review
As philanthropic investors, we get a double-whammy win. We achieve what we care about most—improving education in a fragmented, otherwise hard-to-reach market of small-time school entrepreneurs—and only pay when schools demonstrate measurable change in learning outcomes. In addition ...

JPMorgan Rolls Out $20 Billion Investment Plan After Tax Gains
U.S. News & World Report
(Reuters) - JPMorgan Chase & Co unveiled a $20 billion investment plan on Tuesday to hike wages, hire more, open new branches and expand its business as it takes ... The bank will also increase community-based philanthropic investments by 40 percent to $1.75 billion over five years, it said.

Green Bond Funds:

China Support for 'Clean Coal' Gives Green Bonds Touch of Gray
Bloomberg BNA
Ma Jun, former chief economist at the People's Bank of China and now co-chairman of the Group of 20 Green Finance Group, said late last year, that state-run media reports indicate that China's priorities of addressing air pollution justify the use of green bond funding on coal projects, though standards ...

Foresight achieves EUR-70m 1st close for Italian green bond fund
Renewables Now
January 22 (Renewables Now) - London-based infrastructure and private equity investment manager Foresight Group LLP today announced the first close of its Italian green bond fund at EUR 70 million (USD 85.7m). The Foresight Italian Green Bond Fund is the first infrastructure debt fund raised by the ...

GREEN BONDS THRIVE AMID REGULATORY FOG GUIDELINES
Hong Kong Standard (press release)
Following the launch, Swire Properties (1972) announced the issue of its first green bond to fund green projects, which is the first in the city to receive the HKQAA Green Finance Certification. The 10-year green bond is to raise US$500 million at a coupon of 3.5 percent. Swire Properties said the net ...

Low Carbon Funds:

Scottish Government Launches Low Carbon Innovation Fund
Rigzone
The Scottish government is launching an $83 million (GBP 60 million) fund to 'keep Scotland at the forefront of low carbon innovation'. The Low Carbon Infrastructure Transition Program (LCITP), which is co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), will help large scale projects ...
   
Public pension funds back low carbon UK tax transparent funds
IPE.com
Two UK public pension funds have invested in new low-carbon tax transparent funds launched by BlackRock and Robeco. The £3.5bn (€4bn) Environment Agency Pension Fund (EAPF) has invested £150m in Robeco's quant sustainable fund, which is the first fund available under its newly launched ...