Social Investment Forum Program Highlights

May 11, 2006

 

Forum Staff and Members Speak on SRI

In April, Forum Managing Director Fran Teplitz spoke on an SRI panel with Tim Smith, Walden Asset Management, and Paul Hilton, Calvert, at the annual conference of Interaction—the largest network of international development and humanitarian aid/nongovernmental organizations in the United States. President William Clinton delivered a keynote speech before 600 attendees. This marked the first year that Interaction ever held a session on SRI. Attendees were eager to understand how to bring financial portfolios in line with their organizations’ missions and values.

Also in April, Todd Larsen, Co-Director of the Forum’s Community Investing Campaign and Justin Conway, Calvert Foundation, spoke at the Congressionally-mandated advisory board meeting of the federally-designated CDFIs (community development financial institutions). The Forum was asked to speak in light of our expertise on community investing trends and resources. Todd shared our new Community Investing Trends Report, recognized by authorities on community investing and by policy makers.

Forum Managing Director Fran Teplitz spoke in Arlington, VA with Stephanie Cutler of Calvert and Ken Nostro of Domini Social Investments for the Virginia Cooperative Extension & Arlington Department of Libraries, providing an introduction to SRI open to the public.

Kate Rosow, Program Coordinator for the Forum, speaks in June at an event sponsored by the Women's Information Network. She'll explain what SRI is and describe how to become a socially responsible investor through banking, retirement, and other options.

Exciting Upcoming Events

17th Annual SRI in the Rockies Conference
Mark your calendars!

Mark your calendar now for 2006! Join us in beautiful Colorado Springs, CO at the Broadmoor Hotel, October 28-31, 2006.

Visit www.SRIintheRockies.com for agenda information, registration, accommodation, sponsorship opportunities, and more! »

Green Festival & Green Business Conference

Mark your calendar for the third annual Co-op America Green Business Conference, November 7-10, 2006 in San Francisco, before the San Francisco Green Festival (November 10-12.)

This year, featured speakers will include many experts of interest to socially responsible consumers and investors such as: Sharif Abdullah, Ben Cohen, Paul Ray, Chip Conley, Jill Bamburg, Patricia Aburdene, David Korten, Gerald Prolman and Betsy Rosenburg.
We sold out last year, so be sure to register early.

To register, visit www.coopamerica.biz or call Tish at 202-872-5340.

The Green Festival will bring its celebration of the green economy to the midwest for the first time in the spring of 2007. The city of Chicago's commitment to sustainability has soared in recent years, and is the natural location for growing the Green Festival.

“It’s a natural match,” says Denise Hamler, Co-op America’s business division director. “Mayor Daley has said he wants Chicago to be the greenest city in the country, and Co-op America is working with city organizers to help make that happen.”

What’s more, the San Francisco Green Festival will expand to three days this year, starting on a Friday, rather than on Saturday, and the Washington, DC Green Festival will move to a new hall with more space and plenty of natural light.

Washington DC Green Festival
October 14 -15, 2006

San Francisco Green Festival
November 10 – 12, 2006

Visit www.greenfestivals.org or call 877-727-2179 to reserve booth space.

International Working Group

On March 27-28 the Forum’s International Working Group (IWG) held its annual spring meeting in Washington, DC. The meeting drew record attendance with approximately 80 participants.

The agenda addressed a diverse range of issues including China and the internet, guidelines for corporate stakeholder engagement, the British Freshfields Report, a special update from ASrIA (the Asian SRI association), and an event with Oxfam exploring NGO-shareholder collaborations drawing on the example of the international campaign to reform the gold mining industry. The IWG will meet again prior to the SRI in the Rockies Conference in Colorado Springs, CO, October 27-28.

Sincere thanks to the IWG event sponsors: ASrIA, Boston Common Asset Management, Domini Social Investments, Enterprising Solutions, and Progressive Investment Management and Portfolio 21.

Social Investment Research Analyst Network (SIRAN)

SIRAN co-hosted the Spring IWG/SIRAN Meeting March 27-28 in Washington, DC (see above). SIRAN coordinated two successful sessions in which participants explored 1) the scientific and security risks associated with nuclear power and 2) the business case for employer-provided healthcare, sparking a lively discussion on the American healthcare system and how analysts can effectively address the issue with companies.

SIRAN has hosted a number of engaging telephonic brownbag lunches on topics ranging from the third iteration of the Global Reporting Initiative to anti-trust issues associated with CSR initiatives. Upcoming brownbags include a discussion on responsible real estate and an in-person dialogue with a computer company. For more information on SIRAN’s telephonic brownbag lunches, including participant eligibility, please contact Kate at the Forum at (202) 872-5347.

In cooperation with KLD Research & Analytics, SIRAN plans to soon unveil updated information on their seminal research on Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) reporting. Last summer, SIRAN published a chart tracking the GRI reporting practices of S&P 100 companies GRI.

Visit SIRAN’s Web site this summer for updated information. »

Advocacy & Public Policy Program

In conjunction with Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS), the Forum’s Advocacy & Public Policy program (APP) conducted a telenews event on April 25 presenting this year’s hot topics for the proxy season. In 2006, shareholders are especially concerned with:

• Climate risk
• Toxics in consumer products
• Political donations by corporations
• Electing corporate directors by majority vote

Tim Smith, president of the Social Investment Forum stated, “We already have seen important negotiated agreements this year with 84 environmental and social resolutions withdrawn and 63 corporate governance resolutions withdrawn, often after significant concessions were made by companies.”

Coverage of the event appeared in AFX News, Greenwire, Market Watch/Dow Jones, Pensions and Investments, The Wall Street Journal, and other media.

Get the complete media release and streaming audio of the telenews event »

APP continues to be involved and concerned over the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) proposed rule changes to Toxic Release Inventory (TRI) reporting. In December, APP and SIRAN helped coordinate a letter writing campaign to the EPA voicing our concerns about the importance of this vital resource. The EPA is currently reviewing the over 100,000 comments received. APP continues to monitor the situation and is taking behind-the-scene actions to ensure all citizens have the right to timely and accurate information about toxic chemicals in their neighborhood.

Community Investing
NEW! 1995-2005 Community Investing Trends Report!

A special report devoted to community investing, drawing on the data in the Forum’s SRI Trends Report. This is a great educational piece to use with clients and colleagues on the asset growth and development of the community investing field. Community investing that provides access to capital and financial services to low-income populations nationally and internationally is the fastest growing facet of SRI.

To order, call Sylvia at the Forum at 202-872-5346.

Special thanks to report sponsor: AltruShare Securities

Order the Trends Report!

Order your extra copies of the Forum’s 2005 Report on Socially Responsible Investing Trends in the United States, by calling Sylvia at 202-872-5346. Special discount for Forum members!

This special 10-Year Anniversary edition of the Trends Report quantifies the growth of SRI and describes emerging trends in screening, shareholder advocacy and engagement, and community investing.

See the sponsors of the 2005 report »

Co-op America News on Climate Risk

Co-op America delivered more than 10,000 letters and emails to the corporate board of directors of Peabody and Dominion, two major utilities working to build more coal plants. Co-op America delivered these letters directly to the CEO and board members of Dominion at its April annual meeting in Richmond, VA. The resolution requesting that the company undertake a comprehensive review on how it is responding to regulatory, competitive and public pressure to reduce greenhouse gas emissions received significant support at 22.5% of the vote— enough to keep the issue before management and shareholders.

For more information on climate change, look for Al Gore’s new movie, “An Inconvenient Truth,” as it appears across the country this spring. Co-op America’s work on economic solutions to social and environmental problems will be recognized at the movie’s Hollywood opening as all attendees receive Co-op America’s National Green Pages™. The Green Pages enables investors and consumers to identify environmentally and socially responsible goods and services and includes the membership directory of Social Investment Forum members.

More SIF Highlights

Forum Staff and Members Speak on SRI

Mark your Calendars for
2006 SRI in the Rockies Conference!

Green Business Conference and Green Festivals

International Working Group

SIRAN news

Advocacy and Public Policy news

New Community Investing Trends Report

Order the Trends Report

Co-op America News on Climate Risk Campaign

SIF BOARD NEWS »