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Sustainable Municipal Bond Funds Expand Rapidly in 2019

Municipal bond funds that have adopted sustainable investing strategies grew significantly since the start of 2019 The volume of fund re-brandings during 2019 and, in particular, in the month of October, has brought about a transformation in the profile of assets attributable to sustainable funds(1), including mutual funds and ETFs.  This has been especially notable […]

Sustainable Funds Focus: Alternative Investment Funds

Alternative Investment Funds: A small category that grew rapidly through re-brandings Alternative sustainable investment funds represent a small category within the sustainable funds universe, comprised of 13 mutual funds (no ETFs), 50 share classes in total offered by 10 firms and managing $9.1 billion in assets of June 2019 largely sourced from institutional investors that […]

Sustainable municipal bond funds expand in number; options still limited

The uptick in the importance of energy and environmental concerns disclosed in the latest National League of Cities (NLC) State of the Cities Report used as jumping off point to highlight expansion in sustainable municipal bond offerings The National League of Cities (NLC) State of the Cities Report issued on May 23, 2019 spotlights the […]

The Changing Profile of Sustainable Fixed Income Funds

Summary/Introduction In the last four years or so, sustainable bond mutual funds nearly tripled in number and experienced an expansion in assets from $10.3 billion to $27.6 billion, or an increase of 167%.  In addition 14 fixed income sustainable exchange-traded funds (ETFs) with another $1.2 billion in assets are now listed and available[1].  These ETFs […]

Sustainable Investment Funds Review – Assets Under Management Achieved Limited Gains in 2017

During a year when a number of high profile environmental, social and governance (ESG) related events unfolded, sustainable funds[i] assets under management in the US, including mutual funds, exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and exchange-traded notes (ETNs) achieved limited gains.  Net inflows, including new fund launches, are estimated at $2.9 billion or an increase of 1.5% relative to 2016. While […]

Sustainable Fixed Income Mutual Funds Expanding With New Managers and Offerings

Introduction and Summary Over the course of the previous two calendar years, the greatest number of sustainable fixed income or bond mutual funds and share classes, a total of 26, were added to an already existing stable of sustainable bond offerings the first of which was introduced as early as 1982. Based on the number […]

Research

Research and analysis to keep sustainable investors up to-date on a broad range of topics that include trends and developments in sustainable investing and sustainable finance, regulatory updates, performance results and considerations, investing through index funds and actively managed portfolios, asset allocation updates, expenses, ESG ratings and data, company and product news, green, social and sustainable bonds, green bond funds as well as reporting and disclosure practices, to name just a few.

A continuously updated Funds Directory is also available to investors.  This is intended to become a comprehensive listing of sustainable mutual funds, ETFs and other investment products along with a description of their sustainable investing approaches as set out in fund prospectuses and related regulatory filings.

Getting started

Many questions have surfaced in recent years regarding sustainable and ESG investing.  Here, investors and financial intermediaries will find materials that describe the various approaches to sustainable investing and their implementation.  While sustainable investing approaches vary and they have thus far defied universally accepted definitions, many practitioners agree that they fall into the following broad categories:  Values-based investing, investing via exclusions, impact investing, thematic investments and ESG integration.  In conjunction with each of these approaches, investors may also adopt various issuer engagement procedures and proxy voting practices.  That said, sustainable investing approaches will continue to evolve.

In addition to periodic updates regarding sustainable investing and how this form of investing is evolving, investors and financial intermediaries interested in implementing a sustainable investing approach will also find source materials that cover basic investing themes as well as asset allocation tactics.

Inesting ideas

Thoughts and ideas targeting sustainable investing strategies executed through various registered and non-registered sustainable investment funds and products such as mutual funds, Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs), Exchange Traded Notes (ETNs), closed-end funds, Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) and Unit Investment Trusts (UITs). Coverage extends to investment management firms as well as fund groups. 

Independent source for sustainable investment management company research, analysis, opinions and sustainable fund disclosure assessments