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Sustainable Investing Monitor-September 1, 2024

The Bottom Line:  Sustainable fund assets expanded with the benefit of capital appreciation, fund launches remained anemic while the relative performance of ESG indices rebounded. Long-Term Net Assets:  Sustainable Mutual Funds and ETFs  Focused sustainable long-term fund assets under management attributable to mutual funds and ETFs (excluding money market funds), 1,433 funds/share classes in total, […]

Performance wrap-up – June 2024

The Bottom Line:  Sustainable investment funds registered a modest 0.47% average gain in June, following a strong 3.8% May increase, supported by stocks and bonds. The S&P 500 continued to register gains in June, rising 3.6% Fueled by enthusiasm for AI and expected interest-rate cuts before the end of the year in the light of […]

Sustainable Investing Monitor-July 1, 2024

The Bottom Line:  Sustainable fund assets expanded modestly, sustainable bond issuance remains strong, ESG relative performance results were positive, but fund launches were still anemic.

Sustainable Investing Monitor-June 1, 2024

The Bottom Line:  Sustainable fund assets expanded due to market, social bond issuance was strong, ESG relative performance results were positive, but fund launches suffered.

Start up exchange launched for buying and selling proxy voting rights

The Bottom Line:  A start-up exchange for the buying and selling of proxy voting rights, Shareholder Vote Exchange, is a two-edged sword for sustainable investors. Corporate engagement and shareholder actions dominate across the various sustainable investing strategies worldwide Active approaches to voting on proxies and shareholder proposals are some of the strategies employed by investors […]

COP 28 could stimulate performance of clean energy funds

The Bottom Line:  Fast tracking the energy transition at COP 28 could stimulate the performance of clean and renewable energy funds, overcoming recent poor performance. COP 28 expected to focus on setting more ambitious emissions reduction targets for this decade and beyond The 28th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on […]

Actively managed sustainable ETFs gaining some traction

The bottom line:  Actively managed conventional as well as sustainable ETFs have been gaining some traction, but investors should carefully consider their alternative investing options. Performance of top 10 actively managed sustainable ETFs relative to designated market index:  Trailing 12-months to July 31, 2023Notes of Explanation:  *Dimensional US Sustainability Core 1 ETF, Dimensional International Sustainability […]

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