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Category: Topical Research

Periodic articles that identify, analyze and interpret relevant topics of interest to sustainable investors and other interested stakeholders. Recent examples include efforts to allow underlying investors in a mutual fund or ETF to express their views on proxy voting. 

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Developments in the US Sustainable Fund Marketplace-What the Future May Bring

Introduction: Continued, But Uneven Growth Sustainable investment funds(1) have been available to US retail and institutional investors for a number of years. Earlier versions principally relied upon exclusionary screening processes. This is changing as fund managers are placing more emphasis on sophisticated and multi-layered ESG-integration approaches. Overall, the number and types of sustainable funds on […]

Sustainable Investment Funds at June 30, 2019: Strategy Observations

Sustainable mutual funds and exchange traded funds (ETFs) Total net assets of sustainable mutual funds, ETFs and ETNs stood at $762.7 billion as of June 30, 2019, versus $86.1 billion as of June 30, 2014, or an increase of 785%. Since the start of the year, sustainable fund assets gained $372.2 billion, or an increase […]

Watch Listing Sustainable Investment Managers and Funds

Defining the Watch Status of Sustainable Funds – Some Added Consideration As interest in sustainable funds grows, attention is increasingly focusing on ESG portfolio management approaches, policies and guidelines. Much of this attention is on clarifying the standards and metrics used by managers to evaluate the ESG quality and related risks of fund investments. This […]

Adoption of ESG Integration Practices and Shareholder Approval

About a year after closing on the acquisition of Pioneer Investments by Amundi Asset Management, the combined Amundi Pioneer Asset Management entity in the US amended the prospectuses of two of its leading funds as of July 1, 2018 to provide for the expansion of factors used in the selection of investments for the $5 […]

BlackRock Lowers Fees on Three Equity ESG Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs)

In a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission as of August 4, 2017 BlackRock Fund Advisors recorded substantial reductions in the expense ratios applicable to two international equity oriented ESG Exchange Traded Funds. These ETFs included the iShares MSCI EAFE ESG Optimized ESG ETF (ESGD) and the iShares MSCI EM ESG Optimized ETF (ESGE) […]

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