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Category: Regulatory

Governmental bodies are playing an increasingly important role in regulating various aspects of sustainable finance, such as reporting and disclosure practices, environmental, social and governance (ESG) ratings and scores, the exercise of fiduciary responsibly and product offerings, as well as risk management.

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Response to SEC Request for Comment on Fund Names

The Bottom Line:  Response to SEC’s RFC on Fund Names to such terms and “ESG” or “Sustainable” proposes for consideration a potential fund classification framework. Summary This comment note was submitted on May 5, 2020 in response to the SEC’s Request for Comment (Release Nos. IC-33809; File No. S7-04-20) on Fund Names, in particular as […]

SEC Issues Request for Comment on ESG Fund Names

The Bottom Line:  The SEC issued a request for comment on ESG in fund names but efforts to standardize sustainable investing terminology should come first. SEC’s Request for Comment on Fund Names should be preceded by an effort to define and standardize sustainable investing terminology In early March the SEC issued a Request for Comment […]

ESG Funds Draw SEC Scrutiny

Introduction and Summary According to an article entitled “ESG Funds Draw SEC Scrutiny” that appeared in the Wall Street Journal on December 16, 2019, regulators at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) are scrutinizing some investment management firms that market themselves on the basis of socially responsible considerations or the adoption of strategies involving […]

President Trump Executive Order and Senate Committee Hearing Strike Against ESG Integration

Introduction and Summary Two recent strikes against ESG integration and complementary proxy voting actions, demonstrated by a provision in the April 10, 2019 Executive Order signed by President Trump on Promoting Energy Infrastructure and Economic Growth that calls for a Department of Labor (DOL) review of ESG practices as well as a previous week’s hearing […]

Department of Labor Reiterates Guidance on Fiduciary Duty and Social Investments

Fiduciary Funds

On April 23, 2018, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) Again Attempts to Clarify Social Investing Rules for Plan Fiduciaries On April 23, 2018, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) released a Field Assistance Bulletin intended to give further guidance to address questions that may arise from plan fiduciaries and other interested parties about Interpretive […]

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