Welcome to the EIRIS responsible investment blog. Get our perspectives on the latest trends and developments in responsible investment and corporate social responsibility.
By Julia Leske on 17 May 2013 | 8:17 am
Today Oxfam Australia launches the report titled ‘The right to decide: company commitments and community consent’. This report reviews why it is important for companies to recognise the right of Indigenous Peoples to give or deny their Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) for mining projects on their land. The report uses EIRIS and CAER (EIRIS’ global platform partner in Australia) research as a basis to examine the publicly stated positions of Australian mining and oil and gas companies in relation to the rights of Indigenous Peoples. Read more >
By Jan Köpper on 1 May 2013 | 1:19 pm
While public awareness towards the issue of tax havens and their potential negative implications has significantly increased over the past years, it still seems the political will to close gaps and loopholes in international tax law is rather marginal. Read more >
By Will Reed-Wright on 26 April 2013 | 7:49 pm
The EIRIS Foundation has, for over a quarter of a century, provided insight and guidance to charities and their trustees when deciding on their approaches to responsible investment. As part of this on-going work, the EIRIS Foundation has updated its guide for charity trustees on common investment funds (CIFs), a type of fund open only to charities. Read more >
By Andreas Hoepner & Virginia Jennings on 11 April 2013 | 7:41 pm
Using data from EIRIS over more than a five year period, academics from the Centre for Responsible Banking and Finance, at St. Andrew’s University, find a strong correlation between corporates highly rated by EIRIS on environmental criteria and a reduction in worst-case-scenario risk. This is exciting news for pension funds looking to manage assets over the long term and seeking data to minimise extremely negative environmental scenarios. It also demonstrates the direct applicability of EIRIS’ data in meeting investors’ financial risk management needs. Read more >
By Peter Webster on 5 April 2013 | 7:38 pm
Having recently met investors at the excellent RI Asia conference in Singapore – and at other investor meetings in Hong Kong, South Korea and Japan – I’m struck by the determination and progress which Asian companies and investors are making on ESG issues. I imagine everyone has their particular conference highlights, but here are my top six. Read more >
By Daisy Moore on 8 March 2013 | 3:05 pm
Monday saw the launch of this year’s UK Climate Week at the Houses of Parliament. This year over 3,300 events are taking place to showcase practical actions to tackle climate change. The week boasts support from the likes of Kofi Annan, Lord Nicholas Stern and the Confederation of British Industry.
Around the world climate change initiatives continue. China’s clean energy market is expanding with Read more >
Climate Change, ESG, Responsible Investment
By Nicky Amos & Rory Sullivan on 1 March 2013 | 10:46 am
Farm animal welfare is an important issue for all food sector companies, be they retailers, service companies, manufacturers, processors or producers. This is being driven by a range of factors including regulation, consumer concern, client demand, and the brand and market opportunities for companies that adopt higher farm animal welfare standards. Read more >
By Pete MacLeod on 31 January 2013 | 12:05 pm
As Australian legislation comes into effect requiring companies to sell cigarettes in plain packs, there are risks that come from investing in tobacco. Just as governments across the world replicated the New York smoking ban, it seems likely the same will occur with regard plain packaging, which will hit tobacco revenue.
Some investment funds already exclude cigarette companies and there is growing pressure in Australia Read more >
ESG, Ethical Investment, Tobacco
By David Tozer on 17 January 2013 | 4:16 pm
Political lobbying remains a controversial area. Across the world, large companies give considerable amounts to political parties, and powerful lobbying industries have emerged. In the EU, around 15,000 lobbyists are based in Brussels – roughly one for every member of staff at the European Commission. In the US around 17,000 lobbyists work in Washington DC, outnumbering law makers in US Congress by about 30 to one.
Political lobbying prompts different types of criticism. Some shareholders have Read more >
EIRIS, ESG, Political Lobbying, Responsible Investment
By Mark Robertson on 21 December 2012 | 12:25 pm
In the UK 2012 has been an interesting year for ethical investment. Big scandals have hit big banks, consumer protests and investor revolts on tax avoidance and executive pay made headline news and campaigns such as ‘Move Your Money’ and ‘National Ethical Investment Week’ have helped to raise the profile of ethical finance. All of this has taken place alongside a growing sense that a more long-term, responsible approach to investment is urgently needed.
Surveys undertaken by EIRIS and others continue to confirm Read more >
ESG, Ethical Investment, Fair Pensions
