Original CSRwire link: http://www.csrwire.com/press_releases/36049-Green-Transition-Scoreboard-Shows-Dramatic-Mid-year-Surge

ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla., Aug. 30 /CSRwire/ - The Green Transition Scoreboard® tally jumped from $4.1 trillion reported in February to $5.2 trillion as of July 2013. The Green Transition Scoreboard® tracks private investments, since 2007, in creating cleaner, greener economies globally. Models show that investing at least $1 trillion per year until 2020 will lead from the fossil fueled industrial era to a technologically advanced solar age based on ethical principles of equity, efficiency, biomimicry and earth systems science.

Hazel Henderson, president of Ethical Markets Media and creator of the Green Transition Scoreboard® (GTS), focuses research into substantial capital investments in Renewable Energy, Efficiency, Green Construction, Corporate R&D and Cleantech technologies based on her years of experience as a science advisor in Washington, DC. To date, investments are well on the way to the $10 trillion by 2020 mark.

Original MoneySense.ca link: http://www.moneysense.ca/columns/index-investor/couch-potatoes-can-have-a-conscience

I can’t deny it: some of the companies in my ETF portfolio do disgusting things. They manufacture cluster bombs, cut down rainforests, spill oil in oceans, treat employees like slaves, or even—horror of horrors—sell high-fee investments.

I’ve made my peace with this. The index funds in my portfolio include tiny holdings in more than 10,000 stocks. My stake in any one of these evildoers is tiny, and I don’t feel I’m contributing to their misdeeds simply by holding a few of their shares. But I get many emails from readers who don’t share this view. They want to know if they can combine the Couch Potato strategy with socially responsible investing, or SRI.

I took that question to Timothy Nash, president of Strategic Sustainable Investments in Toronto and the blogger behind SustainableEconomist.com. “I see a lot of overlap between the two strategies,” Nash says, “primarily in the sense that both are about sustainability and thinking about the long term.”

Original MoneySense.ca link: http://www.moneysense.ca/columns/bond-options-for-the-socially-responsible

Most discussions about socially responsible investing (SRI) seem to revolve around stocks. If you’re an index investor with an interest in SRI, there are a number of ETFs that screen companies according to their environmental, social and governance report cards. But what’s an SRI investor to do when it comes to fixed income?

You might argue that bondholders need to be even more discerning than stock buyers if they’re concerned about investing in irresponsible companies. After all, when you buy a company’s bond, you’re lending it your money (though you’re usually picking it up on the secondary market rather than infusing the company with new cash). And bondholders don’t even get a vote like shareholders do, so they can’t exercise any influence on management.

But there’s a problem for Couch Potatoes with a conscience: there simply are no bond index funds that screen issuers according to SRI principles. You’ll have to choose a different option:

Original Canadian Couch Potato Link: http://canadiancouchpotato.com/2013/05/21/equity-index-funds-for-the-socially-responsible/

Last week I shared my interview with Timothy Nash, president of Strategic Sustainable Investments, the blogger behind The Sustainable Economist, and an expert in socially responsible investing (SRI). This week I’d like to profile a number of investment products that may be appropriate for Couch Potato investors who are interested in SRI.

I’m not endorsing any of these investments: I don’t use any of them myself, and although I’ve made an effort to understand what they have to offer, I haven’t performed any due diligence on them. You’re responsible for thoroughly checking out any investment before adding it to your portfolio.

Original Canadian Couch Potato link: http://canadiancouchpotato.com/2013/05/16/more-on-socially-responsible-index-investing/

Here’s part two of my conversation with Timothy Nash, president of Strategic Sustainable Investments and the blogger behind The Sustainable Economist. (Part one is available here.) Next week I’ll go into more detail about specific investment products that combine passive investing with SRI principles.

Many socially responsible investors seem to think buying a company’s stock is somehow giving them capital they can use to do evil, and that’s why they’re wary about owning index funds. I’m not sure I buy that argument.

TN: I often get asked how much of a difference I’m making by owning socially responsible index funds or ETFs. And it’s tricky, because obviously when you own equities the money doesn’t go directly to the company—at least not once you’re beyond the IPO. But you can make the argument about cost of capital. When companies have a large market cap, the more demand there is for that stock, and the easier it is for them to raise capital.

There is another argument, too. With ethical consumerism—whether you’re buying fair trade, or local, or organic—you are impacting that invisible hand of the marketplace. You’re creating demand for fair trade, or local, organic produce in the marketplace, and then you’re supporting those businesses. You can make the same argument when it comes to owning mutual funds or ETFs: by contributing, even in modest amounts, to the assets under management of these funds you are showing support for this type of investment strategy, and you are strengthening that fund.

Originally published at http://canadiancouchpotato.com/2013/05/13/can-couch-potatoes-be-socially-responsible/

In my latest MoneySense column (see the June issue, not available online), I explored whether socially responsible investing is compatible with the Couch Potato strategy. If you’re not familiar with SRI, it’s about finding investments compatible with your ethics, which often means avoiding so-called sin stocks and companies with poor environmental records. It may also involve selecting investments that have a positive social impact.

My main source for that column was Timothy Nash, president of Strategic Sustainable Investments, a company that helps institutions and individuals create portfolios aligned with their values. Tim also has a blog called The Sustainable Economist and recently wrote a post called The Organic Couch Potato, where he shared his ETF suggestions.

Tim is a thoughtful, articulate advocate for SRI and I thought readers would like to hear more from him, so here’s an excerpt from our interview. I’ll run another in a few days, and next week I’ll go into more detail about specific investment products that combine passive investing with SRI principles.

Original CSRWire link: http://www.csrwire.com/press_releases/35291-Green-Transition-Scoreboard-Finds-Over-4-1-T-in-Private-Green-Investments

ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla., Mar. 04 /CSRwire/ - The year 2013 promises long strides away from the fossil-fueled Industrial Era as illuminated by the Ethical Markets Green Transition Scoreboard®(GTS) which tracks private investments growing the green economy worldwide since 2007, finding $4.1 trillion invested or committed as of Q4 2012.

The year 2012 was an inflection point for the green transition worldwide.  Technology and innovation such as in electricity generation and transport began forcing structural changes and rethinking of business models, urban design and development toward integrated systemic approaches. 

Original Advisor.ca link: http://www.advisor.ca/investments/market-insights/cleantech-sectors-register-double-digit-growth-while-tsx-falters-77532

Green investments worldwide now total $3.3 trillion.

So finds the Green Transition Scoreboard (GTS), which has been tracking private investments in green markets since 2007. The March 2012 update has found Asia, Europe and Latin America catching up with the U.S.

The GTS excludes several subsectors such as nuclear, biofuels (except algae), and carbon capture & sequestration, either because of controversy or a lack of consensus that they will make a long-term contribution to sustainability.

While the S&P 500 rose by a paltry 2.11% in 2011 (and the S&P/TSX 60 fell by 9.08%), these green sectors achieved double digit growth: smart grids (23%); renewable energy (21.8%); energy efficiency (13.9%); and green construction (10.1%)Smart grid

Original Advisor.ca link: http://www.advisor.ca/investments/market-insights/thinking-ahead-75451

Advisors know it’s important to shield assets from future risks. For certain foundations, pensions and high-net-worth people, these risks include environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues.

Foundations see ESG issues as important to the credibility of their organization. It’s vital they invest in accordance with their mission and core values; otherwise, they risk breaching their fiduciary duty.

Original CSRWire link: http://www.csrwire.com/press_releases/33821-Detailed-Research-Shows-Over-3-Trillion-Invested-in-Green-Transition-

ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla., Feb. 29 /CSRwire/ - Ethical Markets Media, LLC (USA and Brazil), released their 2012 GREEN TRANSITION SCOREBOARD® tracking private sector investments since 2007 in green companies and technologies globally, now totaling more than $3.3 trillion.

The 2012 Green Transition Scoreboard® (GTS) report finds Asia, Europe and Latin America catching up with the USA in total non-government investments and commitments for all facets of green markets.  2011 ended with a GTS total of $3,306,051,439,680, starting from 2007.  Given the many studies indicating that investing $1 trillion annually until 2020 will accelerate the Green Transition worldwide and the over 100 research reports and articles referenced in this years' update, the "Green Transition Scoreboard® 2012: From Expanding Cleantech Sectors to Emerging Trends in Biomimicry" definitively shows green investments are becoming the norm.