Workshop for Young Scholars on CSR & SRI

Financialization and Corporate Social Responsibility: Consumers and Investors as the New Policymakers? (Berlin (Germany) 25 – 29 June 2011)

The recent economic crisis has once again highlighted the tremendous consequences that corporate decision-making can have on society. During this workshop, we will explore how ethical, political and socially responsibly consumption and investment as well as extended notions of CSR have altered the way we think about – and make – politics and public policy. Read more

New Exchange for Social Enterprises

Impact Investment Exchange Asia (IIX) recently came into being in Singapore. Its mission? To provide social enterprises in Asia with greater access to capital, allowing them to more rapidly expand the impact of their activities. Read more

Malaysian logging giant dropped by Norway pension fund

Malaysian logging multinational, Samling Global, has been excluded by Norway’s Ministry of Finance from the portfolio of its Government Pension Fund Global (GPFG). The Ministry’s statement, released recently, stated that it had based its decision on the recommendation of Norway’s Council on Ethics. Aside from Samling, two Israeli companies, Africa Israel Investments Ltd and Danya Cebus Ltd, have been removed from GPFG’s investment portfolio. Read more

Can Ethical Funds Save Malaysia?

By Daniel Chandranayagam

Malaysia, according to news reports, is fast losing its lustre as a place for foreign investors to dive in. Interestingly, ten middle-income emerging economies have been named: Mexico, South Korea, Turkey, Poland, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, Taiwan, Iran, Argentina and Thailand; said to be the “new motor for the global economy”, according to Martin Walker, a senior director of US-based A.T. Kearney’s Global Business Council, in the Bangkok Post. Read more

Responsible Investment Portfolios Perform as Well or Even Better

The majority of fund managers has said that responsible investment portfolios have performed the same or better than other investments, according to a recent survey.

A new report, which explores high net worth (HNW) individuals’ perceptions of responsible investment (RI) and its implementation across the wealth management industry, was published recently. The report, “Responsible Investment and Wealth Management: Opportunities for the future”, was put together by RI specialists, EIRIS, and published in association with wealth management newswire, WealthBriefing, and the leading private bank, Kleinwort Benson.

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Social Investment Fund Set to Do Good in Low-Income Communities

Living Cities and Green For All recently announced the Energy Efficiency Opportunity Fund after the closing session of the Clinton Global Initiative’s Annual Meeting. This groundbreaking fund will finance innovative efforts to retrofit homes, businesses and community facilities to achieve greater energy efficiency, while also creating jobs and cutting energy costs for low-income families in the United States. Read more

Investing Responsibly

By Daniel Chandranayagam

While South-East Asia might be slow on the uptake, sustainable and responsible investment (SRI) is fast becoming the financial trend in the West. According to Reuters, fund manager RCM states that such investments “offer a unique diversifying opportunity”. SRI is an approach designed to pick companies which manage environmental, social and governance (ESG) risks.

As an illustration of this phenomenon, Reuters states that nearly 600 asset owners, investment managers and professional service partners representing a total of USD18 billion have signed up to the Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI), a United Nations-led framework. Read more

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