Big changes are underway in the world of socially responsible investing (SRI). In just the past five or so years, mainstream Wall Street has reversed course from its longstanding claim that SRI can only hurt financial returns, to embrace the idea that environmental and social issues can have a direct impact on financial performance.  
The Wall Street shops [...]

The latest disaster in the financial markets has once again shown that some of the biggest risks investors face derive from the excesses of free markets themselves.  This time it was unregulated lending, leverage and speculation.  In 2000 it was over-optimistic and at times corrupt Wall Street analysts, gobbling up creative corporate accounting that massaged [...]

Ancient forests in South America…Home Depot…environmental groups protest. It may sound like a Hollywood script about the timber battles of the 1990s, but unfortunately it describes the players in the latest chapter in the ongoing battle to protect remaining endangered forests in the world.
In the heart of the Patagonia region of Chile, the multinational consortium [...]

 “When power leads man to arrogance, poetry reminds him of his limitations. When power corrupts, poetry cleanses.” 
~John F. Kennedy
As I write this, toward the end of 2008, the world is looking crazier and scarier than ever.  I don’t want to add to the multitude of punditry already in place. It’s time to seek the wisdom, [...]

Creating new business models that integrate people, planet and profit is a creative challenge. State and federal laws differentiate between for-profit and nonprofit entities, but what about the mission-driven, for-profit corporation? Or the risk-taking nonprofit social enterprise? Neither fish nor foul, progressive corporations can create significant social value, but often without the tax breaks [...]

Reflecting on the carnage we are seeing today in the economy, I marvel that hardly anyone saw it coming, unless it was that bearded philosopher, the late Karl Marx, who warned that financial crises are endemic to capitalism and that eventually “the bourgeoisie produces its own gravediggers.”  A few doomsday predictors have been found — [...]

 The Chinese made a grand entrance on the Olympic world stage – intense, controlled, intimidating (if you find 2,008 men beating drums with seamless precision intimidating).  Yet the awe inspiring opening ceremony was perfectly balanced with peaceful displays of song, calligraphy, and dance. As fairies began to fly through the Olympic rings, my biases surrounding [...]

My life is tied closely to the history of Trillium Asset Management Corporation (“Trillium”).
I was there at the birth. The column I now write made its debut on the front page of the first issue of this newsletter in 1983.
I served on the board of directors for eight years.
Founder Joan Bavaria lived in an apartment [...]

The change we want to see in the world is being created by activists, artists, philanthropists, social entrepreneurs, responsible investors and … MBAs. Yes, MBAs! Given that corporations have become the dominant institutions on the planet, this represents a much-needed revolution from within, augmenting all the good work making a positive difference from the outside.
I [...]

How High Are Sustainable Financial Returns?
The investment ecosystem has reached a tipping point and the interest in responsible, sustainable investing is surging. Asset owners with over $10 trillion have signed up to the UN Principles for Responsible Investment. The Investor Network on Climate Risk now has over $5 trillion behind it. The leading investment consultant [...]