News & Commentaries by Ron Robins

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Impact Investing: What It Is and How It Can Reshape Markets. “The Global Impact Investing Network, comprising several hundred institutional investors and asset managers, has released a roadmap to accelerate the development of impact investing, which has been growing in popularity among individual investors, too.

Advisors with clients who are interested in impact investing as well as those who view impact investing as means to attract new clients may want to consult the roadmap because it can help them monitor developments in that market and even allows them to play a role in those developments if they′re interested.”

[COMMENTARY]Great information for advisors interested in impact investing.
Impact Investing: What It Is and How It Can Reshape Markets, by Bernice Napach, March 27, 2018, ThinkAdvisor, USA.

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Are asset managers delivering on their ESG claims? “Lane Clark & Peacock’s (LCP) biennial investment survey of 120 major UK-based investment management firms finds a disappointingly small number have put in place comprehensive approaches to responsible investment, particularly when it comes to managing climate-related risks.

While the survey found some increased consideration of ESG issues and improvement in attitudes compared to the survey two years ago, only 8% of the 120 investment managers received the top score compared to 20% awarded the lowest.

Some 78% of respondents said they were PRI signatories – a substantial improvement on the 66% recorded in the 2015 survey. “

[COMMENTARY]And it is the UK and Europe that lead in the adoption of ESG. So, what is likely the situation in North America? It’s clear that while the adoption of ESG issues is growing, it’s still not a high priority for investment managers.
Are asset managers delivering on their ESG claims? By Victoria Ticha, March 16, 2018, Professional Pensions, UK.

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The Harris Poll On Corporate Reputation: Americans Favor “Main Street” Companies Over Traditional Corporate America; Praise Companies Bringing Innovation To Help Solve Societal Challenges. “’This year, the RQ… study revealed that socially conscious companies are thriving off of the division and dysfunction in government, and what we’re seeing is a new vanguard of corporate leaders taking an active role to solve societal challenges that government can’t or won’t,’ said The Harris Poll CEO, John Gerzema. ’We’re calling this a movement of Big Ideals, where companies are rising above politics to focus on a pressing social challenge whether it be healthcare, transportation, or education.’”

[COMMENTARY]The top three of the 100 companies covered: Amazon, Wegmans, and Tesla Motors. Among those in the bottom ten are: Goldman Sachs, Monsanto, and Equifax. Ethical investors take note.
The Harris Poll On Corporate Reputation, press release, March 13, 2018, The Harris Poll, USA.

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Investing ethically? Buy shares, not funds! – A guide. “Ron Robins, founder of the ethical-ESG investing website, ’Investing for the Soul’, speaks exclusively to What Investment about why he thinks investing in shares – as opposed to funds – is the best route to ethical ESG investments.”

[COMMENTARY]This article I wrote, my tutorials, and other similar articles are for investors who can spend the time and have the confidence to engage in do-it-yourself investing. And they are a minority! I sincerely believe that investment/financial advisors perform valuable services for most investors including helping them maintain savings plans and keeping their emotions in check in volatile times — so vitally important in today’s markets!
Investing ethically? Buy shares, not funds! – A guide, by Ron Robins, March 8, 2018, What Investment, UK.

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The story of ESG. “Despite growing focus on the value of Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) data in our marketplace, we are only at the beginning of the beginning of how this traditionally “non-financial” data will matter. At the end of this process, it will cease to exist as something separate from financial reporting, and we will look back on the journey and wonder at the flat-earth nature of where we were. Here is how I see the timeline.”

[COMMENTARY]Mr. Nixon provides an excellent perspective on the future development, role, and importance of ESG.
The story of ESG, by Timothy Nixon, March 5, 2018, The Economist, UK.

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TURNING POINT: Corporate Progress on the Ceres Roadmap for Sustainability. “Using data provided by Vigeo Eiris, the report offers valuable insight for companies, investors, and advocates into how more than 600 of the largest publicly traded companies in the United States are positioned to address critical sustainability issues such as climate change, water pollution and scarcity and human rights abuses.”

[COMMENTARY]This report offers great ESG/CSR insight into corporate America.
TURNING POINT: Corporate Progress on the Ceres Roadmap for Sustainability, February 28, 2018, Ceres, USA.

Featured Book

The New Grand Strategy: Restoring America′s Prosperity, Security and Sustainability in the 21st Century, by Mark Mykleby, Patrick Doherty and Joel Makower, St. Martin′s Press 2016
“The New Grand Strategy offers… a grand purpose of creating a sustainable future for Americans and the peoples of all nations. The goal may be grand, but the analysis is clear, simple, and accessible.”―Anne-Marie Slaughter, President and CEO of New America; former Dean of Princeton University’s Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs, Author of Unfinished Business.