November 2024 Newsletter
News & Commentaries by Ron Robins
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New November Podcasts:
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Three-fifths of investors look for sustainability with returns. “DIY investors are looking for sustainable investments and 61% have some form of environmental priority with their returns when it comes to what they are invested in.”
[COMMENTARY] The results of this survey show that sustainable investing is a priority for most do-it-yourself investors. However, those who have their money managed by asset managers or in mandated investment plans are often forced into investment products that don’t reflect their values.
Three-fifths of investors look for sustainability with returns, by Patrick Brusnahan, November 26, 2024, Yahoo!Finance, USA.
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Opinion | Want to invest while making a difference? Here’s two very distinct strategies. “ESG can paint a relatively decent picture of how a company operates — but not necessarily what it actually does. For that, impact investing is a more appropriate measure. Impact investing tends to focus not just on the fairness of internal operations but also on the actual products and services of a company.”
[COMMENTARY] This article provides a good overview of the difference between ESG and impact-based investing.
Opinion | Want to invest while making a difference? Here’s two very distinct strategies, by Jory Cohen, November 24, 2024, Toronto Star, Canada.
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Crypto has been soaring since Trump’s election, but is it a good ethical investment? “As a business professor who studies technology and its consequences, I’ve identified three ethical harms associated with cryptocurrency that might give investors pause.”
[COMMENTARY] I understand the professor’s concerns. However, he neglects consideration of the argument as to why Bitcoin, for instance, was created in the first place. I’m not going into that here. Anyone interested should do their own research.
Crypto is soaring after Trump’s election − but is it a good ethical investment? By Erran Carmel, November 21, 2024, The Conversation, Canada.
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Ethics & Trust in Finance 10th Global Prize. “The competition invites young professionals and academics under 35 to submit unpublished contributions on issues related to ethics and trust in finance, either in the form of essays (3’000-5’000 words) or in the form of videos (15-20 minutes). The brightest minds will be awarded the sum of USD 15’000 to be shared among the winners.”
[COMMENTARY] I’ve assisted in promoting this global prize since its inauguration in 2006. I highly encourage any young people in the investment industry with ideas about promoting ethics and trust in it to participate in this prize!
Ethics & Trust in Finance 10th Global Prize, November 29, 2024, Switzerland.
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2024 Canadian RI Trends Report. “The market share of responsible investment (RI) assets under management (AUM) in Canada has grown significantly, according to the latest findings from the 2024 Canadian Responsible Investment Trends Report.”
[COMMENTARY] This report on Canadian responsible investment trends has something to offer responsible investors globally.
2024 Canadian RI Trends Report, November 19, 2024, RIA (Canada), Canada.
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Recent Action Shows SEC Enforcement Still Focused on ESG. “That Viewpoints article encouraged clients to continue to consider their ESG-related risks and applicable disclosures for accuracy, ensure applicable compliance policies are adopted (as appropriate) and followed with relevant testing conducted, notwithstanding the disbanding of the ESG Task Force. This was because, in part, that SEC staff and spokespersons have indicated that the disbanding of the ESG Task Force should not be viewed by the industry as a change in substantive regulatory approach.”
[COMMENTARY] It’s possible that under President Trump’s administration, the SEC will become even more aggressive concerning ESG misrepresentations and falsehoods. That could be good for investors.
Recent Action Shows SEC Enforcement Still Focused on ESG, by Brian D. McCabe, Amy D. Roy, and James D. McGinnis, Ropes & Gray LLP. November 12, 2024, Harvard Law School Forum on Corporate Governance,. USA.
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Clean energy, sustainable investors brace for second Trump presidency. “Experts expect private sector work on ESG issues and the clean energy transition to continue, albeit at a slower pace, under a reelected Donald Trump.”
[COMMENTARY] From my perspective, the immediate effect of Trump’s re-election is a dearth of articles recommending anything related to renewable energy. They often are the majority of articles covered in my podcast.
Clean energy, sustainable investors brace for second Trump presidency, by Lamar Johnson, November 7, 2024, ESG Dive, USA.
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What Does a Trump Presidency Mean for Mandatory Climate Reporting? “The SEC’s mandatory climate-related financial risk disclosure rules for public companies and in public offerings, enacted earlier this year (the ‘Climate Disclosure Rules’), are unlikely to survive a Trump administration.”
[COMMENTARY] Though the US regulators will likely eliminate their climate related — and even ESG related rules — Europe, many US states, and other jurisdictions will not. Hence, companies operating within the US and internationally may still have climate and ESG related reporting regulations they will need to abide by.
What Does a Trump Presidency Mean for Mandatory Climate Reporting? By Giovanna A.Ferrari, Ameena Y.Majid and SarahFedner, November 6, 2024, Seyfarth Shaw LLP, USA.
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Over 500 Companies Commit to Report on Nature, Biodiversity Risk Using TNFD Framework. “The announcement, made at the COP16 Biodiversity Conference, marks a significant increase in committed TNFD-aligned reporting entities from 320 companies earlier this year, advancing efforts to establish standardized reporting on nature-related governance, strategy, risk management and targets.”
[COMMENTARY] It looks like corporate reporting on their nature and biodiversity activities is finally gathering traction while investors and other stakeholders increasingly demand to know such data.
Over 500 Companies Commit to Report on Nature, Biodiversity Risk Using TNFD Framework, by Mark Segal, October 28, 2024, ESGToday, USA.
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88% of Christians Want Their Investments to Reflect Their Values, According to Survey Commissioned by Eventide. “Nearly 9-in-10 Christians (88%) who consider their faith important say they want their investments to reflect their values, but only 37% of Christians with a financial advisor have heard about values-based investing from their advisor.”
[COMMENTARY] Note the huge divergence between the 88% who want their investments to reflect their values but only 37% of their financial advisors introduce the topic! This issue has been unresolved for decades, and the advisor community should acknowledge it as serious.
88% of Christians Want Their Investments to Reflect Their Values, According to Survey Commissioned by Eventide, press release by Eventide Asset Management, LLC., October 31, 2024, USA.
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Featured Book
Note: Ron Robins is an Amazon Associate. He thus earns fees from qualifying book or merchandise purchases referred from this website.
Mind Your Money: A practical guide to sustainable investments. “This book is for everyone looking to change their private finances. ‘Mind your money’ provides ideas, real-world options, and solutions that you can implement in your investment portfolio today. It covers everything from why sustainable investing is so powerful, to what it is, and practical tips to get started right away. With the help of this book, you can mind your money and invest it where your heart is.”
For more information visit Mind Your Money: A practical guide to sustainable investments, on Amazon . By
