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Responsible Investment

  • 1.  Responsible Investment

    Posted 03-01-2006 04:57
    Dear Colleagues,

    We are delighted to announce the launch today of:

    RESPONSIBLE INVESTMENT
    Edited by Rory Sullivan and Craig Mackenzie, Insight Investment, UK

    March 2006 | 382pp | 234 x 156 mm
    Hardback: ISBN 1 874719 03 9 | GBP45.00 USD85.00

    *********************************
    To place an order for this title at a discount of 10%, or to view the
    Introduction by Rory Sullivan and Craig Mackenzie online,
    please visit the Greenleaf website at:
    http://www.greenleaf-publishing.com/catalogue/respinv.htm

    You can also request a review copy or inspection copy from this site -
    see the home page:
    http://www.greenleaf-publishing.com
    *********************************
    Today, Stephen Timms, the UK Minister for Pensions Reform, launched
    RESPONSIBLE INVESTMENT, edited by Insight Investment’s Rory Sullivan
    and Craig Mackenzie. The book - which brings together some of the
    leading practitioners and commentators in the field of responsible
    investment - reviews and critically analyses the emerging ‘engagement’
    and ‘enhanced analysis’ approaches to social, ethical and environmental
    (SEE) issues in investment.

    Reflecting on the key findings of the book, Rory Sullivan commented:
    “There is clear evidence that investor engagement on social, ethical
    and environmental issues has proven to be effective at encouraging
    significant changes in corporate performance. In recent years, UK
    shareholders have successfully encouraged companies to improve the
    quality of their policies, management systems and disclosures on issues
    such as climate change, bribery and corruption, supply chain labour
    standards, human rights and access to medicines. A growing number of
    investors have also started to explicitly focus on social, ethical and
    environmental issues as a standard part of their investment analysis,
    potentially strengthening the signals to companies about the importance
    of these issues to long-term business success.”

    Craig Mackenzie noted that the book points to a number of important
    barriers to progress to responsible investment, commenting: “Most
    long-term investors have a profound interest in encouraging more
    sustainable and responsible approaches to business. And yet, in
    practice, all too often the emphasis placed on delivering narrow,
    short-term investment performance discourages effective action by
    investors to address the long term risks associated with social,
    ethical and environmental issues. Without tangible support for a
    broader longer term view of investment success, further progress
    towards genuinely responsible and sustainable investment will be
    difficult to sustain.”

    *********************************
    To place an order for this title at a discount of 10%, or to view the
    Introduction by Rory Sullivan and Craig Mackenzie online,
    please visit the Greenleaf website at:
    http://www.greenleaf-publishing.com/catalogue/respinv.htm

    You can also request a review copy or inspection copy from this site -
    see the home page:
    http://www.greenleaf-publishing.com
    *********************************
    Most investment today is conducted by a relatively small number of
    institutional investors - pension funds and investment managers - who
    manage the pensions and saving funds of millions of ordinary people.
    The manner in which these institutional investors invest and discharge
    their responsibilities as the owners of companies is, therefore, of
    critical importance to society as a whole.

    In recent years, some of the biggest institutional investors have
    actively encouraged companies to improve their management of social,
    ethical and environmental issues. A number have also sought to
    explicitly analyse companies’ performance on these issues and to
    incorporate this analysis into investment decision-making. These
    activities have contributed to important changes: a number of companies
    have committed to stabilising or reducing greenhouse gas emissions from
    their activities and operations, labour conditions in many retail
    supply chains have improved significantly, and many companies have
    significantly improved their governance of corporate responsibility
    issues.

    However, to date, there has been little systematic analysis of
    fundamental questions such as: Do responsible investment strategies
    systematically result in improvements in the social, ethical and
    environmental performance of companies? To what extent is it in
    investors’ interest to encourage higher standards of corporate
    responsibility? Do responsible investment strategies enhance financial
    performance for investors?

    In this ground-breaking collection, Rory Sullivan and Craig Mackenzie
    have brought together some of the leading practitioners and
    commentators in the field of responsible investment to explore these
    questions. The contributors to this book present their views on the
    practicalities of implementing responsible investment strategies, the
    outcomes that have been achieved, the practical issues and barriers
    faced in implementing such strategies, and the challenges to be faced
    if responsible investment is to become a mainstream investment
    approach. The results are both unique and surprising.

    This book will be mandatory reading for all those involved in the field
    of social and environmentally responsible investment, corporate
    governance and corporate social responsibility whether they be
    academics, researchers or practitioners.

    PRAISE

    A ‘who's who' of leading UK SRI thinkers and practitioners, together
    with a savoury salting of other EU and US experts. Highly recommended.
    John Elkington, Founder and Chief Entrepreneur, SustainAbility

    Voting demographics, a growing crisis in public finances and the
    destruction of economic value through shareholder short-termism will
    drive forward responsible investment even if our personal and
    collective ethics fail to underpin a moral renaissance in investor
    behaviour. The question is when and how, not whether, and this book
    offers much-needed pathways that the investment community can choose to
    take, or else be overwhelmed by coming changes.
    Simon Zadek, Chief Executive, AccountAbility

    Companies are unlikely to thrive in the long term if they are in
    conflict with the society from which they derive their franchise. This
    book sheds useful light on the implications of this for investment.
    Peter Montagnon, Director of Investment Affairs, ABI

    This book provides valuable hard evidence of the practice of
    responsible investment. As the world moves towards a new model of
    caring capitalism there is the possibility of the next 'great
    transformation'. We need news from the front of the movement from
    corporate social responsibility to corporate citizenship and this book
    has an abundance of intelligent insights by reflective practitioners.
    Malcolm McIntosh, General Editor, Journal of Corporate Citizenship and
    Visiting Professor, Universities of Bath, Nottingham and Stellenbosch

    Responsible investment has been defined too narrowly for too long. This
    book redefines responsible investment to reveal its relevance to all
    institutional investors, suggesting that many today may be engaged in
    irresponsible investment that neither serves society nor their
    fiduciary obligations.
    Craig Smith, Senior Fellow in Marketing and Ethics, London Business
    School

    Just what’s needed: an introduction to the field; case studies that set
    out the state of the art; and a critical appraisal of the hype by some
    of socially responsible investment’s foremost practitioners. Part
    manual, part call to arms and part thought-provoking reflection. An
    essential starting point for anyone who wants to shape the future of
    socially responsible investment or to understand its potential and
    limitations.
    Halina Ward, International Institute for Environment and Development

    Responsible investment is now not only an important issue for
    investors, but also for regulators, NGOs and listed companies. This
    book brings together leading thinkers from these fields and makes a
    valuable contribution to the development of the subject.
    Mark Makepeace, Chief Executive, FTSE Group

    This excellent book explains the increasingly important role played by
    institutional investors who demand financial returns that are
    sustainable over long-term horizons. A welcome addition to a field that
    is quickly entering the financial mainstream.
    Matt Christensen, Executive Director, European Sustainable and
    Responsible Investment Forum (Eurosif)

    TABLE OF CONTENTS

    Foreword
    Stephen Timms MP, Minister for Pensions Reform, UK

    Part I: Introduction and background

    1. Introduction
    Rory Sullivan and Craig Mackenzie, Insight Investment, UK

    2. The scope for investor action on corporate social and environmental
    impacts
    Craig Mackenzie, Insight Investment, UK

    3. A historical perspective on the growth of socially responsible
    investment
    Russell Sparkes, Chief Investment Officer, Central Finance Board of the
    Methodist Church, UK

    Part II: Enhanced investment analysis and decision-making

    4. Does a focus on social, ethical and environmental issues enhance
    investment performance?
    Rory Sullivan, Craig Mackenzie and Steve Waygood, Insight Investment, UK

    5. Integrated investment analysis: investment implications of the REACH
    regulation
    Steve Waygood, Insight Investment, UK
    Steffen Erler, Walter Wehrmeyer and Harish Jeswani, Centre for
    Environmental Strategy, University of Surrey, UK

    6. Morley Fund Management’s approach to investment integration
    Ronnie Lim, Morley Fund Management, UK

    7. Integrating governance, social, ethical and environmental issues
    into the corporate bond investment process
    Kerry ten Kate and Andy Evans, Insight Investment, UK

    8. HIV/AIDS: economic implications for the Southern African mining
    industry
    Simon Toyne, Dresdner Kleinwort Wasserstein, UK

    9. The Goldman Sachs Energy ESG Index: integrating environmental,
    social and governance factors into energy industry analysis
    Sarah Forrest, Anthony Ling and Jonathan Waghorn, Goldman Sachs, UK

    10. Sustainable investment research: Innovest Strategic Value Advisors
    Matthew Kiernan, Innovest, USA

    11. SAM’s approach to measuring and valuing corporate sustainability
    performance
    Gabriela Grab Hartmann and Thilo Goodall, SAM Sustainable Asset
    Management

    12. Communicating risks to pension fund trustees: the UKSIF sector
    notes project
    Meg Brown, UKSIF, UK

    Part III: Shareholder activism

    13. Shareholder activism on social, ethical and environmental issues:
    an introduction
    Rory Sullivan and Craig Mackenzie, Insight Investment, UK

    14. Universities Superannuation Scheme: implementing responsible
    investment
    Peter Casson, University of Southampton, UK
    David Russell, USS, UK

    15. Henderson Global Investors: engagement and activism
    Rob Lake, Henderson Global Investors, UK

    16. Insight’s approach to activism on corporate responsibility issues
    Craig Mackenzie and Rory Sullivan, Insight Investment, UK

    17. The role of activism in responsible investment: the FTSE4Good
    indices
    Will Oulton, CRG Advisory Services, UK

    18. Measuring the effectiveness of investor engagement: GSK and
    developing-country access to essential medicines
    Steve Waygood, Insight Investment, UK

    Part IV: Perspectives on responsible investment

    19. The universal owner’s role in sustainable economic development
    James P. Hawley and Andrew T. Williams, Saint Mary’s College of
    California, USA

    20. Companies run in shareholders’ long-term interests also serve
    society’s long-term interests
    Robert Monks, Lens Governance Advisors, USA
    Allen Sykes, UK

    21. Why socially responsible investment requires more risk for
    companies rather than more engagement
    Peter Frankental, Amnesty International UK

    22. SRI analysts: is it time to bring them in from the cold?
    Ralph Edmondson and Adrian Payne, British American Tobacco, UK

    23. Exerting influence: engagement or best-in-class?
    Andy Wales, Severn Trent plc, UK

    24. Engaging with investors: from values to value
    Chris Tuppen, BT, UK

    25. Workers’ capital: promoting trade union concerns through investment
    Tom Powdrill, Trades Union Congress, UK

    26. Pharma Futures: investor analysis of the future of the
    pharmaceutical sector
    Sophia Tickell, Pharma Futures, UK

    27. Evaluation and research of SRI managers
    Emma Whitaker, Mercer Investment Consulting, UK

    28. Why should investors care about responsible investment?
    Yusuf Samad, Hewitt Bacon & Woodrow, UK

    29. A critical perspective on activism: views from a pension fund
    professional
    Raj Thamotheram, USS, UK

    30. Shaping the market: investor engagement in public policy
    Nick Robins, Henderson Global Investors, UK

    31. Harnessing investors to implement health and safety public policy
    Steve Waygood and Rory Sullivan, Insight Investment, UK
    Alan Morley, Health and Safety Executive, UK

    Part V: Discussion and conclusions

    32. The practice of responsible investment
    Rory Sullivan and Craig Mackenzie, Insight Investment, UK

    33. Looking forwards
    Craig Mackenzie and Rory Sullivan, Insight Investment, UK

    Appendix 1. Innovest Intangible Value Assessment: Aracruz Celulose
    Appendix 2. Just Pensions: Pharmaceutical Sector Note

    *********************************
    To place an order for this title at a discount of 10%, or to view the
    Introduction by Rory Sullivan and Craig Mackenzie online,
    please visit the Greenleaf website at:
    http://www.greenleaf-publishing.com/catalogue/respinv.htm

    You can also request a review copy or inspection copy from this site -
    see the home page:
    http://www.greenleaf-publishing.com
    *********************************
    Alternatively, please contact:

    Jayney Bown
    Greenleaf Publishing Ltd
    Aizlewood Business Centre
    Aizlewood's Mill
    Nursery Street
    Sheffield S3 8GG
    UK

    +44 (0)114 282 3475 - Telephone
    +44 (0)114 282 3476 - Fax
    sales@greenleaf-publishing.com



    Best Wishes

    John Stuart
    Greenleaf Publishing,
    Aizlewood Business Centre,
    Aizlewood's Mill,
    Nursery Street,
    Sheffield S3 8GG
    UK
    Tel: +44 114 2823475
    Fax: +44 114 2823476
    E-mail: john.stuart@greenleaf-publishing.com

    http://www.greenleaf-publishing.com

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