This is a Huge Market!

1 of every 5 dollars of professionally managed assets in the U.S. is now invested with some consideration for environmental, social, and governance factors (ESG), representing growth of 33% between 2014 and 2016.*

$11.2 trillion in assets are controlled by women investors in the U.S. and 76% of women investors are interested in sustainable investing.**

84% of millennial investors are interested in sustainable investing.***

2016 Report on Sustainable and Responsible Investing Trends by US SIF The Forum for Sustainable and Responsible Investment

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* http://www.ussif.org/files/SIF_Trends_16_Executive_Summary(1).pdf

** https://www.morganstanley.com/sustainableinvesting/pdf/Sustainable_Signals.pdf

*** https://www.morganstanley.com/sustainableinvesting/pdf/Sustainable_Signals.pdf

Investing in What You Believe In

“Investing in sustainability has usually met, and often exceeded, the performance of comparable traditional investments. This is on both an absolute and a risk-adjusted basis, across asset classes and over time.”

- Morgan Stanley

Source: MSCI ACWI ex Fossil Fuels fact sheet: MSCI ACWI EX FOSSIL FUELS INDEX (USD)

Past performance is not a guarantee of future results and the performance quoted does not represent the performance for any investments recommended by our firm

Research suggests that business efficiency and long-term performance increases when Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) factors are integrated into investment analysis and portfolio construction.

It makes sense that a large amount of money is flowing into ESG accounts as indicated in the chart below. 

Tobacco-related restrictions saw the greatest growth of any ESG criteria, increasing 432 percent from 2016 to $2.9 trillion

However, climate change was the most important specific ESG issue considered by money managers in asset-weighted terms; the assets to which this criterion applies more than doubled from 2016 to 2018 to $3.0 trillion.

Conflict risk was the leading social criterion at $2.3 trillion assets under management, but assets managed with human rights criteria were next at $2.2 trillion and experienced much larger growth from 2016.

Sustainable Investing = ESG Screening +  Shareholder Advocacy + Impact Investing

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Examples of ESG: Environmental, Social,

and Governance Factors

Value-Based Screening - Excluding or including industries or sectors based on values or ethics determined by the investor 

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Sample exclusions: Gambling, tobacco, alcohol, nuclear power, weapons, fossil fuels

Sample inclusions: Renewables,  sustainable agriculture systems, companies making environmental stewardship efforts, and/or companies valuing human capital

Shareholder Advocacy

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The process through which shareholders use their access or clout to press companies to change their practices. 
 

COMBATING CLIMATE CHANGE THROUGH FOREST PROTECTION

Forest Protection Campaign Results

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•Kellogg’s becomes one of first to protect Southeast Asian rainforests and by 2016 implements its policy across 94% of supply.

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•Asia’s largest agribusiness Wilmar announces groundbreaking no-deforestation policy with Unilever, publicly thanking Green Century Funds.

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•Green Century Funds organizes investor support for Indonesian moratorium on new plantations.

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1.5 Gigatons of carbon pollution saved annually from the planet by use of sustainable farming

850 Hectares saved from Slash & Burn 

Perhaps you wonder why it is so important to

Protect our planet's Forests

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The answer is:

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​Plants intake carbon dioxide and respire oxygen.

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The scientific community has established that excess carbon dioxide from burning fossil fuels is the chief cause of global warming.

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Companies that don't take this to heart have increased supply chain risk as well as a risk to their reputation.

Shareholder Advocacy Highlights – as reported in the June 30, 2018 Trillium Report

J.B. Hunt received 21.4% shareholder votes supporting an initiative to set

science-based greenhouse gas reduction targets (sending the message that

meeting the objectives of the Paris Climate Control agreement is a sign of

corporate responsibility that investors want).

Tyson Foods Shareholder Advocacy Highlights  

https://lnkd.in/dSkfCnX

Boston, February 5, 2020 – Green Century Capital Management (Green

Century) has withdrawn a shareholder proposal with Tyson Foods, Inc. the

2nd largest meat processor in the world, after the company publicly

revealed its commitment and existing plans to develop and implement a

no-deforestation policy.

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“We are pleased that Tyson is committing to ensuring that its

international supply chain is not contributing to the destruction of

tropical forests or the climate crisis,” said Green Century President Leslie

Samuelrich. “Tyson’s actions on deforestation demonstrate its

commitment to its vision to become the ‘most sustainable protein

supplier’ in the world.”

In the withdrawal agreement, Tyson publicly committed to developing

and implementing a forest policy that addresses “No Deforestation, No

Peat, No Exploitation (NDPE).” It also agreed to establish supplier

monitoring and engagement policies.

To alleviate investor concerns about transparency, Tyson also agreed to

improve its reporting on the traceability and sustainability of forest-risk

commodities in its global supply chain.

Active Shareholder Advocacy 3rd Party Money Managers Available Through Our Investment Firm

The Process of Building Portfolios Using Environmental, Social, and Governance Factors (ESG)

Identify companies that rate the highest on ESG issues as compared to others in their industry

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Assess management quality, risk exposure, and exposure to long-term systematic risks

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Use best in class determinations of companies' approaches on issues of concern to investors

How we Compare Investments using Environmental, Social, and Governance Factors

Natural Investments      Ratings

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Evaluates ESG strategies and management of the 165 funds who  have a stated SRI or ESG mandate

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Began evaluating in 1992

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Features sector exclusions, shareholder advocacy openness, and participation in community investing

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Scores based on absolute terms of breadth and depth – not a bell curve

Morningstar Sustainability       Rating

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Based on data provided by Sustainalytics

• Assesses ESG criteria > 6500 companies

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• Adds a scoring of controversies for these companies

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• Distributes fund scores across a bell curve in each sector within Morningstar categories

Intentional commitment to SRI and ESG values have no bearing on scores. Nor are additional SRI practices considered

Why might investors  avoid fossil fuel companies?

• A desire to align investments with climate change needs by avoiding oil, coal, and gas companies.

• To take away the “social license” and diminish the clout the industry has on public policy.

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• To re-invest in clean and sustainable solutions now competitive with oil, coal, and gas companies.

• To diminish financial risk associated with oil price volatility and stranded assets such as plants under construction  never reaching completion. Expensive offshore or Arctic drilling drains capital that otherwise may be returned to shareholders as dividends.

Your Next Steps

If you like the idea of investing in what you believe in and excluding

sectors and companies that you don't want to support, work with a

financial advisor (me) familiar with socially responsible investing who

can help you determine what’s important to YOU.

These United Nations' Goals are Attainable!

I am an\ Investment Advisor Representative with an Arkansas Registered Investment Advisor firm, Advanced Retirement Solutions, Inc. Our firm boasts investment advisors with many years of experience. My particular expertise is in the Socially Responsible field of investing.

My insurance agencies, TalkMedicare and TalkRetirement are not registered entities and are not subsidiaries or affiliates of Advanced Retirement Solutions, Inc.

I help my clients direct their investment capital to (a) make

money and (b) make a difference with their money to reflect their

priorities for society at large!

My Education & Certifications

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1989 -- Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Economics (BSA) with a Minor in Environmental Science –

University of Arkansas

1992 – Master of Science (MS) in

Agronomy – University of Arkansas

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1998 – Doctorate of Adult Learning (Ed.D) – University of Arkansas

2012 – Financial Planning Certificate – University of Georgia

2016 – CASL® Chartered Advisor for Senior Living – The American College

2018 - AIF® Professional, Accredited Investment Fiduciary™ - Fi-360