A Sampling of Social Investment Screens
These are the 'screens' and focus issues for some widely known and successful SRI funds:
each fund chooses its own issues of concern, and how it uses those to shape their investments.
The Global Care Unit Trust
(+) Areas of support / Areas of avoidance (-)
People
(+) (-)
Community involvement / Alcohol
Education and training / Gambling
Healthcare services / Irresponsible marketing
Health and safety / Armaments
Good employee relations / Oppressive regimes
Policy statements, audits, and openness / Pornography
Socially progressive relationships
Effective corporate governance
Environment
Energy conservation / Greenhouse gases
Mass transit systems / Mining
Multimedia & telecommunications / Nuclear power
Pollution control equipment / Ozone layer depletion
Process control equipment / Pesticides
Recycling services / Road builders
Renewable energy / Tropical hardwood
Water management / Water polluters
Animals
Vegetarian foods / Animal testing
New textiles / Fur/ Meat and dairy production
The Domini Social Equity Fund
(+) Strengths / Concerns (-)
Community
Generous giving / Controversies
Innovative giving / Breach of agreements
Support for housing
Support for education
Diversity
CEO / Controversies
Promotion / Non-representation
Board of directors
Family benefits
Women and minority contracting
Employment of the disabled
Progressive gay and lesbian policies
Employee Relations
Strong union relations / Poor union relations
Cash profit-sharing / Safety controversies
Employee involvement / Workforce reductions
Strong retirement benefits / Pension and benefits concerns
Environment
Beneficial products and services / Hazardous waste
Pollution prevention / Regulatory problems
Recycling / Ozone depleting chemicals
Alternative fuels / Substantial emissions
Communications / Agricultural chemicals
Non-U.S. Operations
General non-U.S. operations / General non-U.S. operations
Community / Burma / Mexico
Product
Quality / Product safety
Research & innovation / Marketing/contracting/ controversy
Benefits to economically disadvantaged / Antitrust
Other
Limited compensation / High compensation
Ownership
Exclusionary Screens
Alcohol
Tobacco
Gambling
Military
Substantial weapons contracting involvement
Minor weapons contracting involvement
Major weapons-related supplier
each fund chooses its own issues of concern, and how it uses those to shape their investments.
The Global Care Unit Trust
(+) Areas of support / Areas of avoidance (-)
People
(+) (-)
Community involvement / Alcohol
Education and training / Gambling
Healthcare services / Irresponsible marketing
Health and safety / Armaments
Good employee relations / Oppressive regimes
Policy statements, audits, and openness / Pornography
Socially progressive relationships
Effective corporate governance
Environment
Energy conservation / Greenhouse gases
Mass transit systems / Mining
Multimedia & telecommunications / Nuclear power
Pollution control equipment / Ozone layer depletion
Process control equipment / Pesticides
Recycling services / Road builders
Renewable energy / Tropical hardwood
Water management / Water polluters
Animals
Vegetarian foods / Animal testing
New textiles / Fur/ Meat and dairy production
The Domini Social Equity Fund
(+) Strengths / Concerns (-)
Community
Generous giving / Controversies
Innovative giving / Breach of agreements
Support for housing
Support for education
Diversity
CEO / Controversies
Promotion / Non-representation
Board of directors
Family benefits
Women and minority contracting
Employment of the disabled
Progressive gay and lesbian policies
Employee Relations
Strong union relations / Poor union relations
Cash profit-sharing / Safety controversies
Employee involvement / Workforce reductions
Strong retirement benefits / Pension and benefits concerns
Environment
Beneficial products and services / Hazardous waste
Pollution prevention / Regulatory problems
Recycling / Ozone depleting chemicals
Alternative fuels / Substantial emissions
Communications / Agricultural chemicals
Non-U.S. Operations
General non-U.S. operations / General non-U.S. operations
Community / Burma / Mexico
Product
Quality / Product safety
Research & innovation / Marketing/contracting/ controversy
Benefits to economically disadvantaged / Antitrust
Other
Limited compensation / High compensation
Ownership
Exclusionary Screens
Alcohol
Tobacco
Gambling
Military
Substantial weapons contracting involvement
Minor weapons contracting involvement
Major weapons-related supplier
Interfaith Center for Corporate Responsibility
RPB is a partner in the ICCR. What is the ICCR view on how SRI can and should be done?
"ICCR members believe that as responsible stewards they must invest their saved resources -- pensions and endowments -- in ways that are consistent with their faith values. Since their faith calls them to promote peace, economic justice and stewardship of the universe, they believe they should not profit from production or sale of unsafe or harmful products; from exploitation of human weakness; from violation of human rights, production for war, racism, sexual exploitation or destruction of the environment and so on.
They believe they should encourage safe and healthy production methods, forgiveness of debt for poor nations and investment in sustainable development, equal employment opportunity, diversity in management and in boards of
directors and payment of living wages." http://www.iccr.org/about/faq.php
How has RPB - to be consistent with the ICCR principles - ensured that through our investments we do not "profit from violation of human rights, destruction of the environment, and so on"?
"ICCR members believe that as responsible stewards they must invest their saved resources -- pensions and endowments -- in ways that are consistent with their faith values. Since their faith calls them to promote peace, economic justice and stewardship of the universe, they believe they should not profit from production or sale of unsafe or harmful products; from exploitation of human weakness; from violation of human rights, production for war, racism, sexual exploitation or destruction of the environment and so on.
They believe they should encourage safe and healthy production methods, forgiveness of debt for poor nations and investment in sustainable development, equal employment opportunity, diversity in management and in boards of
directors and payment of living wages." http://www.iccr.org/about/faq.php
How has RPB - to be consistent with the ICCR principles - ensured that through our investments we do not "profit from violation of human rights, destruction of the environment, and so on"?