ESG Links: Allocating with Purpose

Due to client demand, Ritholtz Wealth Management has created an ESG version of our classic asset allocation models, known as the Portland Portfolio. Research shows that high net worth families are increasingly interested in directing their investable assets toward companies with good records on Environmental, Social and Governance issues.

Please enjoy the below reads, curated by our in-house ESG expert, Joey Fishman. And if ESG investing is something you’d like to learn more about, talk to us here. 

‘Fossil Fuel Free’ May Not Mean a Low CO2 Footprint (Bloomberg Sustainable Finance)

The Risks & Rewards of ESG-Based Investing (ThinkAdvisor)

Why Customization is the Key to ESG (CIO)

Non-binding Shareholder Votes on Executive Compensation makes the CEO More Accountable  (EurekAlert); but see also

Empirical Evidence Shows that Shareholder- Proposal Activism Centered on Social Issues is Negatively Associated with Firm Value (Proxy Monitor)

Why Aren’t More Companies Using Renewable Energy? (HBR)

How Self-Driving Cars Are Ushering in the Third Industrial Revolution (Vice)

Why cognitive diversity is the most important tool (Fast Company)

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ESG DEFINITIONS / TYPES

Examples of ESG incorporation strategies can be summarized as follows:

Positive/best-in-class: Investment in sectors, companies or projects selected for positive ESG performance relative to industry peers. This also includes avoiding companies that do not meet certain ESG performance thresholds.

Negative/exclusionary screening: The exclusion from a fund or plan of certain sectors or companies involved in activities deemed unacceptable or controversial.

ESG integration: The systematic and explicit inclusion by investment managers of ESG factors into traditional financial analysis.

Impact investing: Targeted investments, typically made in private markets, aimed at solving social or environmental problems.

Sustainability themed investing: The selection of assets specifically related to sustainability in single- or multi-themed funds.

Click here for more….http://www.ussif.org/esg

Talk to us about ESG investing here.