Eurosif September 2013 Newsletter

Eurosif Update

For Eurosif's Member Affiliates: Annual Event & European SRI Symposium 2013 Invitation. Eurosif has brought together an exceptional line  up  of speakers that make this conference a must-attend for people interested in SRI. With over 90 delegates so far, it promises to be an exciting and thought-provoking day! A full agenda of the event is available on the dedicated event website. Register NOW for free to attend this high-profile event in the Capital of Europe! On October 2, GLOBE EU, with the support of Eurosif and European Partners for the Environment (EPE), will hold a high-level conference entitled: “How to mobilise private capital in support of a resilient, low carbon, resource-efficient and inclusive Europe?”  in Brussels. The event will be hosted by Sirpa Pietikainen MEP and attended by Commissioner Michel Barnier and Commissioner Janez Potocnik. The agenda and invitations have been sent out to Member Affiliates. In case you missed the invite, please contact Eurosif here. Call for Action: 2014 European SRI Market Study sponsorship. An opportunity to benefit from sponsoring the 2014 edition of Eurosif's renowned European SRI Study. Eurosifs last biennial flagship study was downloaded over 12.000 times and presented at over 15 public events around Europe. The launch date is expected to be early Fall 2014. For more details, contact francois@eurosif.org

Eurosif Policy

Eurosif Research

SIF News

VBDO In 2013, the VBDO (Dutch Association of Investors for Sustainable Development) attended shareholders meetings of 64 publicly quoted companies and asked questions about four main subjects: sustainable remuneration, biodiversity, sustainable tax and human rights. VBDO published a report about the results and impact of the AGM visits. Please note the report is in Dutch. FIR The French SIF recently launched a new award for French Issuers. All European analysts and fund managers from rating agencies, asset managers or investors are invited to vote for the best ESG practices at French Issuers. For more information or to participate in this new award, click here. SPAINSIF The 9th of July concluded the Spainsif SRI week, with a summer course at the P. University of Salamanca.The event was a success, with over 180 participants from the investment industry and academic institutions. The programme of the annual event the 15th of Octoberhere. FNG Germany and Austria will elect new parliaments on September 22nd and September 29th, respectively. FNG asked the main political parties for their positions on sustainable investment, as well as on sustainability within the financial industry. The answers reflect a broad spectrum of perspectives. Read the answers here  (in German).

Member Affiliate News BlueOrchard Finance S.A. will open a Senior Share Class of the Microfinance Initiative for Asia (MIFA) – Debt Fund to institutional investors in September 2013. MIFA, a private-public partnership initiated by KfW, IFC, the European Union and BMZ aims to promote financial inclusion in Asia while fostering responsible finance in the region (for more information, please see here). An excellent half-year financial report for Etica Sgr. In the first half of 2013. Etica reported net inflows of € 80 million and AUM grew to € 597 million (+ € 93 million). Along with the good fund performance, their number of clients jumped to 30.884 (+25% since January). NYSE Euronext and Vigeo, are expanding their range of ESG indices with the launch of the Euronext Vigeo Benelux 20, the Euronext Vigeo Eurozone 120 and the Euronext Vigeo US 50. Click here to learn more about the indices. Deutsche Börse Group became the 100th participant in the International Integrated Reporting Council Pilot Programme, designed to drive the evolution of corporate reporting. Integrated Reporting <IR> builds on developments in corporate reporting, bringing into focus for providers of financial capital the material factors that create value over the short, medium and long-term. Press Release. This Year, EIRIS is celebrating 30 years of empowering responsible investment. To mark this special occasion, on 25 September, EIRIS is holding an 30th Anniversary Celebration in London, where they will celebrate what they have achieved and seek to explore the contributions they can make in the future. Further details SNS AM invests on behalf of ASN Bank in EIB GreenBonds; ASN Bank will invest 50 million euros in the new greenbonds from the European Investment Bank (EIB), intended to finance projects focused on wind- and solar power and energy-efficiency projects that contribute to reducing CO2 emissions in Europe. More here. CSSP's yourSRI.com “Sustainable Finance Yearbook” is now freely available for download here. The now first issue of the yourSRI.com “Sustainable Finance Yearbook” provides readers with current market data, interesting articles from renowned experts, as well as the latest from the world of sustainable investment. Direct Link here. Multinational Corporations and Tax Transparency: Issues for Responsible investors. In this 60-minute webinar (19 September, 2013, 16:00 CET) Sustainalytics will examine the issue of corporate tax transparency and the risks tax avoidance strategies pose to multinational corporations and investors. Issues for engagement will also be discussed. Register here. 

Member Affiliate Research Dexia AM’s latest SRI Research paper "Solutions for Today and Tomorrow: The Hidden Talents of the Chemical Industry" highlights the contribution of the chemical sector to global sustainable economic development and identifies a number of companies that meet Dexia AM’s financial and SRI criteria including Air Liquide, BASF, iInde. See here. Inrate Sustainability Matters: «Discovering Sustainable Tourism» The tourism industry is flourishing worldwide. Given the sensitivity of tourist destinations – especially in underdeveloped regions and natural environments – sustainable tourism is becoming more important. The publication points out existing leverages to foster long-term positive effects on the economy, local society and the environment and examines the sustainability performance of companies within the tourism industry. Download the report here. Oikocredit recently released its social performance report. The report provides data reported by over 634 organisations, reaffirming the commitment of Oikocredit’s partners to social goals and performance.Through Oikocredit’s microfinance partners, 28 million people were reached in 2012. Download the report here. Bank J. Safra Sarasin recently published the report “Scoring with Sustainability”. It covers the state of sustainable development in Brazil and gives examples of companies with advanced sustainability performance. Copies of the report are available by contacting andreas.holzer@jsafrasarasin.com. MIROVA INSIGHTS - Towards a +4°C world? The most recent publications suggest that a long-term temperature rise of +4°C is becoming increasingly likely. If this were to be the case, it would lead to a whole series of natural disasters that would threaten safety, health and access to prosperity across the globe, particularly in the poorest regions. More details here. 

Events GLOBE EU with the support of Eurosif and EPE "How to mobilise private capital in support of a resilient, low-carbon, resource-efficient and inclusive Europe?" 2 October 2013, Brussels. More information here. EIRIS 30th Anniversary Responsible Investment Conference & Celebration 25 September 2013. More information here. Sustainable Investments Conference in cooperation with Belsif and Swesif. Eurosif will present SRI study at Nobelux event. 18 September 2013, Brussels. More information here. Long-term investments - what role can institutional investors play in channelling long-term financing? Eurosif will speak at  QED Conference. 1 October 2013 ,Brussels. More information here. 

SRI Jobs Are you interested in SRI? Eurosif is searching for an Policy and Communications Intern. This is a unique opportunity to support the EU policy and research efforts of the leading pan-European Sustainable and Responsible Investment Association. More information here. For details of current SRI jobs please see the jobs section of the Eurosif website. More information here. Keep up to date with Eurosif Activities please follow us on Twitter @Eurosif