This week, we are kicking off a series of blog posts in which IEN members will share their thinking about intentional endowment investing in the face of this global pandemic. Follow along to get insight from Jeff Mindlen of Arizona State University into the new challenges and opportunities we as a network are facing.

Jeff Mindlin, VP & Chief Investment Officer, Arizona State University Enterprise Partners 

Like all other organizations, Arizona State University is adapting to the unprecedented changes brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. In a short time, the university brought 55,000 students online and 5,000 courses. As we adapt to the global changes occurring, we remain steadfast in our commitment to serve students, faculty, staff and our community now and in the long term. That includes addressing the long-term sustainability challenges and systemic risks that all organizations in society face – from the impact of climate change to the extreme wealth gap and structural inequities. 

ASU recently attained the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education’s Sustainability Tracking, Assessment and Rating System (STARS) Platinum rating for reducing greenhouse gas emissions from campus operations to zero – a goal it attained six years ahead of its plan. This is the highest certification awarded in the STARS program, and ASU is one of only six universities in the world to achieve the STARS Platinum rating.

In this article I wrote and published at Medium – Saving the planet with a sustainable investment strategy – I highlight five ways our investment process is supporting a sustainable future.

As a founding member of IEN, we are committed to sharing our learning, progress and best practices with the Network.  IEN has created venues and resources that have been relevant for each of these five areas: 

1. Fiduciary Duty - the Network’s Fiduciary Duty working group provides resources and support helping trustees understand fiduciary duty calls for consideration of ESG factors.
2. Implementation - IEN’s Roadmap provides a framework for governance and implementation of sustainable investing processes. 
3. Partnership - our implementation partners at BlackRock are also IEN members, contributing to advancing learning and best practices in the field. 
4. Education - students involved in our student investment funds are active in IEN’s SIILK Network, engaging with their peers around the world and industry experts. 
5. Catalyst for change - the Network provides a venue for us to leverage our progress to date by sharing with other institutions on their own sustainable investing journey. 

Read the full article here:  Saving the planet with a sustainable investment strategy