We’re excited to announce that virtual registration for the 2023 Higher Education Climate Leader Summit is now open! For those unable to attend the 2023 Summit in person, a virtual ticket will give you access to 10 live-streamed sessions, including main stage plenaries, keynotes and concurrent sessions across endowment management and sustainability leadership topics. Register and join us virtually here!

In this week’s news, we’ve welcomed Five New Sustainable Investing Leaders to our Steering Committee and released the third episode of the Beyond Carbon Podcast featuring Jeff Mindlin, CIO of Arizona State University.

Additionally, ISS ESG releases its Actionable Insights – Top ESG Themes In 2023 report, NYC pension funds file proposals with four North American Banks, and the Tipping Point Fund awards $3.2 million in grants to 16 organizations, including IEN, to advance the impact investing space.

We’d like to express our gratitude for those that were able to join this week’s webinar with Wespath. IEN Members can view the webinar recording here.If you haven’t yet, take a moment to register for the 2023 Higher Education Leadership Summit and preview the 2023 Summit’s inspiring and action oriented agenda.

In this week’s news, we’re thrilled to announce Tim Coffin as the newest member of IEN’s Net Zero Committee, and to welcome 10 student teams to the 2023 Student Corporate Engagement Challenge!

We're also sharing a call to action for investors to reaffirm their support for sustainable investing, especially at this time when the viability of ESG is being questioned. Learn more and sign on here.

There is still time to register and join higher education leaders, sustainable investing experts, and other stakeholders to advance higher education sustainability at the 2023 Higher Education Climate Leadership Summit in Coral Gables, FL.

In case you missed it, register for our upcoming learning opportunity with Wespath on systemic risk and risk mitigation scheduled for next week,Tuesday, January 17 at 1 PM ET. Learn more here.

In this week’s news, the Milken Institute releases a report on inclusive capitalism for asset owners, Washington State begins to cap carbon emissions, and Church Commissioners for England creates a fund to counter the effects of slavery.

As a reminder, our offices will be closed on Monday, January 16 as we observe Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

March 21, 2023

1 PM - 2:30 PM

The JEDI Initiative seeks to start the education and advocacy process for endowments to consider JEDI factors in the investment process in the following ways:

• Enhancing diversity within the university investment offices by ensuring people are not excluded deliberately or through implicit bias on the basis of race, ethnicity, or gender.
• Evaluating the performance of companies and funds with regard to diversity, equity, and inclusion in their boards, management, and staff in the investment process and engage with companies and funds to improve on these issues.
• Identifying minority-led investment managers.
• Making investments that benefit women, low-income communities, and communities of color.
• Supporting finance and investment education of diverse students to build a pipeline of talent.

We advance the conversation on this agenda through a series of educational and peer-networking activities, including events, webinars, and white papers.

The 90-minute conversation centered around quantifying impact and preparing for DEI disclosure requirements, including investing in HBCUs and prioritizing DEI in investment processes.

Speakers:

• Julian Thompson, Director of Strategy, UNCF
• Enith Williams, Managing Director, Reparations Finance Lab
• Solange Charas, Ph.D., Founder & CEO, HC Moneyball
• Dorien Nuñez, OMNIResearch
• Lisa Hinds, Managing Director, Client Engagement & Sustainability, Xponance

Recording:

Slides:

Review the slides for the Reparations Finance Lab presentation.

Review HC Moneyball's slides on Quantifying DEI Impact and Preparing for Disclosure Requirements.

Review Dr Charas’ book Humanizing Human Capital

Review Dorien Nunez’s presentation outlining the commitment and principles of the CFAI DEI Codes

March 9, 2023 | 12 PM ET

Against a backdrop of resistance regarding the DOL's ESG rule, the initiative is taking stock of progress and bottlenecks in the last quarter.

The call discussed, in part:

Mutual funds with an ESG and impact lens to meet the needs of employees looking for return and impact.

Schroder's impact investing framework and status as a signatory of the Operating Principles for Impact Management.

Context and advice for trustees amidst the national ESG debate and backlash from conservative politicians.

Recording:

Slides:

Nia Impact Capital Slides

TIAA Slides

Keith Johnson Slides

Schroders Slides

IEN Intro Slides

IEN’s Sustainable Retirements Initiative supports institutions in ensuring retirement options take material ESG factors into consideration.  

The approximately 4,500 colleges and universities in the US alone represent a tremendous pool of retirement assets - totaling over $900 billion - that must be safeguarded from sustainability risks. 

Many colleges and universities are working to align their education, research, and operations with the Sustainable Development Goals. While many have taken steps to integrate Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) factors into their endowment investment decision-making, there’s a tremendous opportunity for institutions to provide sustainable investment options for a vital constituency- their own employees.

We’re one month away from our 2023 Higher Education Climate Leadership Summit in Coral Gables, FL! Register to advance the field of sustainable investing and be part of transformational conversations including integrating justice, equity, diversity and inclusion and net zero goals into the investment process.

We’re also excited to host our first webinar of 2023 with Wespath on January 17 at 1 PM ET. Register and join us for a look into systemic risks and mitigation strategies. Also remember to register a student team for the 2023 Corporate Engagement Challenge! The sign-up deadline has been extended to tomorrow — Friday, January 6.

In this week’s news, JPMorgan and Citi face the state of Kentucky's divestment for their ESG practices, Saudi Arabia has a plan to keep the world hooked on oil, and The Chronicle of Higher Education analyzes the staff diversity at U.S. colleges.

As the year draws to a close, we want to thank you for your engagement with our work as we strive to create meaningful impact through sustainable investing.Your support is the catalyst behind our work, and we ask you to please consider making a financial donation to IEN as a part of your end-of-year charitable giving.

We also look forward to connecting with many of you at our first webinar of 2023 with Wespath - remember to register before signing-off for the holidays - and our offices will be closed from tomorrow, December 23 through January 2, 2023.

In this abbreviated edition of the Weekly News Roundup, FAIRR releases its Coller FAIRR Protein Producer Index, Bridgewater outlines a path for net zero investors, and the country’s biggest banks fall short in promises to Black homeowners.

We are excited to announce the launch of IEN and FFI Solutions’ joint podcast – Beyond Carbon! Listen to the first two episodes, including a conversation with UVIMCO’s Cornelia Horner, for insights on practical responsible investing implementation strategies.

Early bird registration for the 2023 Higher Education Climate Leadership Summit closes tomorrow! If you haven’t yet, register to join over 300 higher education leaders in Coral Gables, Florida, February 5-7! In addition, IEN’ s 2023 Corporate Engagement Challenge sign-up form will close next FRIDAY December 23rd. Sign up a team today, and learn more about the challenge design, benefits, and guidelines for participating teams.

In this week’s news, US SIF released its biennial trends report, HSBC ends its financing for oil and gas projects and Dr. Jason Wingard, President of Temple University, shares shifting expectations of business’ role in society and in addressing climate change.

The countdown to the 2023 Higher Education Climate Leadership Summit is on! We’re less than 100 days away and you have one week left to register and join your peers at the 2023 Summit before early bird pricing ends on December 16th!

Next week, we’ll have Representative Emanuel Cleaver give his remarks on his pending “Endowment Transparency Act of 2022 at our JEDI Initiative Q4 call. Network members are welcome to register for the call here. The Sustainable Retirements Initiative will also host its quarterly call on Thursday; join us to hear legal and investment experts sharing their views on the new DOL rule.

In this week’s news, Vanguard quits the Net Zero Asset Managers initiative, McGill University receives $4.8M to advance its climate change work, and 117 universities help launch the Nature Positive Universities Alliance.

We’re sincerely grateful for your donations toward our end of year fundraiser! We were able to raise almost half of our $25,000 goal on #GivingTuesday. Please give us an extra push to meet our goal by making a financial donation here.

We also invite members to register and join our upcoming Q4 initiatives calls. The JEDI call will have the honor to hear Rep. Emanuel Cleaver III remarks on his pending “Endowment Transparency Act of 2022”, and the Sustainable Retirements Initiative will have a conversation with brief presentations from legal and investment experts on the recently published DOL rule.

In this week’s news, the University of Pennsylvania divests from its direct fossil fuel holdings, industry leaders express support for the DOL’s ESG rule, and the Ivey Foundation will distribute its endowment to support the transition to a low carbon economy over a period of 5 years.

March 29, 2023

IEN convenes and supports endowments in learning about Net Zero Portfolios, making commitments, and participating in shareholder engagement efforts to get portfolio companies onto decarbonization pathways aligned with the 1.5 degree C warming target of the Paris Climate Agreement.  

If you or your organization would like to learn more or participate in this initiative, please contact Georges Dyer at [email protected]. 

IEN Initiative calls are only open to IEN Members. Interested organizations and individuals should contact Georges Dyer at [email protected] for more information, to get involved, or with any questions.

This conversation explored ways to avoid greenwashing in Net Zero commitments with a real estate decarbonization focus, including practical steps on how to implement a Net Zero policy. 

Speakers:

• Madeline Clark, Associate Investment Director, Cambridge Associates
• Kate Murray, Director, Impact Strategy & Measurement, TAS
• Wendy Cromwell, Vice Chair and Head of Sustainable Investment, Wellington Management

Recording:

About the Net Zero Initiative

Net Zero Portfolios are an effective and powerful way for investors to reduce risks associated with climate change and the transition to a low-carbon economy.  They also accelerate corporate climate action to reduce systemic risk for all investors and to protect current and future generations from climate impacts. 

A commitment to Net Zero means committing to transition the investment portfolio to net-zero GHG emissions by 2050 consistent with a maximum temperature rise of 1.5°C above pre-industrial temperatures, taking into account the best available scientific knowledge including the findings of the IPCC, and regularly reporting on progress, including establishing intermediate targets every five years in line with Paris Agreement Article 4.9. 

February 23, 2023

This call featured a presentation by an emerging Student-Led Shareholder Engagement Network. The Network aims to provide resources and a structure for student leaders to connect year over year to advance shareholder engagement work by student groups (within and outside of student-managed investment funds) across higher education institutions for the purpose of promoting sustainability and environmental and social corporate responsibility.

Presenters:

 Zach Albregts, Director of Operations, Sustainable and Impact Finance Initiative (SIFI) at Arizona State University

 David Krantz, Member, Sustainable and Impact Finance Initiative (SIFI) at Arizona State University

Recording:

The SIILK Network (Sustainable & Impact Investing Learning & Knowledge) is an Initiative of the Intentional Endowments Network (IEN).

IEN Initiative calls are only open to IEN Members and/or students, faculty, or staff stakeholders at colleges and universities pursuing the development and implementation of sustainable investing education. Contact Nicole Torrico at [email protected] with any questions, for more information, or to get involved.

About SIILK

SIILK has three main goals:

1. Scale the uptake of sustainable investing education, including courses and experiential education opportunities like Student-Managed Investment Funds (SMIFs),
2. Support SMIFs as they work to build stronger bridges between their SMIF and their institution’s broader endowment, and
3. Increase the diversity and number of students that enter the sustainable investing field.

Through SIILK, IEN is working to ensure higher education institutions develop the next generation of investment and finance leaders committed to an equitable, low carbon, and regenerative economy.

NORTHLIGHT FOUNDATION SIGNS SUSTAINABLE INVESTING RETIREMENT PLEDGE FOR FACULTY AND EMPLOYEE PLANS

NorthLight Foundation Joins Growing List of Colleges, Universities, Foundations, and Other Nonprofit Institutions Committing to Evaluate Sustainable Retirement Plan Options with Renewed Focus on Climate and Social Justice

NEW YORK, NEW YORK – November 17, 2022 – NorthLight Foundation has become a new signatory of the Intentional Endowments Network’s (IEN) Sustainable Retirements Plan Pledge. IEN’s Sustainable Retirement Plan pledge, supported by Second Nature and The Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE), establishes that university and nonprofit “employees deserve a range of sustainable investing retirement fund options that consider environmental, social, and governance factors, consistent with the goals of reducing risk, protecting capital, and enhancing financial returns.”  

By signing this Pledge, NorthLight Foundation has set the intention to review its current retirement plan fund offerings and assess the sustainable investing options currently available.  NorthLight Foundation will also work with plan administrators to determine if there are suitable sustainable investing options for plans that take into account the best interest of the Foundation’s beneficiaries and their retirement goals.

“We are thrilled to be the first private family foundation to sign the Intentional Endowments Network’s Sustainable Retirement Plan,” said Kate Sinding Daly, Executive Director of Northlight Foundation.  “As a foundation that has aligned its endowment with its mission, we knew that the next step was to find sustainable, values-aligned options for retirement investments. We had begun looking for suitable 401(k) plans, and when we heard of this pledge we signed almost immediately.”

Now open for additional signers, the IEN Sustainable Retirement pledge was first adopted by Arizona State University, The ASU Foundation, Chatham University, and Lewis & Clark College. Those who sign onto the pledge by the end of 2022 will be recognized as Founding Signatories. 

“It’s with great pleasure that IEN and our partners welcome NorthLight Foundation as a signatory of the Sustainable Retirements Pledge,” said Georges Dyer, executive director of IEN. “Institutional retirement plans represent trillions in investments, and we at IEN are committed to ensuring that they offer participants options that align with the transition to a sustainable future, so retirees are not caught ‘holding the bag’ of risky investments that are not positioned for the transition to a more equitable, clean energy and low-carbon economy.”

The Sustainable Retirements Pledge was first announced at IEN’s Institutional Investor Roundtable during Climate Week with over 100 endowment trustees, CIOs, investment staff, asset managers, investment consultants, outsourced CIOs, retirement planning experts, sustainability leaders, faculty, and nonprofit partners.

Demand for sustainable investing is increasing. There are nearly $1 trillion in assets held in 403(b) employee retirement plans. ESG assets are predicted to grow to $53 trillion by 2025, which would comprise one-third of all global assets under management. The interest in sustainable investing is also reflected in demands on investment managers, and a stronger connection between investment returns and sustainable outcomes is being established. Including sustainable investment options in 403(b) retirement plans can mitigate investment risk and yield greater economic resilience.

MEDIA CONTACT: Georges Dyer, Co-founder & Executive Director, Intentional Endowments Network, [email protected]

ABOUT IEN

The Intentional Endowments Network (IEN) is a peer learning network of colleges, universities, and other mission-driven institutional investors working together to achieve their risk and return objectives through investment actions that create a thriving, sustainable economy. IEN has more than 200 network members including endowments, asset managers, investment consultants, nonprofit partners, and individuals.

January 17, 2023

1 PM ET

This conversation with IEN Member Wespath Benefits and Investments will discuss the unique challenges that systemic risks like climate change pose to asset owners and highly diversified long-term investment portfolios.

We’ll then cover stewardship strategies that go beyond corporate engagement and proxy voting and seek to address systemic risks through the identification of systemic solutions.

Join Ryan McQueeney, Karen Manczko, and Evan Witkowski for a conversation on these solutions and the hurdles facing investors.

Wespath Benefits and Investments (Wespath) has been serving The United Methodist Church for over 100 years. Wespath and its subsidiaries maintain one of the largest faith-based pension funds in the world, serving more than 100,000 active and retired clergy and lay employees of the Church. As a sustainable investor, Wespath incorporates consideration of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors in its investment decision-making and aspires to make a positive impact on the environment and society.

Recording:

Resources:

IEN Slides

Wespath Slides

The Future of Investor Engagement

Speakers:

 Ryan McQueeney, Analyst, Sustainable Investment Stewardship, Wespath Benefits and Investments 

 Learn more about Ryan

 Karen Manczko, Director, Institutional Relationships, Wespath Benefits and Investments

 Learn more about Karen

 Evan Witkowski, CIPM, Manager, Institutional Relationships, Wespath Benefits and Investments

 Learn more about Evan

We’re taking a moment to express our gratitude for you and your collaborative work on climate action. We hope you take this long weekend to spend quality time with family and friends.

This special Thanksgiving news edition covers the DOL’s new ESG rule, invites you to support our Giving Tuesday Campaign by making financial donations and encourages you to register for our upcoming Q4 IEN members working group calls.

Remember to register for our next Learning Cafe with ValuesAdvisor to learn about the vetted database of values-aligned financial advisors that makes it easy for endowments to invest with impact.

In this week’s news, Virginia Union University’s board of trustees updated its endowment policy, requiring 60% of its portfolio to be managed by minority firms. The University of Barcelona will mandate a course on climate change for students, and the Oregon treasurer will map out a plan for net zero emissions.

Our focus this week is on COP27, as world leaders are coming together in Egypt to collectively take action towards achieving world climate goals. Join us at the 2023 Higher Education Climate Leader Summit on Feb 5 - 7 at the University of Miami, FL, to further integrate the COP27 conversations with a selected group of higher education leaders into your investment process. Learn more about the 2023 Summit and sponsorship opportunities here.

In this week’s news, UTAM achieves divestment from direct holdings in fossil fuels, the UK unveils a disclosure framework for net zero transition plans, and Mexico raises its decarbonization targets for the first time since 2016.

During this Native American Heritage Month, we recognize indigenous and native communities and keep them top of mind as we plan our 2023 Higher Education Climate Leadership Summit. Help us incorporate indigenous perspectives and needs into our programming by responding to our call for content.

We also invite you to take advantage of our 2023 Summit early-bird registration before it closes, and invite IEN members to register for our upcoming Member Only quarterly calls to take a deep dive into topical conversations tailored to members' institutional and individual needs. Please contact Harrison Ungar at [email protected] for event sponsorship opportunities.

In this week’s news, Oberlin College divests from fossil fuels, the SEC adopts a proxy-voting disclosure rule and the Governor of North Carolina announces a diversity commission for the UNC system.

We were thrilled to learn of U.S. Representative Emanuel Cleaver’s proposed amendment to the Higher Education Act this week. It would mandate reporting on the gender and race data of ownership and management within the asset management firms that oversee college endowments. The amendment builds off of his previous work pushing for greater diversity data from universities.

Don’t forget that registration is open for our 2023 Higher Education Climate Leadership Summit, and sponsorship opportunities are available! For more information on sponsorship, contact Harrison Ungar at [email protected]

In this week’s news, the UK hits a milestone with 100 universities divested from fossil fuel companies, the Chicago Public School Teachers’ Pension & Retirement Fund pledges to divest, and the ISSB mandates Scope 3 emissions in GHG disclosures.