-
Bella Alvarez published Weekly News Round-Up: November 9, 2023 in Weekly News Round-Ups 2023-11-22 09:54:04 -0500
Weekly News Round-Up: November 9, 2023
Students, sustainable investing professionals, and faculty we’re hosting our 2024 Student Corporate Engagement Challenge info sessions on November 14th and November 16th. We invite you to join us to learn more about the Challenge and how to participate in this program that helps build the next generation of sustainable investors.
Also, nominations for the Intentional Endowments Network Leadership Award are now open. We call on the IEN community to nominate candidates who work tirelessly to promote environmental justice in the sustainable investing space for recognition.
In this week’s news, indebted businesses are being threatened by climate change, LGIM launches a new ESG fund with an additional pillar, and an appeals court upholds a Nasdaq board diversity requirement.
Read more
-
Bella Alvarez published Weekly News Round-Up: November 16, 2023 in Weekly News Round-Ups 2023-11-22 09:54:02 -0500
Weekly News Round-Up: November 16, 2023
Highlights of the 2023 Fall Forum are now available on our website. As we get closer to the holiday, please note that an abbreviated version of our habitual News Round-Up will be sent on Wednesday, November 22nd. Stay ahead of the curve and keep an eye out for our email!
In this week’s news, the fifth National Climate Assessment is released, a real estate group commits $100 million to HBCUs, and JP Morgan raises its targets to reduce financed emissions to align with 2050 net zero targets.
Read more
-
Bella Alvarez published Weekly News Round-Up: November 2, 2023 in Weekly News Round-Ups 2023-11-09 09:27:44 -0500
Weekly News Round-Up: November 2, 2023
Join us for conversations that align with your work! We have a rich lineup of learning opportunities in the coming weeks. If you are a JEDI professional, you are invited to explore emerging trends shaping the future of HBCU investments by joining our HBCU Community Roundtable on November 6 at 3 p.m. ET.
In this week’s news, IEN released its Warren Wilson College briefing paper, US students take legal action against six universities for fossil fuel investments, and ISS ESG expands its scoring system to include more on board structure and executive pay.
Read more
-
Bella Alvarez published Weekly News Round-Up: October 26, 2023 in Weekly News Round-Ups 2023-11-09 09:27:43 -0500
Weekly News Round-Up: October 26, 2023
We were thrilled to have many of you join us at the 2023 Fall Forum yesterday. Thank you to those that were able to make it to Virginia Beach. For those who couldn’t, we’ve added a few photos from the day’s energizing conversations for your viewing!
We also invite you to register for our upcoming JEDI professionals-only Community Roundtable (11/6) to explore emerging trends shaping the future of HBCU investments and our Shareholder Engagement Call scheduled for Nov 8th.
In this week’s news, The Belonging Collaborative is hosting a webinar on the legal landscape for investing with an equity lens. Robert Gordon University divests from fossil fuels, a report from UN University raises alarm as the world approaches environmental tipping points, and Dartmouth students call on the university to eliminate remaining ties to the fossil fuel industry.
Read more
-
Bella Alvarez published Weekly News Round-Up: October 19, 2023 in Weekly News Round-Ups 2023-11-09 09:27:41 -0500
Weekly News Round-Up: October 19, 2023
We’re less than a week away from our 2023 Fall Forum! Preview the Forum’s agenda, speaker lineup, and event logistics as we get ready to connect and be inspired by insightful conversation on October 25! If you haven’t registered and just thought of joining us, you can still secure your spot now!
Also, sign-ups for our 2024 Student Corporate Engagement Challenge are open for student teams interested in competing at the graduate or undergraduate levels. Sign up your team before December 22nd, and register for the November 14 or 16 information session to learn more about the challenge.
In this week’s news, the Russell Family Foundation announces interim emissions targets, higher education leaders look to build coalitions against anti-DEI action, and California incentivizes community college students to transfer to HBCUs.
Read more
-
Bella Alvarez published Weekly News Round-Up: October 12, 2023 in Weekly News Round-Ups 2023-11-09 09:27:40 -0500
Weekly News Round-Up: October 12, 2023
We’re sharing exciting event updates with you this week! We’re running a flash sale on the 2023 Fall Forum to make the event accessible to all. Register before Wednesday, October 18th to get a 10% discount on your registration ticket. Secure your spot today to connect and learn with your peers in Virginia Beach.
IEN and Second Nature are also pleased to offer varying levels of financial support for a limited number of BIPOC attendees to participate in the 2024 Higher Education Climate Leadership Summit. Please review the qualification guidelines carefully and apply before November 1st.
In this week’s news, Impax launches its new Global Opportunities Fund, the Union of Concerned Scientists reviews its work with the State of California to advance climate solutions, and a new guide centers around securing indigenous peoples’ right to self-determination.
Read more
-
Bella Alvarez published Weekly News Round-Up: October 5, 2023 in Weekly News Round-Ups 2023-11-09 09:27:39 -0500
Weekly News Round-Up: October 5, 2023
There is still time to register for IEN’s 2023 Fall Forum in Virginia Beach, VA, October 25! A key focus will be addressing how recent political attacks on sustainable investing are relevant to higher education, and how the IEN Network can protect higher education's freedom to consider sustainability metrics when investing. We invite you to preview the agenda and register to join us at Virginia Wesleyan University!
We are also excited to announce that students can now sign up to participate in our 2024 Student Corporate Engagement Challenge! You can learn more about the Challenge, view past winners, and read about mentorship opportunities on our website.
In this week’s news, Nature Action 100 announces a list of companies investors will engage on biodiversity issues with, Schroders’ Institutional Investor Study reveals the ways investors are shifting energy allocations, and the ICF Climate Center reveals how the US could ready net zero by 2050.
Read more
-
Bella Alvarez published SIILK 2024 Student Corporate Engagement Challenge Info Session #1 in Past Webinars 2023-11-01 13:42:48 -0400
SIILK 2024 Student Corporate Engagement Challenge Info Session #1
December 12, 2023 | 2 pm ET
The Student Corporate Engagement Challenge, now in its fifth year, asks student teams to pitch an investment in a publicly-traded company, and include in that recommendation a shareholder engagement strategy focused on addressing inequality and the climate crisis. These strategies cover topics including increasing DEI in leadership, addressing supply chain risks, and eliminating workplace harassment.
Participating students will build their professional networks and learning from leaders in the sustainable investing field through mentorship and exclusive workshops. IEN's SIILK Initiative is holding two information sessions for the Challenge, open to students, mentors, judges, and others interested in participating or learning more.
The first of these calls will be on December 14th at 2 pm ET. We hope some of you will be able to join us, and encourage you to share this invite with students/faculty/etc in your Network that may be interested in learning more about the Challenge. As a reminder, the sign-up form is open for student teams until December 22; individuals in the space interested in supporting these student groups can also sign up to mentor.
-
Bella Alvarez published Shareholder Engagement Initiative Call Q4 2023 in Past Webinars 2023-10-11 15:51:54 -0400
Shareholder Engagement Initiative Call Q4 2023
November 8, 2023 | 1 pm ET
The Shareholder Engagement initiative focuses on supporting colleges and universities in utilizing their power as shareholders to engage portfolio companies across issues related to social justice and the climate crisis. There are several forms of shareholder engagement that endowments can pursue to address material investment risks, improve corporate sustainability performance and support policies that move us toward an equitable, low-carbon, and regenerative economy.
They include proxy voting, engaging in dialogue with mutual funds or companies held in the portfolio, filing or co-filing shareholder resolutions, and signing on to public investor letters or statements. This call featured a presentation from As You Sow's Andrew Behar and Kaylea Noce.
To join this initiative contact Nicole Torrico, Managing Director at [email protected].
-
Bella Alvarez published Weekly News Round Up: September 28, 2023 in Weekly News Round-Ups 2023-09-29 09:40:37 -0400
Weekly News Round Up: September 28, 2023
There is still time to register for IEN's 2023 Fall Forum taking place October 25 in Virginia Beach. Join us with over 100 higher education stakeholders for an afternoon of impactful conversations on sustainable investing, networking, and relationship building.
In this week’s news, Trinity College commits to divest from fossil fuels by 2030, a federal judge in Texas supports DOL’s ESG rule, and the results from an AGF-commissioned study shows that interest in sustainable investing continues to grow among institutional investors.
Read more
-
Bella Alvarez published Weekly News Round Up: September 21, 2023 in Weekly News Round-Ups 2023-09-29 09:38:01 -0400
Weekly News Round Up: September 21, 2023
Don’t miss the opportunity to learn how to align purpose with profit during next week’s webinar with Bob Bancroft, Mamadou-Abou Sarr, and Rachael Camargo. Register to join us for an engaging conversation and Q&A on impactful and mission-aligned investments.
In this week’s news, eight HBCUs have joined the Intentional Endowments Network, the Treasury releases its Net Zero Principles, Generation Investment Management publishes its Sustainability Trends Report, and we share a special announcement.
Read more
-
Bella Alvarez published Weekly News Round Up: September 14, 2023 in Weekly News Round-Ups 2023-09-20 16:49:23 -0400
Weekly News Round Up: September 14, 2023
We’re excited to have Rachael Camargo (MSCI), Bob Bancroft (Nathan Cummings Foundation), and Mamadou-Abou Sarr (V-Square) to speak about Reconciling Funding Programs and Impactful Investment Portfolios on September 26 at 1 pm ET. Register to join us to learn how to leverage partnerships to drive multi-sector and real-world change. Register here!
In this week’s news, NYU commits to divest its $5 billion endowment of fossil fuels, California passes major climate disclosure rules for public and private companies, and AASHE releases its 2023 Sustainable Campus Index.
Read more
-
Bella Alvarez published Weekly News Round Up: September 7, 2023 in Weekly News Round-Ups 2023-09-20 13:56:06 -0400
Weekly News Round Up: September 7, 2023
Our 2023 Fall Forum is fast approaching. Register to join 100+ higher education leaders on October 25 in Virginia Beach to network and engage in critical conversations on mission-aligned investing. Preview the 2023 Fall Forum speakers lineup, and remember to secure your spot today!
In this week’s news, FFI Solutions published a call-to-action for college endowments; climate risk drives home insurers to cut natural disaster coverage from policies; and Australia agrees to disclose the climate risks of sovereign bonds after a college student’s lawsuit.
Read more
-
Bella Alvarez published IEN Webinar: Reconciling Funding Programs and Impactful Investment Portfolios in Past Webinars 2023-09-12 15:10:53 -0400
IEN Webinar: Reconciling Funding Programs and Impactful Investment Portfolios
September 26, 2023
Harmonizing Purpose and Profit: Navigating Impactful Investments for Mission-Driven Foundations
The world of philanthropy and impact investing is undergoing a profound transformation, with foundations and endowment at the heart of this change. We recognize the vital role they play in shaping our social and economic landscape, driving positive change for the communities they serve. However, the journey to balance funding programs that uplift these communities while generating sustainable investment returns remains a complex challenge.
Join The Nathan Cummings Foundation, MSCI, and V-Square Asset Management for an insightful webinar where we delve into the theme of aligning purpose with profit for investors.
Participants will:
- Better understand foundation dynamics
- Understand how to navigate dual mandates
- Explore the solutions implemented by V-Square and MSCI, respectively
- Analyze collaborative partnerships for the potential to drive multi-sector and real-world changeRecording:
Slides
V-Square MSCI US Equity Stakeholders Strategy
MSCI USA IMI Stakeholders Sustainability Select Index
Speakers:
Bob Bancroft, VP, Finance and Mission Investing, The Nathan Cummings Foundation
Read more about BobRachael Camargo, Executive Director, ESG and Climate Indexes, MSCI
Read more about RachaelMamadou-Abou Sarr, Co-Founder, President and Chief Executive Officer, V-Square Quantitative Management
Read more about Mamadou
-
Bella Alvarez published Weekly News Round Up: August 31, 2023 in Weekly News Round-Ups 2023-09-01 09:52:10 -0400
Weekly News Round Up: August 31, 2023
We are looking forward to hosting a sustainable investing in endowments panel at AASHE 2023 Conference & Expo, and invite you to join us alongside other higher education stakeholders for this transformative event in Boston.
Also, IEN members are invited to register our next Investment Governance Initiative call on September 5 at 1 pm ET, featuring Jon Lukomnik, founder of Sinclair Capital. Join us for a conversation on systems-level investing and more next Tuesday!
Additionally, our 2024 Student Corporate Engagement Challenge interest form is open! Whether you’re a student, a sustainable investing professional interested in mentoring a student, or a firm interested in partnering, you can indicate your interest in learning more about this academic year’s Challenge.
In this week’s news, Vanguard’s support for climate-related shareholder proposals fell this proxy voting year, Pro Mujer issues the first gender-focused bond in Argentina, and a new report provides suggestions for shareholder engagement on agriculture and biodiversity.
Read more
-
Bella Alvarez published IEN Community Roundtable: Empowering HBCUs and JEDI Champions in Past Webinars 2023-10-11 15:31:00 -0400
IEN Community Roundtable: Empowering HBCUs and JEDI Champions
November 6, 2023 | 3 pm ET
The IEN Community Roundtable was a unique event dedicated to supporting Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).This call provided an opportunity to engage with HBCU stakeholders and Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) professionals as we explored mission-aligned investing strategies and other critical topics and emerging trends that will shape the future of HBCU investments.
Participants discovered the distinctive needs and hurdles faced by HBCUs in their sustainable investing journey, learned from peers and thought leaders, and explored how the Intentional Endowments Network can support along the way.
Registrants enjoyed an opportunity to connect and delve into critical topics related to endowment management to make positive social and environmental impact with investments.
Recording:
Transcript
HBCU Roundtable NotesSpeakers:
Julian Thompson, Senior Director of Strategy Development Institute for Capacity Building, UNCF
Charles Prince, Chief Transformation and Sustainability Officer, Chief of Staff, Dillard University
Angela Outlaw-Matheny, Director of Diverse Manager Equity at Crewcial Partners LLC
-
Bella Alvarez published Weekly News Round Up: August 24, 2023 in Weekly News Round-Ups 2023-08-29 10:00:26 -0400
Weekly News Round Up: August 24, 2023
Listen to our latest Beyond Carbon podcast episode featuring Dr. Michael Greenstone exploring the economic implications of carbon emissions. Also, IEN Members can now watch our recent webinar recording on how shareholder engagement and proxy voting can support net zero portfolio commitments.
Additionally, we’re looking forward to our 2023 Fall Forum, a half-day interactive event on October 25th at Virginia Wesleyan University in Virginia Beach, VA. We invite you to register to build relationships and be inspired to take sustainable action.
Read more
In this week’s news, we highlight Natixis’ HUB as a resource for investors seeking information on ESG. A ConocoPhillips deal triggers divestment warnings from European pension plans and CalSTRS votes against directors at more than 2,000 firms for inadequate climate action.
-
Bella Alvarez published Weekly News Round Up: August 17, 2023 in Weekly News Round-Ups 2023-08-29 10:00:25 -0400
Weekly News Round Up: August 17, 2023
We’re looking forward to joining our member, AASHE in Boston this Fall for the AASHE 2023 Conference & Expo, October 29 - 31. We invite you to register and join us with other education leaders for an immersive learning experience to advance sustainability efforts in our respective institutions.
In this week’s news, the Montana youths suing over climate negligence read the remarkable victory, three NYC pension plans look to dismiss a fossil fuel lawsuit, and gender diversity on corporate boards sees incremental progress.
Read more
-
Bella Alvarez published Weekly News Round Up: August 10, 2023 in Weekly News Round-Ups 2023-08-29 10:00:24 -0400
Weekly News Round Up: August 10, 2023
We are less than a week away from our upcoming webinar on net zero, shareholder engagement, and proxy voting with TIAA and ASU. Register to join Megan Ahern, Anthony Garcia, and Jeff Mindlin next Wednesday, August 16 at 1 pm for a case study on Arizona State University’s engagement on climate issues.
We also invite you to preview the agenda for our 2023 Fall Forum! Key panels, including a Warren Wilson College case study on racial equity in the investment process, will round out the afternoon’s dynamic conversations. Register today to be a part of the event in Virginia Beach, October 25!
In this week’s news, a Harvard professor and environmental lawyer steps down from a board role at ConocoPhillips, S&P drops numerical ESG scores from debt ratings, and a new paper highlights the greenwashing present in many institutional investment portfolios.
Read more
-
Bella Alvarez published Weekly News Round Up: August 3, 2023 in Weekly News Round-Ups 2023-08-07 16:16:38 -0400
Weekly News Round Up: August 3, 2023
Join us for our upcoming webinar on engagement, proxy voting, and the implementation of net zero commitments with ASU and TIAA on August 16 at 1 pm ET.
Sponsorship opportunities are still available for IEN’s upcoming in-person events. Firms interested in sponsoring our 2023 Fall Forum or 2024 Higher Education Climate Leadership Summit should contact Harrison Ungar at [email protected].
In this week’s news, Impax releases its Stewardship and Advocacy Report, Oregon Tech is awarded $18 million for a revamp of its geothermal energy system, and Church of England organizes an $128 million fund addressing its ties to the slave trade.
Read more