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Bella Alvarez published Weekly News Round-Up: February 1, 2024 in Weekly News Round-Ups 2024-02-27 09:30:50 -0500
Weekly News Round-Up: February 1, 2024
We’re delighted to announce that virtual registrations for the 2024 Higher Education Leadership Summit are now open for those who can’t join us in person! Virtual tickets offer access to mainstage conversations on justice, equity, diversity, and climate leadership. Register now to join us virtually!
In this week’s news, ENGIE signs a deal with Amazon to supply the company with 473 megawatts of wind power, Sorenson Impact Foundation inks five program-related investments, and HBCUs seek out opportunities to bolster their endowments.
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Bella Alvarez published IEN Q&A 2024 ESG and Sustainable Investing Trends: Impax's Asset Manager Perspective in Blog 2024-02-01 06:39:57 -0500
IEN Q&A 2024 ESG and Sustainable Investing Trends: Impax's Asset Manager Perspective
2023 saw major developments surrounding environmental, social, and governance (ESG) investments, including lawsuits, political controversy, and increased regulatory scrutiny. Despite these challenges, ESG investment performance remains strong. As we look ahead to 2024, IEN spoke with Jeff Vilker, Director of Defined & Contribution at Impax Asset Management on his thoughts of the state of ESG as we begin the year.
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Bella Alvarez published Weekly News Round-Up: January 25, 2024 in Weekly News Round-Ups 2024-01-31 13:02:20 -0500
Weekly News Round-Up: January 25, 2024
There is still time to register for our 2024 Higher Education Climate Leadership Summit. Join us to learn the successes and future opportunities of scaling climate action at the system level from our plenary keynote speakers. Register now to be part of this conversation in Long Beach, CA!
IEN Members who were unable to join last week’s webinar on natural capital and biodiversity can now access the webinar recording on our past webinar page.
In this week’s news, Sphere looks forward to an exciting project in 2024, the Ford Foundation’s Roy Swan speaks on his work leading mission investments at the organization, and the Biden administration pauses LNG new export approvals as the Energy Department reviews the effects of the projects.
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Bella Alvarez published Weekly News Round-Up: January 18, 2024 in Weekly News Round-Ups 2024-01-31 13:02:19 -0500
Weekly News Round-Up: January 18, 2024
Time is running out to register for the 2024 Higher Education Leadership Summit. Secure your spot today to join your peers for this inspiring event in Long Beach, California!
We also encourage IEN members to complete our brief 2023 Membership Survey before it closes tomorrow. By completing the survey, you'll have a chance to receive a complimentary ticket to the 2024 Summit!
Additionally, our 10th Anniversary Gala, originally planned for April 11th at the Museum of Science in Boston, has been rescheduled to Wednesday, November 13th. More details will be provided soon!
In this week’s news, Breckinridge elaborates on its climate-aware investing strategy, the San Diego Diocese commits to fossil fuel divestment, and CalPERS allocated $4 billion to diverse private equity managers in FY2023.
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Bella Alvarez published Weekly News Round-Up: January 11, 2024 in Weekly News Round-Ups 2024-01-31 13:02:18 -0500
Weekly News Round-Up: January 11, 2024
We’re excited to have you join next week’s webinar on natural capital and biodiversity. Register to learn how to address biodiversity through institutional investments including biodiversity disclosure from CDP, Schroders, and Green Century Capital Management on January 18 at 11 am ET.
In addition, our 2024 Higher Education Climate Leadership Summit is fast approaching! If you haven’t yet, register to join us in Long Beach for three days of dynamic and transformative conversations on climate justice.
In this week’s news, McKinsey makes the case that diversity matters even more, the NASDAQ diversity rule takes effect, and UNCF receives a $100 million grant to support its capital campaign.
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Bella Alvarez published Weekly News Round-Up: January 4, 2024 in Weekly News Round-Ups 2024-01-31 13:02:16 -0500
Weekly News Round-Up: January 4, 2024
We’re excited to have Dr. Michael L. Lomax, President and CEO of UNCF, as a keynote speaker for our 2024 Higher Education Climate Leadership Summit! Secure your spot today to learn from Dr. Lomax's thought leadership and connect with peers
IEN Members, the 2023 year-end survey is still open. Please share your insights to help us refine our programming and enter the raffle to win a free ticket to the 2024 Summit!
In this week’s news, Virginia universities contribute billions to climate-friendly investments, governance takes center stage in 2024, and New York City Retirement Systems put $10.5 billion toward climate solutions in FY2023.
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Bella Alvarez published Weekly News Round-Up: December 21, 2023 in Weekly News Round-Ups 2024-01-31 13:02:14 -0500
Weekly News Round-Up: December 21, 2023
As we approach the end of the year, we want to reflect on the successes of 2023 and look forward to the exciting opportunities that await us in 2024! We would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to our staff, interns, funders, sponsors, and Network members for their unwavering support throughout the year.
Please note that our offices will be closed from December 22nd through January 1st so our team can spend quality time with their loved ones during the holidays.
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Bella Alvarez published Weekly News Round-Up: December 14, 2023 in Weekly News Round-Ups 2024-01-31 13:02:11 -0500
Weekly News Round-Up: December 14, 2023
As we approach the end of 2023, we value your insights and invite you to participate in our annual Survey and enter a raffle to win a free ticket to the 2024 Higher Education Climate Leadership Summit! We appreciate your time and commitment is improving our community.
As a reminder, early bird registration for the 2024 Higher Education Climate Leadership Summit is closing tomorrow! Secure your spot now to connect with engaging thought leaders and build solidarity for climate justice.
In this week’s news, TIIP releases a new report on (re)calibrating feedback loops, IEN Member UNCF stages a revival, and a deal is struck at COP28 to transition away from fossil fuels.
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Bella Alvarez published Weekly News Round-Up: December 7, 2023 in Weekly News Round-Ups 2024-01-31 13:02:10 -0500
Weekly News Round-Up: December 7, 2023
We are excited to announce that we will be celebrating our 10th anniversary in the upcoming year! We invite you to mark your calendar for our 10th-anniversary gala dinner on April 11, 2024, at the Museum of Science in Boston, MA.
Also, join us for the last Net Zero call of the year, featuring Lombard Odier Asset Management on December 20 at 2 pm ET, to get insights on climate solutions via investment vehicles in various asset classes. We will also host info sessions for the Student Corporate Engagement Challenge on December 12 and 14. Students are invited to attend.
In this week’s news, the Church of England Pensions Board releases its first climate action plan, the University of Toronto is named the most sustainable university in the world, and Moody’s says $4 trillion of debt is exposed to environmental risks.
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Bella Alvarez published 13 University Teams to Participate in Challenge Focused on Addressing Systemic Risk and Increasing Returns Through Shareholder Engagement in Blog 2024-01-30 14:30:08 -0500
13 University Teams to Participate in Challenge Focused on Addressing Systemic Risk and Increasing Returns Through Shareholder Engagement
Undergraduate and graduate students from Cornell University, Columbia University, Bard College, Shenandoah University, University of Michigan, Felix Houphouet-Boigny University, Hampton University, Virginia Wesleyan University, Central Washington University, Smith College, University of Southern California, University of Minnesota, and the University of California Berkeley Haas to compete in the IEN Student Corporate Engagement Challenge.
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Bella Alvarez published IEN 2024 Climate Solutions Series: Community Solar – The Middle Market of the US Solar Industry with Aligned Climate Capital in Past Webinars 2024-01-30 09:38:05 -0500
IEN 2024 Climate Solutions Series: Community Solar – The Middle Market of the US Solar Industry with Aligned Climate Capital
June 25, 2024 | 2 pm ET
IEN’s climate solutions series will focus on opportunities for direct, high-impact investment in climate solutions. Each conversation in this interactive series will focus on a manager or group with a perspective in the market, giving them an opportunity to share their work, what they’re seeing in the space, and explore the range of what’s possible.
The June 2024 convening will feature perspectives from Aligned Climate Capital. Community solar is a rapidly growing segment of the US solar industry that allows any electricity customer to benefit from the cost savings of solar power. This ‘middle market’ of solar offers mission-aligned investors a unique opportunity to invest in cash-yield infrastructure assets that achieve climate benefits, job creation, and local economic development. Aligned Climate Capital has been investing in this sector since 2017 and will share an overview of the market, the options available to investors, and upcoming trends based upon new programs established by the Inflation Reduction Act.This series is open to IEN Members only, and is a part of IEN's Net Zero Endowments Initiative. To learn more about the initiative or to join, please contact Aicha Ly at [email protected].
Recording:
Speaker:
Brendan Bell, Chief Operating Officer and Managing Director, Aligned Climate Capital LLC
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Bella Alvarez published IEN 2024 Climate Solutions Series: Sunwealth in Past Webinars 2024-01-29 13:15:27 -0500
IEN 2024 Climate Solutions Series: Sunwealth
May 22, 2024 | 1 pm ET
IEN’s climate solutions series will focus on opportunities for direct, high-impact investment in climate solutions. Each conversation in this interactive series will focus on a manager or group with a perspective in the market, giving them an opportunity to share their work, what they’re seeing in the space, and explore the range of what’s possible.
The May 2024 convening will feature market perspectives from Sunwealth, drawing on their work financing and managing solar projects that benefit diverse communities through clean power, carbon reduction, cost savings and job creation.
Martha Buckley, Senior Manager of Investor Development, will share case studies on strategies that drive real-world social and climate impacts, and will also speak to the impacts of legislation, including the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, in transforming private markets beginning this year into 2025 and catalyzing capital for community-based projects.
This series is open to IEN Members only, and is a part of IEN's Net Zero Endowments Initiative. To learn more about the initiative or to join, please contact Aicha Ly at [email protected].Recording:
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Bella Alvarez published Investment Governance Initiative Q2 Call | May 7, 2024 | 2 pm ET in Past Webinars 2024-01-23 11:19:35 -0500
Investment Governance Initiative Q2 Call | May 7, 2024 | 2 pm ET
IEN's Investment Governance Initiative supports endowment fiduciaries in developing the tools needed to provide the leadership, stewardship, and governance to ensure their portfolios and institutions are positioned to have their investment practices reflect their mission while meeting the endowment’s risk and return objectives. This call will expand on the initiative's work around systems level investing with perspectives from The Investment Integration Project (TIIP).
The Investment Integration Project (TIIP) recently released a report entitled (Re)Calibrating Feedback Loops: Guidance for Asset Owners and Institutional Investors Assessing the Influence of System-level Investing, which provides a framework for investors to assess their impacts and influence on systemic risks, through case studies of climate change, income inequality and racial inequity. Co-authored by William Burckart, Melissa Eng, Jessica Ziegler and Monique Aiken, the reports brings together concepts from several of TIIP’s preceding measurement reports as well as a range of industry thought leadership to re-introduce pathways for system-level investing.
The report builds on a series of interrelated projects, each of which aims to develop dimensions of the shared infrastructure and principles that are pivotal to shifting the financial sector from uncoordinated innovation to building the marketplace for system-level investing. The first of these was TIIP's Industry Needs Project in 2021, which helped determine whether and how much the financial industry knows about system-level investing and how to encourage and support widespread adoption of this approach. One of the primary findings was that an industry-wide embrace of system-level investing will depend, in large part, on ensuring that investors have access to frameworks for assessing their impact on systemic issues. This includes guidance on good governance, effective due diligence, meaningful reporting, and the data to support these processes.
(Re) Calibrating Feedback Loops seeks to provide a practical framework with tools to help investors ensure that their policies, programs, and practices are aligned with their overarching system-level goals—do all actions work in the direction of a healthier and more resilient system? Furthermore, the impact of an investor’s actions will be amplified when they can gain momentum through collaborative efforts of the financial system. Aligning the actions of many investors with varying resources and capabilities to achieve system-level goals is what will recalibrate feedback loops to support stable systems.
The report was informed by a working group of industry leaders who were instrumental in ensuring the practical applicability and usability of the guidance. The report also includes a detailed roadmap of the process by which investors can assess system-level investing progress, with examples focused on the systemic issues of climate change, income inequality, and racial inequity. The guidance developed through this research and report seeks to answer the following questions:
- What is the relationship between the standards and goals set by investors at a portfolio level and the overarching indicators of progress at a system level?
- In what ways and to what extent does the management of portfolio-level risks and rewards translate into system-level progress?
- In what ways and to what extent do system-level developments affect portfolio-level performance?
The findings from this project reinforce the need for more robust data to be leveraged in the evaluation of system-level progress. Applying the framework presented in this report will help the financial industry better fulfill the promise of system-level investing as a force for calibrating—or recalibrating as the case may be—the feedback loops between investors, and overarching social, financial and environmental systems. In doing so, investors will help to ensure that their investments intentionally support the health and resilience of crucial systems, reduce systemic risks, and promote opportunities for all
To learn more or join this group, please contact Georges Dyer at [email protected]
Recording
Slides
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Bella Alvarez published IEN 2024 Climate Solutions Series: Can public companies lead the transition to a low-carbon economy? | Terra Alpha in Past Webinars 2024-01-17 13:17:50 -0500
IEN 2024 Climate Solutions Series: Can public companies lead the transition to a low-carbon economy? | Terra Alpha
April 24 | 1 pm ET
IEN’s climate solutions series will focus on opportunities for direct, high-impact investment in climate solutions. Each conversation in this interactive series will focus on a manager or group with a perspective in the market, giving them an opportunity to share their work, what they’re seeing in the space, and explore the range of what’s possible.
The April 2024 call will feature perspectives from IEN Member Terra Alpha, who will focus on the role of public companies in the energy transition. Part of Terra Alpha's work is to identify companies leading the climate transition to a sustainable economy, emphasizing key metrics like the Science-Based Targets Portfolio Coverage.
This series is open to IEN Members only and is a part of IEN's Net Zero Endowments Initiative. To learn more about the initiative or to join, please contact Aicha Ly at [email protected].
Recording:
Slides
Speakers:
Dan Sanborn, CFA, Senior Portfolio Manager, Partner, Terra Alpha Investments
Julianna Brunini, CFA, Senior Investment Analyst, Director of Research
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Bella Alvarez published IEN 2024 Climate Solutions Series: Infrastructure Investing for Climate Solutions | I Squared Capital in Past Webinars 2024-01-12 14:54:45 -0500
IEN 2024 Climate Solutions Series: Infrastructure Investing for Climate Solutions | I Squared Capital
March 28, 2024 | 11 am ET
IEN’s climate solutions series will focus on opportunities for direct, high-impact investment in climate solutions. Each conversation in this interactive series will focus on a manager or group with a perspective in the market, giving them an opportunity to share their work, what they’re seeing in the space, and explore the range of what’s possible.
I Squared is a leading infrastructure investment firm that seeks to deliver innovative and practical solutions that drive results and shape our future, meeting today’s challenges for a better tomorrow. Since inception, I Squared has owned and developed over 5,800MW of renewable energy capacity.
The call's speaker was Damian Darragh, Fund Partner for the Firm’s Energy Transition Infrastructure strategy. Prior to his current role, Damian was the Founder of the UK’s largest flexible generation platform and I Squared portfolio company, Conrad Energy.
Damian spoke to how technological advancement, including battery storage, is providing critical intermittency solutions and how geopolitical tensions and legislative initiatives, including the Inflation Reduction Act, are accelerating renewable adoption across Europe and the United States.
This series is open to IEN Members only, and is a part of IEN's Net Zero Endowments Initiative. To learn more about the initiative or to join, please contact Aicha Ly at [email protected].
Recording
Slides from the call
Speaker:
Damian Darragh, Fund Partner, I Squared
Damian is a Fund Partner at I Squared, focused on the Energy Transition sector globally. Prior to his current role, Damian founded Conrad Energy, a Fund I and Fund II portfolio company of I Squared. Under Damian's leadership, Conrad Energy has grown to be the UK's largest flexible generation platform with a portfolio of over 1 gigawatt of gas generation, grid-connected battery and solar assets backed by a highly automated trading and operational platform.
Damian has over 30 years of private equity infrastructure investment experience, with a particular focus on renewable energy, throughout his career including setting up and sponsoring Independent Power Producers. Prior to Conrad Energy, Damian was a Managing Director at Terra Firma, where he led the investment activity in the sector. During that time, Damian built three leading renewable energy utility businesses, through organic and buy-and-build growth strategies: Infinis (which had an initial public offering as the UK's largest independent renewable energy business), EverPower (a leading U.S. onshore wind company) and RTR (an Italian solar business that was established through a series of deals with the grid operator, Terna).
In addition to being Chairman at Conrad Energy, Damian currently holds non-executive board positions at the Energia Group (an I Squared portfolio company), Lynher Energy and AEDL ( a European toll road company).
Damian has a Sloan Fellowship MSc from London Business School and a Master's degree in Electronic Engineering Science (MEng) from the University of Manchester and L'Institut Supérieur D'Electronique du Nord in Lille, France.
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Bella Alvarez published IEN 2024 Climate Solutions Series: Fixed Income and Climate Solutions | Breckinridge Capital in Past Webinars 2024-01-12 14:54:43 -0500
IEN 2024 Climate Solutions Series: Fixed Income and Climate Solutions | Breckinridge Capital
February 27 | 2 pm ET
IEN’s climate solutions series will focus on opportunities for direct, high-impact investment in climate solutions. Each conversation in this interactive series will focus on a manager or group with a perspective in the market, giving them an opportunity to share their work, what they’re seeing in the space, and explore the range of what’s possible.
The February 2024 call featured perspectives from IEN Member Breckinridge Capital Advisors. Breckinridge is a Boston-based, independently owned investment advisor specializing in investment-grade fixed-income portfolio management, and spoke to opportunities in fixed income and provide its market views on related climate solutions.
This series is open to IEN Members only, and is a part of IEN's Net Zero Endowments Initiative. To learn more about the initiative or to join, please contact Aicha Ly at [email protected].
Recording
Speakers:Joshua Stein, CFA, Senior Research Analyst, Breckinridge
Tim Coffin, Director of Sustainability, Breckinridge
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Bella Alvarez published IEN Webinar: Natural Capital and Biodiversity in Past Webinars 2023-12-12 16:08:37 -0500
IEN Webinar: Natural Capital and Biodiversity
January 18, 2023, 11 am ET
Join CDP, Schroders, and Green Century Capital Management for a conversation on natural capital and biodiversity in the investment process. CDP, which in September announced its intention to align with the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD), will dive into its work with Green Century Capital Management on identifying companies’ progress towards key performance indicators of deforestation risk assessments and biodiversity disclosure. Schroders continues to prioritize biodiversity in its strategy and has encouraged investors to do the same this year, launching its Plan for Nature this fall to outline their approach to reducing nature risk. The firm will speak on its strategy, the need to address biodiversity through institutional investments, and the ways US and UK asset managers are planning to manage nature-related risks in 2024.
Recording:
View the webinar slide deckSpeakers:
Monique Ewerton, Senior Associate, Capital Markets, CDP
Stephanie Williams, Sustainable Investment Analyst, Schroders
Annie Sanders, Director of Shareholder Advocacy, Green Century Capital Management
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Bella Alvarez published Investment Governance Call: Rethinking Fiduciary Duty | January 9, 2023 | 1 pm ET in Past Webinars 2023-12-08 15:11:52 -0500
Investment Governance Call: Rethinking Fiduciary Duty | January 9, 2023 | 1 pm ET
This call will feature perspectives from George Suttles, Executive Director at the Commonfund Institute, and Rosalie Sheehy Cates, Senior Advisor at The Giving Practice. Suttles and Sheehy Cates will discuss the ways to inform and empower fiduciaries regarding the evolving nature of fiduciary duty, particularly how it relates to impact and sustainability. Their conversation will build on the resources Suttles and his team have supported at the Commonfund Institute, the efforts of Sheehy Cates with foundation boards and investment committees, and the work of organizations and members within IEN's Investment Governance Initiative around systemic risk and system-level investing.
If you are interested in joining this Initiative and becoming an IEN Member, please contact Georges Dyer at [email protected].
Recording:
Speakers:
Rosalie Sheehy Cates, Senior Advisor, The Giving Practice
George Suttles, Executive Director, the Commonfund Institute
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Bella Alvarez published Weekly News Round-Up: November 30, 2023 in Weekly News Round-Ups 2023-12-04 13:06:36 -0500
Weekly News Round-Up: November 30, 2023
Great news! Early bird registration for the 2024 Higher Education Climate Leadership Summit has been extended until December 15th. This means you still have time to secure your spot and join your peers at this transformative event at discounted rates. Register now!
Also, today is the last day to submit nominations for IEN's Leadership Award. Take a moment to nominate an outstanding leader in sustainable investing, including yourself!
In this week’s news, the Rockefeller Foundation makes a 2050 net zero commitment, the nation’s largest four-year public university system joins IEN, and Mercer releases its Endowment and Foundation Investment Survey 2023.
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Bella Alvarez published Weekly News Round-Up: November 22, 2023 in Weekly News Round-Ups 2023-11-22 14:39:29 -0500
Weekly News Round-Up: November 22, 2023
As we close our offices for the long holiday weekend, we are taking a moment to reflect on the success of the past few months and express our gratitude to the IEN Community for making this work possible. We are also reflecting on the larger context and history of Thanksgiving, and exploring ways our work can help our society move past the extractive system that inflicts harm on marginalized communities and support indigenous sovereignty.
We invite you to join us in our reflections as you observe the holiday and celebrate the many reasons to be thankful.
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