Retirement Resources

Learning the Basics:

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.

Guide to Sustainable Retirements

This guide is designed to provide practical information relevant to plan sponsors, human resources and finance officers and personnel, advocates, employees, investment advisors, legal scholars, and others.

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Climate Action Pursuit session: What Do Retirement Plan Sponsors Need to Know about Sustainability?

This panel at the 2021 Climate Action Pursuit is intended to help clarify how plan sponsors and trustees can consider sustainable investing strategies.

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Climate Action Pursuit session: What's in My Retirement Plan?

At this session at the 2021 Climate Action Pursuit, you hear firsthand from a company representative on why they wanted to add these funds, how they did so, and the results they have seen.

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IEN Curated Resources:

Publications & articles

A library of publications and articles IEN has developed on sustainable retirements

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Webinars and online workshops

Recordings of webinars that IEN has hosted on sustainable retirements

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Events

Access event summaries and panel recordings on sustainable retirements

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Blogs

Collection of thought leadership by network members and partners on sustainable retirements

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Acting for Impact:

Join IEN's Sustainable Retirements Initiative

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

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Ask to make TIAA Low Carbon Social Choice Fund available at your institution

TIAA-CREF now offers a low-carbon retirement fund, the Low Carbon Social Choice Fund. To help make this opportunity available to more employees who might be interested in selecting in for their retirement funds, encourage your faculty and staff to ask their university HR directors to make this fund option available.

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Other Resources

How Advisors Can Promote Sustainable Investing in Retirement Plans | The Sustainable Finance Podcast (2022)

Incorporating ESG in DC Plans: A Resource for Plan Sponsors | DCIIA (2021)

Private retirement systems and sustainability | Principles for Responsible Investment (2020)

Private retirement systems and sustainability: United States | Principles for Responsible Investment (2020)

Options for 401K and Other Defined Contribution Retirement Plans | US SIF (2015)

Getting Started in Sustainable and Impact Investing | US SIF (2017)

Taking Action: Sustainable Investing and Higher Education Retirement Plans | Natixis Investment Managers (2019)

Aligning Retirement Assets Toolkit #1 | World Business Council on Sustainable Development (2018)

Aligning Retirement Assets Toolkit #2 | World Business Council on Sustainable Development (2019)

Sustainable Investing in Defined Contribution Plans: A Guide for Plan Sponsors | Defined Contribution Institutional Investment Association (2019)

Fossil Free Funds | As You Sow: An interactive tool for seeing the fossil fuel holdings of hundreds of mutual funds and ETFs

Articles and Announcements

DOL embraces ESG, suspends enforcement of “Financial Factors” rule and begins work on a new rule | Federated Hermes (May 2021)

DOL Paves the Way for ERISA Plan ESG Investments in Final “Pecuniary Factor” Rule | Natixis Investment Management (November 2020)

Analysis of Public Comments on Department of Labor ESG Proposal Shows Landslide of Opposition | USSIF, Ceres, AFL-CIO, Impax, Morningstar, ICCR, and IEN (August 20, 2020)

New Fossil Fuel Free Balanced Fund Option | The University of British Columbia (December 9, 2019)

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