Sustainable Retirements Initiative 

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.

Guide to Sustainable Retirements

  • Guide to Sustainable Retirements (June 2021) - practical information relevant to plan sponsors, human resources and finance officers and personnel, advocates, employees, investment advisors, legal scholars, and others to address misconceptions related to the use of ESG funds in retirement plans.

Webinars & Presentations - Integrating Sustainable Investment Options into Higher Ed Retirement Plans

The Sustainable Retirement Plans Pledge

  • The Sustainable Retirement Plans Pledge, drafted with support from Second Nature and The Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE), establishes that university “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.”

Background & Scope

The initiative was launched in 2019 through an initial phase of design, formation, research and engagement. It is designed to engage a broad network of universities and other nonprofit institutions to help fiduciaries ensure they are considering all material, pecuniary, ESG investment factors in fund selection for defined contribution (DC) 403b plans; as well as support defined benefit (DB) plans in effectively doing the same. 

This initiative is modeled after a similar project led by the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) for corporate retirement plans: Aligning Retirement Assets with Corporate Sustainability Commitments (ARA). The ARA brought together leading asset management firms and financial advisors with WBCSD member companies to identify the barriers and the ways in which to address them so that they can better align their retirement plans with their sustainability commitments.  

Participation

Participation is open to interested parties from all colleges, universities, and other nonprofits – including trustees and investment committee members, CFOs, HR professionals and other administrators, faculty and staff interested in the impact of their retirement funds.

There is no cost or obligation for representatives from nonprofit institutions to participate.

Leading asset management firms are providing expertise, guidance, and financial support of this initiative.

The Expert Council, made up of representatives from IEN, participating colleges and universities, and supporting asset managers provide strategic input and help steer the direction of the initiative.

Please reach out to [email protected] if you would be interested in joining the initiative, and/or use this link to receive updates on this work.

 

For more resources related to sustainable investing options in higher education retirement plans visit the Retirement Resources page in IEN's resource library. 

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