Natural investments’ Racial equity team (RE team) was established in 2021 to champion our firm’s internal efforts to foster a just, equitable, and safe workplace for all advisors and staff members. The team is currently composed of five advisors who serve a term of at least two years, and participants are compensated for being part […]
Being the Change: Natural Investments’ Commitment to Racial Equity Read More »
If you own a stock—even one share—you are a part business owner (or shareholder) of that company. This gives you the opportunity to have your say on how the company is governed through your right to submit a proxy vote. You can vote on issues like board elections, executive compensation, and policy changes. And you
With or Without Advisors: Options for Voting Your Values During Corporate Proxies Read More »
After the supreme Court ended the practice of race-conscious admissions in higher education in 2023, conservative lawsuits sprung up against entities that have tried to level the playing field for women and People of Color who have been disproportionately left out of venture capital funding. A 2023 study from Deloitte, Venture Forward, and the National
Preserving the Right to Support Entrepreneurs of Color Read More »
As a further reflection of our commitment to racial equity and justice, Natural Investments recently became a member of Freedom Economy, a coalition of responsible investors, investment professionals, and values-aligned legal professionals who support one another in responding to the unfounded attacks against diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), as well as responsible investing. This network
The Freedom Economy: Fighting Back Against Racism Read More »
The popularity of socially responsible investing (SRI) reached new heights in the past year. A recent JP Morgan study, “Sustainable Investing on the Rise,” revealed 82% of investors are very interested in sustainable investing and plan to increase their commitment to it in the next two years. Investors shared their investment priorities of climate change
In March, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) voted to require companies to disclose climate risks for the first time in American history. This regulatory mandate comes after three years of intense advocacy and more than 24,000 public comments. It confirms what sustainable investors have long known: that environmental practices, and carbon emissions in particular,
Historic Corporate Climate Disclosure Rule Passed by the SEC Read More »
Unfortunately, when the U.S. House of Representatives selected Mike Johnson, R-La., as its Speaker, they picked someone who has been vehemently opposed to socially responsible investing. In the past six years, he sponsored four bills (that didn’t pass) to curtail it, stating that the Department of Labor is overreaching its authority by allowing retirement plans
In the past six months, through our affiliation with the FAIRR Initiative, we have engaged a variety of meat processing companies such as Tyson, Armor, Farmer John, Smithfield, and other brands in Australia, Brazil, and China regarding significant labor issues at their facilities and overall operations in the areas of worker voice, working conditions, grievance
Driven by ever-increasing investor demand, most major investment institutions are practicing sustainable, responsible, and impact (SRI) investing. As a result, the number of products claiming to integrate environmental, social, and governance (ESG) criteria continues to rise. Per Morningstar®, there are now more than 600 ESG mutual funds and exchange-traded funds in the U.S., including 87
Our Moment Anyone who’s been a sustainable and responsible investor for more than 30 years, long before it was popular, knows how difficult it’s been for the approach to gain mainstream acceptance. We’ve all watched with great pleasure as more and more investors have increasingly aligned their investments with their values, but it took quite