Sustainable Finance & Socially Responsible Investment

“The fight against the Dakota Access Pipeline, which continues, has implications beyond the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe. It is a fight for everyone who wants clean air, clean water, and gender equality. As governments increasingly prove incapable or unwilling to protect these things, citizens are turning to the market and the market is responding.”

Answering the call for increasing energy self-reliance, a grassroots electricity-sharing model is emerging. “Community microgrids,” comprising community-owned or subscribed solar PV and other renewable energy sources, offer participants and surrounding consumers the security of energy resilience in times of grid failure and protection from energy price increases driven by volatile energy markets.

We must make lending decisions in which we effectively balance the needs of our customers and prospective customers with the interests of our other stakeholders. Determining which industries or companies within a particular industry we should lend to isn’t always easy. Another challenge is balancing the long-term payback of CSR with Wall Street’s focus on the next quarter.

Launching next week, we teamed up with Jeff Johnson, a well-known photographer of California adventure culture, for our We Wear Fair Trade photo series to honor a few of the individuals and brands who are making a bold, collective commitment to value the people who make our clothes.

Arrow Electronics values working with organizations that find innovative ways make people’s lives better. The Denver-based Rose Andom Center is one such organization.

How to create more inclusive economies by engaging employers in developing new ideas and solutions for employing and retaining entry-level talent.

Much attention has been paid to the concept that global warming will cause a dramatic drop in the value of carbon
reserves. A major shift towards non-carbon-based energy and non-carbon feedstocks for chemical processes could “strand” assets tied to oil drilling, coal mining, and fracking activities. Various groups have tried to quantify the downside risk to energy companies, if the response to climate change occurs.

However, there are other assets that climate change could strand. And, there are other sustainability trends that could result in stranding other types of assets. Both corporate managers and investors should probably examine these risks, too.

A holistic approach across the three sectors of wealth, corporate and investment helps address the specific challenges of the charity sector, says Kathleen Britain, Head of Charities for Barclays Wealth and Investment Management.

The 2017 Global Citizenship Report (GCR) is now available at csr.fedex.com. The report showcases how FedEx connects people, businesses and communities in ways that advance social and economic progress and environmental sustainability.