Seemingly one of the
last bastions of fiscal conservatism, the investment industry has been greening
itself up over the past decade or so. Shareholders have realized that by voting
with their dollars, they have the potential to leverage markets in favor of the
planet and of those less fortunate who live on it – and to make some money for
themselves at the same time.
And that, in turn, is slowly but steadily leading the business
community and governments toward becoming part of the solution rather than part
of the problem. With the responsible investment sector watching over their
shoulders and primed to pounce at missteps, they are finding that rhetoric and
greenwashing advertisements are no longer enough.
Socially Responsible Investing
Shareholder advocacy is one aspect of socially responsible
investing (SRI). SRI is defined as the integration of investment with social
responsibility and environmental sustainability. It includes all the financial
decision-making processes that are a part of a prudent investment management
approach, but it also includes ...
Wendy Priesnitz is the editor of Natural Life
magazine, a prolific
author and
a
small business writer.
