Blog

US SIF Foundation to release biennial Report on US Sustainable and Impact Investing Trends on November 16

The report will be officially launched at a virtual event on the afternoon of November 16, from 1 to 3pm EST.

WASHINGTON, D.C., November 2, 2020  The US SIF Foundation is slated to release its 2020 biennial Report on US Sustainable and Impact Investing Trends on Monday, November 16. A media briefing will be held that morning virtually at 10:30am EST. Reporters interested in being added to the US SIF Trends Report distribution list or attending the virtual media briefing should contact ussif@lowecom.com or register here. The report will be officially launched at a virtual event on the afternoon of November 16, from 1 to 3pm EST. Complimentary to US SIF members, the event is also open to the public for a fee, which includes a copy of the report.

The Trends Report—first published in 1995 and now in its 13th edition—is the most comprehensive study of sustainable and impact investing in the United States. The report provides data on the US asset management firms and institutional asset owners using sustainable investment strategies and examines the environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) issues they consider in managing their portfolios.

The 2018 report identified $12 trillion in sustainable investment assets comprising ESG incorporation and shareholder engagement strategies, up 38 percent since 2016. Four hundred ninety-six institutional investors, 365 money managers and 1,145 community investing financial institutions incorporated ESG criteria into their investment analysis and decision-making processes at the outset of 2018. The largest percentage of money managers cited client demand as their top motivation for pursuing ESG incorporation, while the largest number of institutional investors cited fulfilling mission and pursuing social benefit as their top motivations.

The 2020 report continues to assess the overall growth of sustainable investing in the United States while providing deeper insights into:
 
  • The level of growth in assets addressing climate change and carbon emissions, sustainable natural resources and agriculture and other environmental issues.
  • The investment trends regarding labor issues, equal employment opportunity and diversity, and other social issues, as well as corporate governance criteria such as board issues, anti-corruption and executive pay.
  • ESG incorporation trends in investment vehicles including mutual funds, exchange traded funds and alternatives.
  • The trends and impact of recent shareholder proposals and other investor engagement efforts.

“Perhaps more than any other year in recent memory, 2020 has exposed the urgent need to work towards a more just and sustainable society, a cause championed by sustainable investing,” said Lisa Woll, CEO of US SIF and the US SIF Foundation. “The extensive data in the Trends Report will provide invaluable insight into the assets under professional management that are engaged in sustainable investing strategies and will aid investors, policymakers, media, academia and nonprofits working towards these important goals.”

The 2020 Trends Report will be available for purchase on the US SIF website starting November 16. Reporters interested in being added to the US SIF Trends Report distribution list or attending the virtual media briefing on November 16 should contact ussif@lowecom.com. Those interested in attending the afternoon Virtual Launch event can register here. Reporters interested in attending the virtual media briefing should register here.   

About US SIF and the US SIF Foundation
 
US SIF: The Forum for Sustainable and Responsible Investment is the leading voice advancing sustainable and impact investing across all asset classes. Its mission is to rapidly shift investment practices toward sustainability, focusing on long-term investment and the generation of positive social and environmental impacts. US SIF members include investment management and advisory firms, mutual fund companies, asset owners, research firms, financial planners and advisors, community investing organizations and nonprofit associations.
 
US SIF is supported in its work by the US SIF Foundation, a 501(C)(3) organization that undertakes educational and research activities to advance the mission of US SIF. The Foundation offers training on the Fundamentals of Sustainable and Impact Investment and in partnership with the College for Financial Planning, offers the only sustainable investment designation in the United States, the Chartered SRI Counselor™ (CSRIC™). This graduate-level program provides financial advisors and investment professionals with the history, definitions, trends, portfolio construction principles, fiduciary responsibilities and best practices of sustainable investment. In addition, the US SIF Foundation offers a free online course for individual investors on the basics of sustainable investing. 
 
Learn more at ussif.org.
 

Contributors