Sustainable Investing

With climate change now clearly on the horizon, the imperative of sustainability is starting to transform the world's capital markets. Already billions of dollars, pounds, euro and yen are being managed with a view to environmental, social and governance factors. Evolving out of the ethical, socially responsible investment (SRI) and responsible investment waves, sustainable investment involves the conscious integration of extra-financial factors into strategies for generating long-term financial returns. In essence, sustainable investment is fast becoming the smart way of generating long-term returns.With conventional investors now scrambling to factor in issues such as climate change, business ethics and human rights, sustainable investment represents a turning point in the evolution of global finance. Written by international leaders in SRI, ethical and sustainable investment from Wall Street and the City, this accessible, fast-moving, information-packed book covers the full breadth and depth of sustainable investment. Topics include a thorough explanation of sustainable investment, its history, evolution and mainstreaming; how to select sustainable companies and investments including screening criteria, indices and indicators; investment analysis and performance; the changing corporate landscape towards Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and environmental sustainability; and changes in capital markets. A final section looks at future risk, and the possibilities for sustainable investment to actually encourage corporate survival--as well as potential investor returns going forward--in this era of pending climatic change. Invaluable reference sections provide further information including: a fluency guide to terms and acronyms such as SRI and Cleantech, key international initiatives for corporate sustainability, international rating agencies, a directory of SRI funds and firms, sustainability indices on the DOW and FTSE and more. This is the essential insider guide for thoughtful investors, fund managers, business leaders and consultants seeking to lead the front end of the sustainability curve for both superior returns and a positive constructive future in this new era of climate and global environmental change.