ESG & SRI vs VBI

ESG, SRI & VBI - Impact Your Money!

ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) has been a hot topic for several years.  Evolving from SRI (Socially Responsibile Investing), ESG has come to heavily influence many investment choices. 

ESG, perhaps better than any topic in view, best exemplifies the issue of Shareholder VOICE.  If you own stocks, you as an owner of those companies have a VOICE.  If you do not choose to voice it, by VOTING, it will be done for you by the Investment Companies in which your stock ownership resides.  

Some of those Investment Companies are receiving push back from a perception that they influence those corporations through exercise of influence on their company Boards.  Numerous states' Attorneys General have recently concluded actions taken by various Investment Companies are perhaps not in the best interest of shareholders relative to how the Investment Companies are voting them, and have put restrictions on working with these Companies with state funds.  So Share Voting is obviously an issue worth understanding. Other Investment Companies are actively trying to remove any undue influence, suggesting that steers large corporations from their core focuses into unprofitable ventures to the detriment of their shareholders ... perhaps YOU. 

Whether you are pro-ESG in its present format, or subscribe to the latter view there is undue influence perhaps working against you, it is a good topic to understand as an investor.  In the sections below, hear the issue described by various leaders of the industry from various sides!

Neutralizing Undue Influence

Neuberger Berman & Strive debate ESG

Jonathan Bailey of Neuberger Berman and Vivek Ramaswamy of Strive Asset Management take opposing positions on the impact of ESG on Corporate direction and the duties those Corporations have to Shareholders.

Neutralizing Corporate Governance

Corporate Governance Overview

Justin Danhof of Strive explains the duty Corporations have to its Shareholders and the importance of keeping politics out of Boardrooms. Premise: Corporations should focus on core competencies and shareholder profits, not political agendas.

Blackrock Explains ESG Views

Blackrock addresses ESG, importance of Climate Change in Corporate America

Blackrock CEO Larry Fink discusses issues surrounding his Investment Company's views on ESG and its impact on both Corporate America and investments.

State Street’s ‘Engagement’

Future of ESG: Supplying the Demand

“Powerful market forces are driving the rapid growth of ESG in finance.  This growth is a ‘once in a generation commercial opportunity for the industry’ … “  is it for you?  Learn about it!

Vanguard’s ‘Engagement’

Vanguard ‘Pushes’ Stewardship

Why Vanguard is Pushing ‘Stewardship’

Vanguard’s Glenn Booraem:  “Vanguard engaged 950 odd times last year with companies, ‘escalating engagement’ with voting (proxy-voting Shareholders’  shares) over time”.  Hear him describe the process.
Click here to watch the video.

Bloomberg: ESG Opinion

Bloomberg: Rise & Fall of ESG Investing

Senior Markets Editor discusses Ups, Downs, History, Future, Good & Bad of ESG Investing