Boston Common’s sixth annual impact report comes when the rights of women and their ability to access healthcare are in question, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has investors reconsidering their approach to repressive regimes, financial players are being asked to combat gun violence, and ESG investing is under attack by journalists, politicians, and other investors. In the midst of this challenging environment, we continued throughout 2021 in demonstrating our authentic approach, addressing urgent systemic issues where we see opportunities to create an impact including climate change, widespread inequity, and inadequate access to health care.

Reflecting on our ongoing engagement and thought leadership work, in 2021 we:
  • Made three significant firm-level commitments:
    • Net Zero Asset Managers Initiative
    • Deforestation-Free Forest-Risk Agricultural Commodities by 2025
    • Finance for Biodiversity Pledge
  • Engaged carbon-intensive companies regarding responsible refrigerant management
  • Deepened our work on racial and gender equity
  • Addressed human rights in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR) across sectors
  • Advocated for the SEC to adopt new climate disclosure requirements
Find more details on these efforts as well as a window into our initial purchase process and an update on this current year’s shareholder resolutions in our 2021 Impact Report.

While our work continues into 2022, we welcome your input and feedback on our 2021 results.

With gratitude,

Lauren Compere

Managing Director/Head of Stewardship & Engagement

Published On: July 7, 2022Categories: From the Commons