Celebrating 20+ years of ESG-Integrated Investing
20 Years of Proactive Shareholder Engagement
2023 marked our 20th year as an ESG-integrated investor and leader in corporate shareholder engagement. As detailed below, these two decades of innovative initiatives and company dialogues meaningfully influenced corporate policies and practices.
Access to Medicine for HIV/AIDS
Engaged pharmaceutical companies on integrating access and affordability into their core business strategy.
Marriott adopts Human Rights Policy
Led intensive dialogues with Marriott International, resulting in a change in the company’s Human Rights policy to specifically include a section on the Protection of Children.
Global Network Initiative Founding Investor Member
Engaged companies on digital human rights since 2008 and was a founding investor member of the Global Network Initiative, which focuses on protecting digital human rights globally with and increasing transparency on government requests for data from technology companies.
Indigenous Rights Policy
Under the Indigenous Peoples Working Group, Boston Common AM lead dialogues with ConocoPhillips, Repsol, and Apache, resulting in all three companies adopting Indigenous Rights Policies.
Emerging Markets Disclosure Project
Co-chair of the Emerging Markets Disclosure Project, an initiative of the US SIF Foundation, to improve ESG disclosure practices in emerging markets.
Banking on a Low Carbon Future
Led engagement initiative to understand and access how global banks are managing climate risks and opportunities. We engaged and benchmarked 60 banks.
Developed Eco-Efficiency Framework
The framework informs and support companies in adopting best practices to reduce energy and water use and eliminate resource waste to boost bottom lines, foster circular economies, and help avert extreme climate change.
Partnership for Carbon Accounting Financials (PCAF)
Became the first US asset manager member to join the Partnership for Carbon Accounting Financials (PCAF), a global industry-led initiative for financial institutions to measure and disclose the greenhouse gas emissions of their investments.
Investors for Sustainable Solar Investor Co-Founder
Collaborated with investors to support Just Transition with utility company Eversource, and support the development of sustainable solar practices through the Investors for Sustainable Solar initiative.
Published Investor Guidance for Prioritizing Gender
Developed a full value chain approach on prioritizing gender. The guide identifies key questions to ask companies through focused engagement and essential steps all investors should take.
Two Decades of Climate Leadership
Boston Common’s History of Decarbonizing Portfolios
Boston Common is a leading investor voice on sustainability issues. Before climate change was a mainstream concern, we engaged companies to improve operations, reduce GHG emissions, and increase efficiency. We avoid investments in the worst contributors to climate change, choosing instead to invest in companies focused on renewable energy, climate change mitigation and adaptation, process efficiency, and economic circularity.
Emerging Markets
Unlocking Sustainable Growth
The Emerging Markets strategy report highlights decade-long engagements with diversified portfolio companies.
Key themes include:
- ESG investing in Emerging Markets (“EM”) is evolving from traditional risk mitigation to alpha generation.
- EM companies are leading sustainability adopters on the global ESG stage.
- Shareholder Engagement has helped raise the bar on ESG—at the company, regulatory, & exchange levels.
“We always felt we were part of a movement that we needed to build. We were completing finance.”
Geeta Aiyer
Founder & President
Invest with Us
This piece is intended as an editorial review of a survey of risk considerations and does not constitute investment advice, a solicitation, or an offer to buy or sell any security. Past performance does not guarantee future results. All investments involve risk, including the risk of loss of principal.
Company developments described in this report occurred during the period of our engagement but should not be assumed to have resulted from Boston Common’s activities. Where we believe our engagement contributed to a development, we describe the basis for that assessment.
References to third-party research, publications, and data sources are provided for informational purposes only. Boston Common Asset Management does not warrant the accuracy or completeness of third-party information cited herein. Readers should consult original sources and qualified professional advisors before making any investment decision.
