All Articles About Financial Services

BSR Insight Article: Trends in Sustainable Investment

Xin Zhuo, Former Manager, Advisory Services Laura Gitman, Managing Director, Advisory Services

Despite the recent economic downturn, sustainable investment is extending beyond the United States and Europe, and into countries where it was previously not widely practiced. Nearly one out of every eight U.S. dollars under professional management in the United States is represented by socially responsible investment (SRI) assets. SRI approaches integrate social and environmental criteria into investment decisions with the goal of aligning financial activities with social and environmental objectives, values, or beliefs, and can include the incorporation of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) criteria by money managers, shareholder advocacy, and community investment. According to a 2010 report by the Social Investment Forum, at the start of 2010, professionally managed assets in the United States following SRI strategies amounted to US$3.07 trillion—an increase of more than 34 percent since 2005, compared to 3 percent growth for total assets under management (AUM). The growth in Europe is even more pronounced, with total SRI AUM increasing 87 percent in just two years, from €2.7 trillion to €5 trillion at the end of 2009, according to Eurosif. Read more →

Posted: February 14, 2011 | Topics: Conflict Minerals, Financial Services, Investor Perspective, Strategy & Integration

BSR Insight Article: Will Old Europe Become the New World of Sustainability in 2011?

Peder Michael Pruzan-Jorgensen, Vice President, Europe, Middle East, and Africa

European companies, government officials, and civil society representatives have tended to scoff at their American cousins’ approach to sustainability, and also at the perceived fundamental disregard for the environment and human rights in BRIC countries. But as we make our way into 2011, I sense a shift in Europe toward a more somber mood, similar to the sobriety that comes to a soccer team the day after an unexpected defeat by a mignon competitor: heads down, feet dragging, and a realization that something different has to be done. Read more →

Posted: February 7, 2011 | Topics: Climate Change, Consumer Products, Energy, Environment, Financial Services, Food, Beverage & Agriculture, Health Care, Human Rights, Information & Communications Technology, Media & Entertainment, Mining, Reporting & Communications, Strategy & Integration, Supply Chain, Transportation, Travel & Tourism

BSR Insight Article: State of Green Business 2011

GreenBiz's fourth annual "State of Green Business" report presents the top 10 trends and 20 indices for measuring how well companies are improving their environmental performance. According to the report, green business did not die during the recession; rather, companies are diving deeper and investing in longer-term sustainability initiatives. Read more →

Posted: February 7, 2011 | Topics: Consumer Products, Energy, Environment, Financial Services, Food, Beverage & Agriculture, Health Care, Information & Communications Technology, Media & Entertainment, Mining, Reporting & Communications, Toxicity & Product Design, Transportation, Travel & Tourism, Water

BSR Insight Article: SRI in the Rockies…and in Emerging Markets

Xin Zhuo, Former Manager, Advisory Services

The SRI in the Rockies annual conference is one of the largest gatherings in North America for the socially responsible investment community. At the recent conference in San Antonio, Texas, more than 600 people, including asset owners, asset managers, financial advisors, ESG researchers, individual investors, and representatives of indices, corporations, and NGOs discussed directing the flow of investment capital to catalyze a shift to a more sustainable global economy. Read more →

Posted: November 30, 2010 | Topics: Financial Services

BSR Insight Article: Addressing Financial Inclusion: How ANZ is Using CSR to Access New Markets

Chhavi Ghuliani, Manager, Advisory Services

In much of the developing world, where less than half of the population is served by formal financial institutions and people must rely on their own funds or informal services that charge excessive rates, the lack of access to finance is leading to greater income inequality and slower economic growth. Financial institutions and mobile service providers around the world are addressing this problem by investing in financial products and services targeted specifically at underserved markets. India’s ICICI Bank, Brazil’s Bradesco, and South Africa’s Absa (which is majority owned by Barclays) have begun experimenting with innovative branchless banking models that address some of the barriers to financial access. Read more →

Posted: September 7, 2010 | Topics: Economic Development, Financial Services, Strategy & Integration