20 Anniversary Newsletter  
Issue No. 8
April 2012
Celebrating 20 Years
Michael Jantzi, Sustainalytics CEO

Michael Jantzi

CEO, Sustainalytics


Over the past 20 years I've witnessed tremendous change in the world of responsible investment. When I started Jantzi Research in 1992 the term didn't exist and virtually no one in Canada considered ESG as an essential part of their investment process. North American investors were grappling with a sluggish economy, exacerbated by stubbornly high unemployment and rising budgetary deficits.

 

Fast forward two decades. Although some things might appear eerily familiar, one important thing has changed. Spurred by the governance debacles in the early part of this century, today a growing number of institutions understand that a comprehensive evaluation of ESG risks and opportunities is essential to making fully-informed investment decisions across a range of asset classes.

 

I couldn't have imagined how things would evolve when I launched the company in the spare bedroom of my apartment on a cold November day in Toronto almost 20 years ago. But my objective hasn't changed - it's always been about helping to re-shape how investment and business decisions get made. I haven't wavered in my belief that we make better decisions when a broader range of stakeholder issues are considered.

 

The merger with Dutch-based Sustainalytics in 2009 saw the union of two strong, mission-aligned, regional ESG players and provided the opportunity to provide better insights to a growing number of clients. Subsequent to the merger, Sustainalytics' unwavering focus on client service has fueled both our geographic expansion and our commitment to strengthen our global infrastructure to ensure product innovation and support. Sustainalytics will continue to enhance our capacity to provide global coverage underpinned by local expertise, and to improve our ability to assist clients in the process of ESG integration across the investment spectrum.

 

On behalf of the entire Sustainalytics family, now more than 110 people strong across 10 offices in Asia, Europe and the Americas, thank you for entrusting us with your ESG business. Every day for the last 20 years you have challenged and inspired us to get better. Here's to the next two decades of collaboration!
 
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Michael Jantzi
Analysts' Insights

Private Prisons: A Responsible Investment Approach

Zachary Paris

 

Zach Paris, Analyst, Sustainalytics
Since 2000, the private prison industry has dramatically expanded worldwide. This growth industry is seeing increases in company revenue and share prices. While the profitability and continued growth potential of the industry have attracted many investors, there are important risks to consider, many of which have yet to be addressed by the companies.

Read the full article here.

 

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Inside Sustainalytics

 

Responsible Research to join Sustainalytics team 

 

Last month Sustainalytics announced its intention to acquire Singapore-based Responsible Research Pte Ltd., a leading provider of Asian and emerging markets ESG information and insights. The acquisition will further strengthen Sustainalytics reach into the Asian responsible investment market which includes a strategic partnership with Korea's Sustinvest. Read the full press release here.

 

Best Wishes to Axel Wilhelm

 

Axel Wilhelm

 

Axel Wilhelm, Director Institutional Relations, Germany has left Sustainalytics. After more than 11 years with the company Axel is pursuing his career interests as head of the responsible investments portfolio management team at a mid-sized mutual-insurance company. Sustainalytics is sad to see him go but wishes him the best of luck in his future endeavours.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Sustainalytics goes to Myanmar

 

burma pictureSustainalytics' Global Compact and High Risks countries specialist Farnam Bidgoli will participate in an investor trip to Myanmar, organized by the United Nations Global Compact and the Principles for Responsible Invesment (PRI). Myanmar is  expected to become increasingly integrated into the global economy; thus the UN Global Compact, with the support of the Office of Resident & Humanitarian coordinator and the Peacebuilding Support Office, is organizing a discussion "Promoting Responsible Business in Times of Transition - Towards inclusive Job Creation and Sustainable Development". The outcomes of this event will follow in a special newsletter in May. For more information please click here. 

 

 

 

Sustainalytics' Perspective

 

Deeper and Colder: The Impacts and Risks of Deepwater and Arctic Hydrocarbon Development

Deeper and Colder: Deepwater and Arctic Hydrocarbon Development  

In Deeper and Colder, the second part of Sustainalytics' unconventional oil and gas report series associate analyst Alberto Serna Martin examines the risks and impacts of pursuing hydrocarbon development in deepwater and Arctic regions. As oil and gas producers continue to push offshore projects into unconventional, deeper and colder frontiers, unplanned events, such as spills or injuries, present significant reputational, regulatory and operational risks for individual companies, their investors, and the oil industry as a whole.

 

 

 

Responsible Research publishes new report - Sustainable Stock Exchanges: A Report on Progress

Sustainable Stock Exchanges 

Responsible Research's report Sustainable Stock Exchanges: A Report on Progress, discusses the responsibility of stock exchanges to support corporate sustainability reporting. The report finds that a majority of stock exchanges are committed to encouraging corporates to report on sustainability issues but are restricted in the actions they can take. The report encourages coordinated policy support and clearer, more supportive input from investors to build mainstream, sustainable capital markets.

 

 

 

Sheila Oviedo speaks on sustainable finance

The International Society of Sustainability Professionals (ISSP) and Vermillion Institute have teamed up on the Innovators in Sustainability research project, designed to gather key industry insights in advance of the UN's Rio+20 event in June and beyond. The second edition of the Innovators webinar series, held April 17th, was an introduction to the project's finance stream.

 

Sustainalytics' Sheila Oviedo, lead financial sector analyst discussed how pension funds and major banks are using better systems to improve environmental and social outcomes for communities and investors. As part of the multi-phase project, in the coming weeks and months, other webinars will feature an exploration of real progress in additional sectors and go deeper into high-demand topics. For more information visit the ISSP website. 

 

Sustainalytics' Analyst Briefings
 

Sustainalytics' Analyst Briefing Webinars continue with spring. Spaces are limited so reserve your spot today!


Our Unconventional Oil and Gas Webinar Series: Deepwater and Arctic Drilling webinar has been moved to Wednesday, June 13. For more information or to register, click here.

In this issue
Celebrating 20 years
Analysts' Insights
Inside Sustainalytics
Sustainalytics' Perspective
Events
Sustainalytics in the Media
Meet Sustainalytics in your Region
  

Ceres Conference

25-26 April, 2012

Boston, US

 

GRI Training Course 26-27 April, 2012
Toronto, Canada

 

PRI - Global Compact Event Myanmar

30 April-1 May, 2012

Myanmar

 

US SIF 2012 Conference
2-4 May 2012

Washington, US

  

To view more events, click here

TSSS Events  

Tim Hortons: A Quiet Leader in Sustainability

17 May, 2012

 

To view more events in the Toronto Sustainability Speaker Series, click here.

 

Sustainalytics in the Media 

  

Michael Jantzi interviewed while at GLOBE 2012

While attending the GLOBE conference in Vancouver last month, Sustainalytics CEO Michael Jantzi was interviewed by Fanny Kiefer for the Vancouver morning show Studio4. During the interview they discussed the GLOBE conference and the role responsible investors play in today's economy. Follow the links to view the full interview:

Tell us what you think

 

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