Blog van Sigi Simons over Vereniging van Beleggers voor Duurzame Ontwikkeling. Pension funds among biggest land investors in poor countries | Mark Tran | Global development. Some of the biggest investors in farmland in developing countries are US and European pension funds, according to a report released Friday. Grain, a research group that supports small farmers, says pension funds - often managed by private companies on behalf of unions, governments, individuals and employers - are investing US$100bn (£62.4bn) in commodities, with some $5bn-$15bn reportedly going into farmland acquisitions. "We usually read about Gulf states or China investing in farmland, but some of the biggest investors are much closer to home," said Henk Hobbelink, one of Grain's co-founders.
"As a percentage of the total funds they manage it is not large, but in terms of their impact on small farmers it has a tremendous impact. " Figures from the Grain report shows that the three pension funds with the biggest investment in agriculture are from the Netherlands, the US and Sweden. Shareholder Environmental Resolutions Hit Record. Shareholders filed 66 climate and energy resolutions with 41 coal, electric and oil companies in the 2011 proxy season, making it the busiest yet for such resolutions in the sector, according to environmental and investment coalition Ceres. Climate and energy-related resolutions surged 50 percent over the 44 filed with 31 coal, oil and electric power companies last year, according to Ceres, which helped coordinate the filings.
Resolutions were filed with Dominion, Dynergy, Southern and Xcel, among other companies (see list, at bottom). Resolutions were also filed with Massey Energy, the owner of the West Virginia mine blast that killed 29 people last year. And another 30 such resolutions have been filed so far with companies in other sectors, such as building, real estate, financial services and food firms. The resolutions were filed by some of the nation’s largest public pension funds, foundations and religious, labor and other institutional investors, Ceres said. Topps that as an 'ethical' investment fund | Money. Topps that as an ‘ethical’ fund, Scottish Widows Photograph: Murdo Macleod for the Guardian If you were an investor keen to make a difference to the environment, what sort of companies would come to mind?
Perhaps firms making wind turbines? Or organisations engaged in recycling, or perhaps making bicycles rather than cars? Or cars that at least run with hybrid engine technology? It would be rather a long time before you'd think of Topps Tiles. Now I have nothing against the nation's leading purveyors of tiles, and have happily availed myself of its 50p Metro range. Top value. Yet Scottish Widows, part of the Lloyds group, has significant numbers of shares in Topps Tiles in both its environmental fund, and its separate ethical fund. I'm picking on Scottish Widows because last week in Money (in an article to mark National Ethical Investment Week) we featured the best and the worst funds in the industry, measured by returns over three years. Maybe we need better labelling.
Nieuw initiatief ASN Bank vraagt aandacht voor klimaatveranderin. VoorDeWereldVanMorgen - Home.