Key Initiatives (Alphabetical Order)

Launched in 2000, the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) brings together 385 institutional investors representing more than $57 trillion. It is a collaboration on the business implications of climate change. Starting from 2008, the CDP sent its sixth information request on Greenhouse Gases Emissions to around 3000 companies worldwide. CDP rates the quality of disclosure, and assesses the comprehensiveness of a company’s response.

The '2010 European SRI Study' highlights the scale of the European SRI market, as well as trends across 19 countries. Total SRI assets under management (AuM) reached €5 trillion at December 31, 2009. This corresponds to a growth of 87% since December 31, 2007. The survey for which UKSIF collected the UK data, estimates SRI AuM in the UK as £938.9 billion (as of 31 December 2009), representing a 19% increase in AuM, compared with end 2007. 

The Institutional Investors Group on Climate Change (IIGCC) is a forum for collaboration on climate change for European investors. The group’s objective is to catalyse greater investment in a low carbon economy by bringing investors together to use their collective influence with companies, policymakers and investors. The group currently has over 50 members, including some of the largest pension funds and asset managers in Europe, and represents assets of around €4trillion.

The Local Authority Pension Fund Forum (LAPFF) brings together a diverse range of local authority pension funds with combined assets of over £75bn. Founded in 1990, it provides its members with a unique opportunity for discussion of investment issues and shareholder action. Over LAPFF's history (PDF, 1.36 MB), they have engaged in issues such as workforce standards, overseas employment standards, environmental reporting and corporate governance.

The Network for Sustainable Financial Markets believes that the recent recurring crises in the financial market is evidence that the financial market system is in need of well thought-out reform so that it can better serve its core purpose of creating long-term sustainable value. The Network’s goal is to foster interdisciplinary collaboration on research and advocacy projects between market professionals, academics and other opinion-leaders.

The Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI) consist of six voluntary overarching principles underpinned by a set of 35 possible actions that institutional investors and asset managers can take to integrate environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) considerations into their investment activities. The PRI currently has 730 signatories, including many of the largest pension funds and asset managers worldwide, representing institutional investor assets of $20 trillion (£13tn, €14.8 tn).

The UKSIF Sustainable Pensions Project encourages occupational pension funds to adopt more sustainable and responsible investment strategies, with the aim of enhancing long-term shareholder value and financial returns for fund members. It provides resources to trustees including the following publications: Responsible Business: Sustainable Pension (2009), Sustainable Alternatives (2008), Local Government: Reponsible Pension (2007), Responsible Business: Sustainable Pension (2007), Responsible Investment in Focus: How leading public pension funds are meeting the challenge (2007).