Oct. 1/2, 2009, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Responsible Investing has always had a broad mandate. Put simply, it is a long-term sustainable investment strategy that values environmental, social and governance factors in investment decision-making. To date much of that activity has taken place in the public equities portfolios of PRI signatories. Increasingly there is an interest in extending Responsible Investing to other asset classes including real estate, private equity, infrastructure, and fixed income. Responsible Investing in these alternative assets include both developed and emerging markets. In these asset classes Responsible Investing often takes on a proactive form, with investors seeking out investment opportunities that offer both strong financial performance and positive ancillary benefits. Such environmental, social and governance impacts are not only valued in and of themselves, but are also seen as ways to generate Alpha in investment portfolios. The conference examined this “Next Generation of Responsible Investing” and its implications for PRI signatories.
A special themed issue of the Journal of Business Ethics (JoBE) will publish the best qualitative papers on Responsible Investing presented at the conference.