Overall Rating Gold - expired
Overall Score 73.41
Liaison Jillian Leach
Submission Date Feb. 28, 2018
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

California State University, Chico
PA-9: Sustainable Investment

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 1.33 / 4.00 Fletcher Alexander
Sustainability Programs Manager
Institute for Sustainable Development
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Does the institution wish to pursue Option 1 (positive sustainability investment)?:
No

Total value of the investment pool:
---

Value of holdings in each of the following categories:
Value of Holdings
Sustainable industries (e.g. renewable energy or sustainable forestry) 0 US/Canadian $
Businesses selected for exemplary sustainability performance (e.g. using criteria specified in a sustainable investment policy) 0 US/Canadian $
Sustainability investment funds (e.g. a renewable energy or impact investment fund) 0 US/Canadian $
Community development financial institutions (CDFIs) or the equivalent 0 US/Canadian $
Socially responsible mutual funds with positive screens (or the equivalent) 0 US/Canadian $
Green revolving loan funds that are funded from the endowment 0 US/Canadian $

A brief description of the companies, funds, and/or institutions referenced above:

N/A


Percentage of the institution's investment pool in positive sustainability investments:
0

Does the institution wish to pursue Option 2 (investor engagement)?:
Yes

Does the institution have a publicly available sustainable investment policy?:
Yes

A copy of the sustainable investment policy:
The sustainable investment policy:

VII. SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
Certain investment restrictions represent the values of social responsibility expressed by the Board of Governors. The assets of the endowment pool will exclude direct investments in the specific top 200 public coal, oil & gas companies, as identified through “350.org”.   
Additionally, the Investment Manager will systematically review and monitor all current investments to seek prompt liquidation of any major holding which is comprised of the identified companies.


Does the institution use its sustainable investment policy to select and guide investment managers?:
Yes

A brief description of how the policy is applied, including recent examples:

VIII. INVESTMENT POLICY REVIEW
The investment Advisor/Manger will review this policy with the client as needed and no less than at least annually to determine whether stated investment objectives are still relevant. It is not expected that the policy will change frequently. In particular, short‐term changes in the financial market should not require adjustments to the policy.


Has the institution engaged in proxy voting, either by its CIR or other committee or through the use of guidelines, to promote sustainability during the previous three years?:
No

A copy of the proxy voting guidelines or proxy record:
---

A brief description of how managers are adhering to proxy voting guidelines:

N/A


Has the institution filed or co-filed one or more shareholder resolutions that address sustainability or submitted one or more letters about social or environmental responsibility to a company in which it holds investments during the previous three years?:
Yes

Examples of how the institution has engaged with corporations in its portfolio about sustainability issues during the previous three years:

VII. SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
Certain investment restrictions represent the values of social responsibility expressed by the Board of Governors. The assets of the endowment pool will exclude direct investments in the specific top 200 public coal, oil & gas companies, as identified through “350.org”.   
Additionally, the Investment Manager will systematically review and monitor all current investments to seek prompt liquidation of any major holding which is comprised of the identified companies.


Does the institution have a publicly available investment policy with negative screens?:
Yes

A brief description of the negative screens and how they have been implemented:

VII. SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
Certain investment restrictions represent the values of social responsibility expressed by the Board of Governors. The assets of the endowment pool will exclude direct investments in the specific top 200 public coal, oil & gas companies, as identified through “350.org”.   
Additionally, the Investment Manager will systematically review and monitor all current investments to seek prompt liquidation of any major holding which is comprised of the identified companies.


Approximate percentage of the endowment that the negative screens apply to:
100

Does the institution engage in policy advocacy by participating in investor networks and/or engage in inter-organizational collaborations to share best practices?:
---

A brief description of the investor networks and/or collaborations:

N/A


The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
---

Data source(s) and notes about the submission:

https://gofossilfree.org/usa/csu-chico-commits-to-full-divestment-of-fossil-fuel-holdings/

University Foundation Board Approves Divestment of Fossil Fuel Holdings
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: 12-12-2014

Joe Wills
Public Affairs
530-898-4143

California State University, Chico’s University Foundation Board of Governors voted Wednesday, Dec. 10, to change its investment policy and divest of holdings in fossil fuel companies.

The 14-member board approved a resolution to exclude any direct investment in the top 200 fossil fuel companies and liquidate within four years holdings in managed funds that include investments in fossil fuel companies.

The approved resolution was drafted by Associated Students Sustainability Education Outreach member Kevin Killion, Associated Students President Taylor Herren and other students with input from University staff. CSU, Chico students passed an advisory measure earlier this year advocating University divestment of holdings in fossil fuel companies.

The University Foundation, which manages gifts and endowments for CSU, Chico, currently has no direct holdings in fossil fuel companies, and just under 2 percent of its portfolio in managed funds that include fossil fuel investments.

The resolution referenced the University’s leadership role in sustainability and efforts to reduce global warming, including:

Adoption of the Talloires Declaration in 2002 to use every opportunity to move toward an environmentally sustainable future; Addition of a sixth University Strategic Priority in 2006 to become a national leader in environmental education; Founding member of the American College and University Presidents’ Climate Commitment in 2007; Adoption of a Climate Action Plan in 2011 and commitment to reach climate neutrality by 2030.

“This is an outstanding example of our campus community, working together, to ensure that our actions match our professed values,” said CSU, Chico President Paul Zingg. “It is essential to all of us at Chico State that we ‘walk the talk’ on sustainability, and in this case our students led the way. We have some of the most informed, engaged, thoughtful and passionate students in the country, and I can’t say enough about their role in this decision, and in other milestones achieved on campus.”

In October, Herren accepted on behalf of campus a Climate Leadership Award from Second Nature, a nonprofit working to further sustainability through higher education. CSU, Chico was the only master’s level university to receive the honor.

“The University took an unequivocal stance on divestment and climate change – we were the first public university to fully divest on fossil fuels,” said geography and planning professor Mark Stemen, who teaches courses in sustainability and civic engagement. “I’m impressed by what the students did and the way they did it. They worked very hard to get everyone on the same team. It was a collaborative effort, not confrontational. Their work portends well for the future of our campus and the world.”

CSU, Chico students have won accolades in the past for sustainability efforts, including This Way to Sustainability, the largest student-run conference of its kind, and the Associated Students’ Green Events Consulting Team, which won a best practice award at the 2014 California Sustainability in Higher Education conference.


https://gofossilfree.org/usa/csu-chico-commits-to-full-divestment-of-fossil-fuel-holdings/

University Foundation Board Approves Divestment of Fossil Fuel Holdings
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: 12-12-2014

Joe Wills
Public Affairs
530-898-4143

California State University, Chico’s University Foundation Board of Governors voted Wednesday, Dec. 10, to change its investment policy and divest of holdings in fossil fuel companies.

The 14-member board approved a resolution to exclude any direct investment in the top 200 fossil fuel companies and liquidate within four years holdings in managed funds that include investments in fossil fuel companies.

The approved resolution was drafted by Associated Students Sustainability Education Outreach member Kevin Killion, Associated Students President Taylor Herren and other students with input from University staff. CSU, Chico students passed an advisory measure earlier this year advocating University divestment of holdings in fossil fuel companies.

The University Foundation, which manages gifts and endowments for CSU, Chico, currently has no direct holdings in fossil fuel companies, and just under 2 percent of its portfolio in managed funds that include fossil fuel investments.

The resolution referenced the University’s leadership role in sustainability and efforts to reduce global warming, including:

Adoption of the Talloires Declaration in 2002 to use every opportunity to move toward an environmentally sustainable future; Addition of a sixth University Strategic Priority in 2006 to become a national leader in environmental education; Founding member of the American College and University Presidents’ Climate Commitment in 2007; Adoption of a Climate Action Plan in 2011 and commitment to reach climate neutrality by 2030.

“This is an outstanding example of our campus community, working together, to ensure that our actions match our professed values,” said CSU, Chico President Paul Zingg. “It is essential to all of us at Chico State that we ‘walk the talk’ on sustainability, and in this case our students led the way. We have some of the most informed, engaged, thoughtful and passionate students in the country, and I can’t say enough about their role in this decision, and in other milestones achieved on campus.”

In October, Herren accepted on behalf of campus a Climate Leadership Award from Second Nature, a nonprofit working to further sustainability through higher education. CSU, Chico was the only master’s level university to receive the honor.

“The University took an unequivocal stance on divestment and climate change – we were the first public university to fully divest on fossil fuels,” said geography and planning professor Mark Stemen, who teaches courses in sustainability and civic engagement. “I’m impressed by what the students did and the way they did it. They worked very hard to get everyone on the same team. It was a collaborative effort, not confrontational. Their work portends well for the future of our campus and the world.”

CSU, Chico students have won accolades in the past for sustainability efforts, including This Way to Sustainability, the largest student-run conference of its kind, and the Associated Students’ Green Events Consulting Team, which won a best practice award at the 2014 California Sustainability in Higher Education conference.

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