Overall Rating Silver - expired
Overall Score 57.55
Liaison Michelle Larkins
Submission Date Dec. 20, 2018
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

Pacific University
PA-9: Sustainable Investment

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 4.00 / 4.00 Michelle Larkins
Director of the CSS
Center for a Sustainable Society
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Option 1: Positive Sustainability Investment 

Does the institution wish to pursue Option 1 (positive sustainability investment)?:
Yes

Total value of the investment pool:
13,500 US/Canadian $

Value of holdings in each of the following categories:
Value of Holdings
Sustainable industries (e.g. renewable energy or sustainable forestry) ---
Businesses selected for exemplary sustainability performance (e.g. using criteria specified in a sustainable investment policy) ---
Sustainability investment funds (e.g. a renewable energy or impact investment fund) 13,500 US/Canadian $
Community development financial institutions (CDFIs) or the equivalent ---
Socially responsible mutual funds with positive screens (or the equivalent) ---
Green revolving loan funds that are funded from the endowment ---

If any of the above is greater than zero, provide:

A brief description of the companies, funds, and/or institutions referenced above:
The Pacific Impact Fund is a student run investment initiative that is a co-curricular project between our College of Business and the Sustainability Center. Utilize impact investing to demonstrate to the Pacific University community that investment returns and social responsibility are not mutually exclusive. Operating Principles: Investment returns and social responsibility are not mutually exclusive. Consistent direct investment returns are best realized by qualified, professional investment managers. Exposure to index funds can provide temporary advantages to investment portfolios. Careful research and investment into socially responsible funds – in other words, avoiding funds which do not explicitly follow socially responsible investment practices – will yield the best long term investment results. Portfolio risk is best mitigated by ongoing performance monitoring and portfolio rebalancing. While environmental consciousness is fundamental in defining “sustainability,” true sustainability reflects a blend of economic, social, and environmental responsibility. Performance Monitoring: ost effective way to realize long term returns is to mitigate losses Documentation of performance monitoring is necessary to develop a long term view of fund performance Returns and risk should be measured during each evaluation

Percentage of the institution's investment pool in positive sustainability investments:
100

Option 2: Investor Engagement 

Does the institution wish to pursue Option 2 (investor engagement)?:
No

Sustainable Investment Policy 

Does the institution have a publicly available sustainable investment policy?:
No

None
A copy of the sustainable investment policy:
Sustainable Investing.pptx

None
The sustainable investment policy:
---

None
Does the institution use its sustainable investment policy to select and guide investment managers?:
No

None
A brief description of how the policy is applied, including recent examples:
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Proxy Voting 

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

None
A copy of the proxy voting guidelines or proxy record:
---

None
A brief description of how managers are adhering to proxy voting guidelines:
---

Shareholder Resolutions 

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?:
No

None
Examples of how the institution has engaged with corporations in its portfolio about sustainability issues during the previous three years:
---

Negative Screens / Divestment Efforts 

Does the institution have a publicly available investment policy with negative screens?:
No

None
A brief description of the negative screens and how they have been implemented:
---

None
Approximate percentage of the endowment that the negative screens apply to:
---

Investor Networks 

Does the institution engage in policy advocacy by participating in investor networks and/or engage in inter-organizational collaborations to share best practices?:
No

None
A brief description of the investor networks and/or collaborations:
---

Optional Fields 

The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives is available:
---

Additional documentation to support the submission:
Sustainable Investing.pptx

Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
---

The information presented here is self-reported. While AASHE staff review portions of all STARS reports and institutions are welcome to seek additional forms of review, the data in STARS reports are not verified by AASHE. If you believe any of this information is erroneous or inconsistent with credit criteria, please review the process for inquiring about the information reported by an institution or simply email your inquiry to stars@aashe.org.