Overall Rating Gold - expired
Overall Score 68.72
Liaison Greg Maginn
Submission Date Jan. 18, 2019
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

The Ohio State University
PA-9: Sustainable Investment

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 1.74 / 4.00 Renee Schlade
Director of Investments Operat
Office of Investments
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

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

Total value of the investment pool:
5,200,000,000 US/Canadian $

Value of holdings in each of the following categories:
Value of Holdings
Sustainable industries (e.g. renewable energy or sustainable forestry) 60,000,000 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:

Investments have been made in the renewable energy and/or sustainable forestry sectors.


Percentage of the institution's investment pool in positive sustainability investments:
1.15

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:

To establish the overall goals, management responsibilities, investment strategies and discipline for the investment
portfolios of The Ohio State University (university). This Investment Policy is intended to permit sufficient flexibility to
capture investment opportunities, yet provide parameters that ensure prudence and care in the execution of the
investment program. The chief investment officer will make best efforts to implement this policy in a socially and environmentally responsible manner.

590_InvestmentPolicy.pdf


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:

Evaluate how managers apply ESG principles when hiring; and ongoing evaluations of managers from year to year.

Act solely in the interest of the university, for the purposes of providing income and maintaining the real
purchasing power of the principal. Act with the care, skill, prudence, and diligence under the prevailing circumstances. Diversify the investments of the LTIP to minimize overall risk, and to provide investment returns to achieve the LTlP's stated goals.


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?:
Yes

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

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

The chief investment officer has the authority to delegate proxy voting to external managers to maximize fund value, reserving the right to direct the voting on specific issues as needed.


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

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

N/A


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:

The university is formally divested from investments in Sudan.


Approximate percentage of the endowment that the negative screens apply to:
60

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

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

The Ohio State investment team regularly participates in the Big Ten CIO network as well as industry conferences.


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:

Act solely in the interest of the university, for the purposes of providing income and maintaining the real
purchasing power of the principal.
b. Act with the care, skill, prudence, and diligence under the circumstances then prevailing that a prudent
person acting in a like capacity and familiar with such matters would use in the conduct of an enterprise
of a like character and with like aims
Diversify the investments of the LTIP to minimize overall risk, and to provide investment returns to
achieve the LTlP's stated goals


Act solely in the interest of the university, for the purposes of providing income and maintaining the real
purchasing power of the principal.
b. Act with the care, skill, prudence, and diligence under the circumstances then prevailing that a prudent
person acting in a like capacity and familiar with such matters would use in the conduct of an enterprise
of a like character and with like aims
Diversify the investments of the LTIP to minimize overall risk, and to provide investment returns to
achieve the LTlP's stated goals

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.