| Overall Rating | Gold |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 68.50 |
| Liaison | Derek Nichols |
| Submission Date | May 17, 2022 |
University at Buffalo
PA-9: Committee on Investor Responsibility
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
2.00 / 2.00 |
Ryan
McPherson Chief Sustainability Officer Office of Sustainability |
Does the institution have a formally established and active committee on investor responsibility (CIR) or equivalent body?:
The charter or mission statement of the CIR or other body which reflects social and environmental concerns or a brief description of how the CIR is tasked to address social and environmental concerns:
The University at Buffalo Advisory Committee on Investor Responsibility makes recommendations to the independent legal entity of the University at Buffalo Foundation’s Investment Committee and other relevant bodies on matters of social, governmental and environmental importance, while recognizing the importance of maximizing investment return for University purposes. The Advisory Committee on Investor Responsibility is charged with making professional recommendations based on best practices across the higher education sector that align with core University values — not those of individual committee members. In addition, the Committee on Investor Responsibility works to employ a triple bottom line approach — a framework with three parts: social, environmental and governance — in their analysis and recommendations.
Does the CIR include academic staff representation?:
Does the CIR include non-academic staff representation?:
Does the CIR include student representation?:
Members of the CIR, including affiliations and role:
Martha Bohm, Assistant Professor, Architecture and Planning
Colleen Culleton, Associate Professor, Romance Languages and Literatures
Trina Hamilton, Associate Professor, Geography
Ryan McPherson, Chief Sustainability Officer
Derek Nichols, Sustainability Engagement Coordinator
Amy Bentley, Student, Environmental Studies, Class of 2024
Stacy Knapper, Chief Executive Officer, UB Foundation
Debabrata Talukdar, Professor, School of Management
Cristian-Ioan Tiu, Associate Professor, School of Management
Examples of CIR actions during the previous three years:
The University at Buffalo Advisory Committee on Investor Responsibility played an important role over many years in helping illustrate and communicate the broader university community view on ESG issues as well as assisting in clarifying key issues for the Foundation to consider. This work was a key contributor in the recent announcement by the Board of Trustees that its investment portfolio of U.S. public equities has divested from companies that derive revenues from fossil fuel. In addition, the Foundation will make no new investments in dedicated fossil fuel strategies. See http://www.buffalo.edu/ubnow/stories/2021/04/divesting-fossil-fuels.html for more information.
In addition, the committee works to advance the following objectives:
1. Create a proactive strategy that aligns investment options with institutional values, maximizes long term sustainable revenue and reduces risk to society
2. Leverage university student engagement and faculty expertise in the field of corporate responsibility
3. Increase transparency where appropriate in response to larger external megatrends
4. Properly utilizes UBF investments as an operational pedagogical teaching tool for students
Website URL where information about the institution’s committee on investor responsibility is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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