| Overall Rating | Gold - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 68.18 |
| Liaison | Ezra Small |
| Submission Date | Feb. 5, 2015 |
| Executive Letter | Download |
University of Massachusetts Amherst
PA-14: Sustainable Investment
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
0.34 / 4.00 |
Ezra
Small Sustainability Manager Physical Plant |
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indicates that no data was submitted for this field
None
Total value of the investment pool:
757,500,000
US/Canadian $
None
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) | 1,000,000 US/Canadian $ |
| Green revolving loan funds that are funded from the endowment | 0 US/Canadian $ |
None
A brief description of the companies, funds, and/or institutions referenced above:
The institutes’ social choice fund invests solely in the Neuberger Berman Socially Responsive Equity Fund (NBSLX). NBSLX is an equity mutual fund which incorporates ESG criteria into its investment selection and monitoring process to identify companies which are leaders in sustainable growth and profitability. ESG Criteria used by the fund managers include the following: Environmental Impact, Workplace Policies, Community Impact, Sustainable Supply Chains, Product Integrity and Governance & Disclosure.
None
Does the institution have a publicly available sustainable investment policy?:
No
None
A copy of the sustainable investment policy:
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None
The sustainable investment policy:
NOTE: While the University does not have a publically available sustainable investment policy statement, the Foundation is currently working on amending the University’s Investment Policy Statement to include ESG criteria in the Investment Committee’s investment selection and monitoring process.
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:
NOTE: The Foundation is currently working on amending the University’s Investment Policy Statement to include ESG criteria in the Investment Committee’s investment selection and monitoring process. This would also include discussions with existing and potential fund managers as to what type of ESG criteria they consider as part of their investment process.
None
Does the institution's sustainable investment policy include negative screens?:
No
None
A brief description of the negative screens and how they have been implemented:
NA
None
Approximate percentage of the endowment that the negative screens apply to:
0
None
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:
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None
A brief description of how managers are adhering to proxy voting guidelines:
NA
None
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:
NA
None
Does the institution engage in policy advocacy by participating in investor networks and/or engaging in inter-organizational collaborations to share best practices?:
Yes
None
A brief description of the investor networks and/or collaborations:
The Intentional Endowments Network supports colleges, universities, and other mission-driven tax-exempt organizations in aligning their endowment investment practices with their mission, values, and sustainability goals without sacrificing financial returns. In doing so, this broad-based, collaborative network will make a significant and critical contribution to creating a healthy, just, and sustainable society.
http://www.intentionalendowments.org/
Ceres is an advocate for sustainability leadership. Ceres mobilizes a powerful network of investors, companies and public interest groups to accelerate and expand the adoption of sustainable business practices and solutions to build a healthy global economy.
www.ceres.org
None
The website URL where information about the institution's sustainable investment efforts is available:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
As of June 30, 2014, the University of Massachusetts’ pooled endowment fund was $757M. This fund represents all of the endowed funds across the five campuses (Amherst, Boston, Dartmouth, Lowell, UMass Medical School) which make up the UMass System. In addition to the pooled endowment fund, in December 2014, a social choice fund was established by the UMass Foundation which allows donors the option of having their endowed gifts invested in a socially responsible manner, separate from the general pooled endowment fund. This social choice fund was established by the UMass Foundation with an investment of $1M.
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.