All businesses carry a mix of costs and benefits for society and the planet. We are not looking for “perfect” companies. Instead, we seek to identify companies that responsibly address the key sustainability challenges and opportunities presented by their business models.
We evaluate companies in two dimensions: Business Alignment and Stakeholder Relations.
Business Alignment: the degree to which a company's business is aligned with our goals of universal human dignity and ecological sustainability
We seek to invest in business models that create solutions for social and environmental challenges and provide access to the underserved. Certain business models are directly, or fundamentally, aligned, with our goals. For example, companies that derive large percentages of revenue from the sale of organic food, lead in lending to small and medium enterprises (SME), generate renewable energy, or manufacture preventative healthcare products such as vaccines.
On the other hand, we view business models that externalize costs to society and the environment, or produce harmful or addictive products, as inherently negative. Certain businesses are fundamentally misaligned with our goals of universal human dignity and ecological sustainability. These exclusionary screens are applied across all our funds.
Stakeholder Relations: the strength of a company's relations with key stakeholders
We believe companies will succeed and prosper in the long run based on the strength of their relations with their key stakeholders: Investors; Employees; Suppliers; Customers; Ecosystems; and Local, National, and Global Communities. Our assessments of these relationships are a vital part of our investment process.
