| Overall Rating | Gold - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 68.84 |
| Liaison | Natalie Sobrinski |
| Submission Date | June 6, 2018 |
| Executive Letter | Download |
Muhlenberg College
PA-9: Sustainable Investment
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
0.62 / 4.00 |
Kent
Dyer Chief Business Officer Office of the Treasurer |
Does the institution wish to pursue Option 1 (positive sustainability investment)?:
Total value of the investment pool:
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) | 5,800,000 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 | 5,800,000 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:
The Muhlenberg College Investment Committee conducted analysis alongside their Outsourced Chief Investment Officer to better understand the Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) characteristics of the College’s current investment portfolio. By focusing on the public equity exposure in the portfolio, the Committee was able to develop a stronger comprehension of the ESG risks and opportunities embedded in the largest asset class within the College’s total investment pool.
Subsequently, the Investment Committee decided to include Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) language into the Investment Policy Statement and allocate 3.5% of global equities to an investment portfolio that specifically targets high quality ESG investments. The Committee will continue to monitor the ESG sensitivity of the portfolio and potentially look at increasing the exposure to ESG or Sustainable Investments across asset classes over time.
Percentage of the institution's investment pool in positive sustainability investments:
Does the institution wish to pursue Option 2 (investor engagement)?:
Does the institution have a publicly available sustainable investment policy?:
A copy of the sustainable investment policy:
The sustainable investment policy:
Muhlenberg has included ESG language into their Investment Policy Statement. It is not publicly available. Yes, the ESG language in the IPS was constructed alongside Muhlenberg’s Outsourced Chief Investment Officer and is applicable to the selection of managers for the targeted ESG allocation.
Does the institution use its sustainable investment policy to select and guide investment managers?:
A brief description of how the policy is applied, including recent examples:
The ESG language in the IPS was constructed alongside Muhlenberg’s Outsourced Chief Investment Officer and is applicable to the selection of managers for the targeted ESG allocation.
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?:
A copy of the proxy voting guidelines or proxy record:
A brief description of how managers are adhering to proxy voting guidelines:
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?:
Examples of how the institution has engaged with corporations in its portfolio about sustainability issues during the previous three years:
Muhlenberg College has not filed or co-filed one or more shareholder resolutions that address sustainability during the past three years
Muhlenberg College has submitted a letter about social or environmental responsibility to a company in which it holds investments during the previous three years
We do not have direct holdings. For our commingled funds we ran a report on the funds' holdings against the offending list from the Sudan Divestment Task Force. Subsequently we wrote letters to the funds.
Does the institution have a publicly available investment policy with negative screens?:
A brief description of the negative screens and how they have been implemented:
Approximate percentage of the endowment that the negative screens apply to:
Does the institution engage in policy advocacy by participating in investor networks and/or engage in inter-organizational collaborations to share best practices?:
A brief description of the investor networks and/or collaborations:
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:
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.