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Mission
The Sustainable Investment Institute (Si2), a non-profit
organization based in Washington, D.C., conducts impartial research and
publishes reports on organized efforts to influence corporate behavior
on social and environmental issues.
Si2 closely follows shareholder resolutions proposed by investor activists,
analyzing changing reform campaigns and identifying key points of contention
in reports that enable institutional investors to make informed, independent
decisions about their votes and views on these proposals. In addition
to educational proxy research materials for members, SI2 publishes reports
for the interested public on related emerging issues.
Si2 seeks to elevate the debate on investor responsibility and expand
the market for robust, impartial analysis of corporate sustainability
concerns. Much of the extant research on socially responsible investing
and corporate performance is gathered and maintained in proprietary databases
by financial service firms, which limits the ability of academic researchers
and the public at large to independently and accurately assess corporate
behavior. By conducting original research on these issues and making reports
more readily available, Si2 will enrich civil society’s knowledge
and understanding. It will both inform investors and spur dialogue between
key stakeholders and corporations, helping to identify solutions that
benefit the world.
Founding members believe that a public interest research institute best
realizes the organization’s intended mission; establishment as an
independent institute differentiates Si2 from other companies, activists
and research firms in the field. We avoid conflicts of interest by not
taking a position on the issues we cover.
 
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LOBBYING A BIG NEW FOCUS IN PROXY SEASON:In a March 10 post on the Harvard Law School Forum on Corporate Governance and Financial Reform, Si2’s board chair, Julie Gorte of Pax World Funds, and Si2 executive director Heidi Welsh explain what’s behind the rash of lobbying shareholder proposals that investors will consider this spring at corporate annual meetings.
NEW REPORT: Discovering Shale Gas: An Investor Guide to Hydraulic Fracturing: On March 8, Si2 and the IRRC Institute released a new report that finds the natural gas industry is technologically capable of tapping vast shale gas resources in the United States, but says it is unclear if all companies can successfully manage the complex array of environmental and social risks that could impede profitable extraction. The report takes an in-depth look at the social and environmental impacts of shale gas development, explores key issues for investors and other stakeholders and includes 10 comparative company profiles. It was produced with input from an expert panel representing the natural gas industry and environmental groups and was funded by the IRRC Institute.
A copy of the report is available on Si2’s blog and a recording of the webinar will be available shortly on the IRRC Institute website.
2012 PROXY SEASON PREVIEW: Si2’s detailed forecast of the spring 2012 annual meeting season and all the social and environmental shareholder proposals known as of February 15 appears in the Proxy Preview report, issued in collaboration with the As You Sow Foundation and Proxy Impact. Key findings focus on the barrage of political spending proposals as well as the energy debate about coal and hydraulic fracturing. The report also includes a collection of perspectives from shareholder advocates and key players, along with a look back at voting results and trends over the last decade.
Link here to download the report.
CORPORATE POLITICAL SPENDING REPORT: In November 2011, Si2 and the IRRC Institute released ”Corporate Governance of Political Expenditures: 2011 Benchmark Report on S&P 500 Companies.” The report finds that corporate accountability and disclosure of political expenditures is on the upswing, but shows this increased oversight and transparency does not necessarily translate into less spending.
The full report is available on Si2’s blog here .
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APRIL 1: Investors will vote on a proposal from the Central Laborers pension fund at home builder Lennar on April 11. The company has entertained proposals about energy efficiency and setting climate change goals for several years and appears to take some action at the regional level, but has no overarching climate change policy articulated.
At Citigroup, investors will vote for the second year in a row on a resolution from the NYC pension funds about mortgage policies and disclosure. The resolution earned nearly 30 percent last year and the company recently failed a government stress test regarding its ability to withstand a second housing crisis. The bank received the most government support during the height of the financial crisis.
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