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The Handbook on Climate-Related Investing across Asset Classes, was recently published by The Institute for Responsible Investing (IRI), a project of the Boston College Center for Corporate Citizenbship.  The 60 page handbook was designed to "facilitate efforts by investors, fund managers, and consultants to assess the impacts of climate change on portfolios . . . ."

Monday, October 26, 2009 10:30 AM - 11:45 AM
Room: Tucson CD

Speaker(s)
Geeta Aiyer CFA President and Founder, Boston Common Asset Management Presenter View
Sonia Kowal Director of SRI, Robert B Zevin Associates Presenter View
Brunno Faria Maradei Program Officer, Environment and Social Development Department - Sustainable Investing, International Finance Corporation (IFC) Presenter
Craig Metrick U.S. Head, Responsible Investment, Mercer Investment Consulting Moderator View

Description
A broad-ranging discussion on the current state of sustainability investing in emerging markets. Topics may include the impact of the financial crisis on emerging markets, supply chain management, human rights, extraction/natural resource use, globalization/local issues, cultural challenges, corruption, social research methodologies and integration, and portfolio management strategies.

Speaker Biographies

Geeta Aiyer is President and Founder of Boston Common Asset Management, LLC.,an employee-owned investment management firm specializing in US and international social investing. Ms. Aiyer has managed investment portfolios for over 20 years, and was formerly President of Walden Asset Management, the social investment division of the United States Trust Company of Boston (USTC).  Before entering this field, she was at Cambridge Associates, Inc., an investment consulting firm, and in public administration and rural development in India.  She has founded two previous firms, Walden Capital Management, and East India Spice, Inc.

                    

Sonia Kowal, Director of SRI at Robert B Zevin Associates (RBZA), is responsible for RBZA's SRI efforts including social screens, proxy voting policies, and shareholder dialogues. Previously Ms. Kowal headed the US office of Ethical Investments Research Service (EIRIS) where she was a Senior Research Analyst. Prior to joining EIRIS, she was a Portfolio Manager and Investment Research Analyst at Baillie Gifford in Scotland where she had responsibility for investments in Emerging Markets. Ms. Kowal is a member of the Social Investment Forum's International Working Group steering committee, and also serves on the Sustainable Investment Research Analyst Network's Conference and Research & Outreach committees.

                    

Brunno Maradei is a program officer in the International Finance Corporation's (IFC) Environment and Social Development Department - Sustainable Investing.  The team's objective is to increase total assets under sustainability mandates invested in emerging markets over time, thus ensuring that portfolio equity flows to those markets that support sustainable development.  Previously, Mr. Maradei was the Assistant Director at EIRIS, a specialist sustainability research organization based in London.  He began his career in the risk management division of Morgan Stanley, focusing on hedge fund and private client accounts, and subsequently worked in JP Morgan's derivatives business.

                    

Craig Metrick is U.S. Head of Responsible Investment for Mercer where he has consulted to public, private and foundation clients on implementing responsible investment principles and mandates. Previously, Mr. Metrick was Director of the Corporate Benchmarking Service (CBS) at the Investor Responsibility Research Center, Inc. (IRRC). In August of 2005, IRRC was acquired by Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS). Mr. Metrick continued his role at ISS and took on additional responsibilities with regards to operations and integration until joining Mercer in 2006. He has more than 10 years experience working in the responsible investment industry and on issues of sustainability and corporate responsibility.