SRI money market funds: A high-growth market lacking transparency

Business for Democracy and ASBC Lead Effort to Overturn Citizens United v. FEC

The Business for Democracy Campaign, which the American Sustainable Business Council is spearheading in partnership with Free Speech for People is tackling the compelling issue of corporate contributions to political campaigns.

The U.S. Supreme Court’s Citizens United v. FEC decision on January 21, 2010 allows corporations to spend unlimited funds to support or oppose candidates for political office, overturning campaign finance laws in place for decades. The Business for Democracy campaign is an initiative of business leaders and their companies who believe this ruling is in direct conflict with American democratic principles and a serious threat to good government. The campaign supports the four members of the Supreme Court and the 80 percent of Americans who disagree with the decision (Washington Post poll, Feb. 17, 2010).

If you'd like your business to join this effort, you can sign the statement of support here or here.

SRI money market funds: A high-growth market lacking transparency

April 3, 2009
Novethic releases its first working paper on “SRI Money Market Funds.” With volumes that increased six-fold in 2008, this rapidly expanding asset class owes its popularity to the safety it can offer investors. The SRI dimension brings a degree of reliability but is tempered by questionable transparency in the funds’ communication and distributors’ lack of commitment to avoid tax havens.

Published on a quarterly basis, Novethic’s working papers focus on an issue raised by a specific asset class or the integration of ESG criteria into new financial sectors.
The working papers due for release in 2009 deal are:
§         Islamic finance and SRI
§         When private equity goes SRI
§         Mainstreaming ESG Integration

Click here to read the working paper: http://www.novethic.com/novethic/v3_uk/upload/SRI_Money_Market.pdf

About Novethic
As the sole source of analytical and statistical information on the French SRI market, Novethic is the leading research center in France on Socially Responsible Investment (SRI) and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). Created in 2001 as a subsidiary of Caisse des Dépôts, Novethic produces research studies and organises events to mobilise business leaders, investors and NGOs on these key issues related to CSR and SRI.