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Socially Responsible Investing
Social and environmental change is happening faster than ever. Don’t let your investment strategy fall behind.
The challenges posed by climate change, water scarcity, inequality and demographics are sizeable. Those companies able to adapt in this ever-changing global environment will continue to thrive, while others will fall further behind. Furthermore, the issues related to social responsibility are becoming increasingly important to people of all generations.
Oxford Harriman & Company works with clients to help develop and manage well-diversified investment portfolios with the objective of combining investment performance, along with environmental and social awareness into the investment strategy.
Our mission is to help deliver both socially responsible allocations and acceptable performance to our clients.
What does the term ESG mean?
ESG stands for Environment, Social and Governance.
Environment
Environmentally sustainable, or "Green" investing considers whether investing targets meet standards of sustainability. These standards include water protection, renewable energy/conservation, alternative energy, clean methods, waste disposal, land protection/usage, supply chain management, product life cycle management, and climate change risk/mitigation.
Social
The social standards considered when investing responsibly focus on human ethics regarding workers and consumers. Working conditions, fair wages, community relations, diversity, fair trade, and product safety are among the analyzed factors within socially responsible investing. Investing in this manner is done to ensure a safer, more responsible, and more secure corporate and public environment.
Governance
How a company is run from the top down is an intricate and important process, and is one that must be done in an ethical and lawful manner. Data privacy, data security, transparency, board diversity, management quality and independence, and relationship with the government are all important factors.
SBP or Sustainable Business Practices
Oxford Harriman & Company has developed our Sustainable Business Practices, or SBP portfolios, within the framework of Socially Responsible and ESG Investing. Our strategies offer clients the ability to align their financial goals with their values. We build portfolios with stocks, bonds, ETF’s and fund managers who support and exhibit SBP principals, with an integrated approach to Socially Responsible Investing. We conduct research and due diligence across the investment spectrum to develop strategies to offer a range of choices to invest in companies whose policies and practices are compatible with what matters to you.
The Principles of ESG/SBP
- Help enhance/protect the brand
- Respect that scarcity of water exists, as well as protecting and promoting the process of obtaining clean water
- Understand corporate impact on the climate and/or work to reduce carbon emissions
- Produce and market products in a fair and ethical way
- Respect gender, religion, and promote diversity
- Manage capital and company resources in a way that is in the best interest of stock and bond holders
- Accountable and transparent corporate governance
- Promote human and labor rights
- Revenue growth by new products focused on sustainability and the environment
Why Build an ESG Portfolio?
- Higher demand for ESG companies from both younger investors and older investors – higher demand can help drive up prices and support prices in down markets
- Avoid costly workforce problems
- Avoid negative publicity
- Avoid regulatory sanctions and fines
- Lower cost of capital for companies (both Debt & Equity)
- Revenue growth from new products
- Enhanced customer loyalty
- Better disclosure
- Reduce environmental impact of the company’s operations
Why invest in a methodology consistent with ESG/SBP?
"We believe that corporations with responsible ESG practices are more sustainable over the long-term. Companies that plan carefully for what lies ahead, and who care about the environment, their employees, their customers and their community are more likely to add constructively to the environment and their stockholders, as well as potentially reduce risk for their shareholders. In addition to the personal beliefs and desire to invest in a socially responsible manner, we believe this type of investing may lead to less risk in a portfolio, which has the potential to generate positive Alpha, particularly in down markets." Dennis Barba CEO & Managing PartnerOxford Harriman & Company
