Many people we speak with assume green investing means environmental investments focused predominantly on renewable energy like wind and solar. Some massive, mainstream investment firms, on the other hand, seem to view environmentally responsible investing as a marketing opportunity, where rebranding can take priority over changes to traditional investment strategies.
At Prentiss Smith & Company, we strive for a more balanced approach to green investing. First, we immediately exclude investments in fossil fuels, agrochemicals, mining or plastic production. Beyond that, we believe our clients see the best results from portfolios that are diversified across many industries and asset classes. We also believe every industry has contributions to make to the fight against climate change and environmental degradation. As a result, we do the hard work to identify green investments across the economy.
As early adopters in the socially responsible investment movement of the early 1980s, we have built and refined our sustainable investment practice for over 40 years. Today, we combine in-house research with activist proxy voting and corporate engagement, to amplify the environmental impact of client investments. If our values like a fit, let’s talk.
We exclude investments with connections to the production, marketing, or distribution of fossil fuels. Instead, we seek companies with clear progress in carbon reduction and ambitious but realistic net zero targets.
We look for green investments that promote a more circular economy through products made from recycled materials or promoting circular use. We also prioritize strong waste reduction commitments.
We give preference to companies with strong supply chain oversight and environmental policies. We also engage in direct dialogue to fight deforestation, promote water efficiency and sustainable agriculture.
We believe in doing the hard work of internal research to identify the most environmentally friendly investments, of individually analyzing and voting company proxies, and of activist communication with the companies we invest in to push for greater progress on environmental and social issues.
We weigh environmental factors against financial ones from the moment we begin to consider a new investment for our clients.
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