US SIF Releases Recommendations for the Next Presidential Administration

    WASHINGTON, DC, October 27, 2020 /24-7PressRelease/ -- US SIF: The Forum for Sustainable and Responsible Investment today released a set of policy recommendations for the next administration. The recommendations aim to help achieve a more just and sustainable economy and provide a framework through which the private sector can contribute alongside government's leadership.

Lisa Woll, CEO of US SIF and the US SIF Foundation, said:

"The dramatic growth in sustainable investment and the widespread interest in shifting companies from a shareholder to stakeholder focused approach creates an opportunity for the next administration to catalyze these trends further and to set new rules of the road.

"The next administration faces an unprecedented confluence of crises with the coronavirus pandemic, economic inequality, racial injustice and climate change. While the federal government must lead on addressing these challenges, the government should set high expectations for the private sector and advance legislation and regulations that lead to a more sustainable private sector.

"Mobilizing the private sector to address these challenges can be achieved, in part, by making it the policy of the next administration to support sustainable investment and encourage the development of a stakeholder-centric approach to managing companies."

The comprehensive document includes eight overarching recommendations:

1) Create a White House Office of Sustainable Finance and Business
2) Appoint leadership at the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Department of Labor (DOL) with sustainable investment expertise
3) The SEC should take action on policies that support sustainable investment
4) The DOL should take action on policies that support sustainable investment
5) The federal thrift retirement board should accelerate implementation of a mutual fund window
6) Appropriate additional funds for the Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI) Fund
7) Take action to address the climate change crisis
8) Take action to address economic inequality

The full document can be accessed here.

About US SIF and the US SIF Foundation

US SIF: The Forum for Sustainable and Responsible Investment is the leading voice advancing sustainable and impact investing across all asset classes. Its mission is to rapidly shift investment practices toward sustainability, focusing on long-term investment and the generation of positive social and environmental impacts. US SIF members include investment management and advisory firms, mutual fund companies, asset owners, research firms, financial planners and advisors, community investing organizations and nonprofit associations.

US SIF is supported in its work by the US SIF Foundation, a 501(C)(3) organization that undertakes educational and research activities to advance the mission of US SIF. The Foundation offers training on the Fundamentals of Sustainable and Impact Investment and, in partnership with the College for Financial Planning, offers the only sustainable investment designation in the United States, the Chartered SRI Counselor™ (CSRIC™). In addition, the US SIF Foundation offers a free online course for individual investors on the basics of sustainable investing. The US SIF Foundation will publish its biennial Report on US Sustainable and Impact Investing Trends on November 16th.

Learn more at ussif.org.

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