Academics to deliver 60 papers at the UN backed PRI-CBERN Academic Conference 2012
TORONTO, Sept. 28, 2012 – More than 150 academics and mainstream investors from around the world will gather at the Schulich School of Business at York University on October 1 to 3 to discuss the evolution of responsible investment.
In its fifth year, the Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI) annual Academic conference brings together the field’s foremost academics, researchers, students and investment professionals to present research on the latest developments, identify research opportunities and build partnerships to grow our understanding of responsible investment.
Over 1,000 of the world’s largest investment organizations have signed the PRI Initiative. This commits them to integrating environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) issues into investment decision-making. These investment professionals are looking for academic evidence on investment performance, the value-add of shareholder engagement, new perspectives on fiduciary duty and alternative investments.
More than 60 papers on these subjects will be presented at this leading academic conference about responsible investment, along with keynotes addresses from Elroy Dimson, (London Business School) Sébastien Pouget, (Toulouse School of Economics) and Ola Mestad (Chair, Norwegian Council on Ethics). For more information and the full program, please see: http://www.cbern.ca/pri-cbern2012/.
The conference is organized under the umbrella of the Academic Network of the Principles of Responsible Investment, the Canadian Business Ethics Research Network, and the Carleton Centre for Community Innovation (3ci).
Rob Lake, Director of Responsible Investment at the UN-backed Principles for Responsible Investment, said: “Over the last six years we have made good progress in convincing investors on why they should invest responsibly. However there is still debate on the best way to include ESG factors into investment decision-making. Academics have a key role to play by presenting mainstream investors with cutting edge research on issues that will shape the discourse in responsible investing for years to come.”
Tessa Hebb, the Director of 3ci, said: “Responsible investing is gaining momentum in Canada, our largest pension funds and many of our foundations have pledged to bring environmental, social and governance factors into their investment decision-making. The PRI Academic Network supports this investment approach and the conference will bring together academics from around the world to discuss the latest breakthroughs in responsible investing research.”
About the Principles for Responsible Investment
The United Nations-backed Principles for Responsible Investment Initiative (PRI) is a network of international investors working together to put the six Principles for Responsible Investment into practice. The Principles were devised by the investment community. They reflect the view that environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) issues can affect the performance of investment portfolios and therefore must be given appropriate consideration by investors if they are to fulfil their fiduciary (or equivalent) duty. The Principles provide a voluntary framework by which all investors can incorporate ESG issues into their decision-making and ownership practices and so better align their objectives with those of society at large.
The Academic Network is the arm of the PRI that nurtures the research field of Responsible Investment, organises conferences and disseminates information. For further details, see http://academic.unpri.org
About CBERN
CBERN mobilizes and profiles Canada’s rich pool of business ethics expertise across disciplines and sectors. CBERN creates opportunities for dialogue and knowledge sharing between business, economics, public policy, philosophy, law, political science, finance, environmental studies, sociology, and engineering.
CBERN members come from a variety of backgrounds including academic, business, government, civil society, NGO, consultant and First Nations. CBERN crosses academic disciplines and economic sectors, promoting research with impact in the Canadian context and internationally. For more on CBERN please visit http://www.cbern.ca
About 3ci
The Carleton Centre for Community Innovation based at Carleton University brings together superior academic research and knowledge dissemination in partnership with Canadian communities and the world, in ways that promote long-term sustainable and equitable development. The Center acts as a catalyst and convener, linking research to practice and policy and seeks to enhance understanding and knowledge of the distinctive contributions of the non-profit, voluntary, and philanthropic sectors and local institutions to the quality of life of citizens and community vitality. For more on 3ci please visit http://www3.carleton.ca/3ci/
Rob Lake joined the PRI as Director of Strategic Development in May 2011. He is responsible for strategic research on responsible investment issues; public policy work; the PRI Academic Network; signatory recruitment and relations; and the development of PRI’s country networks. Rob is also involved in developing best practice for the implementation of responsible investment across all asset classes; PRI’s collaborative engagement Clearinghouse; and the PRI reporting and assessment process. Before joining PRI, Rob was Head of Sustainability and Governance at APG Asset Management, where he led a team of eight ESG specialists and was responsible for integrating ESG factors in all asset classes at a strategic policy level across the portfolio. Rob is a member of the Program Board of the Sustainable Investment Research Programme funded by MISTRA, the Advisory Group to the Chair in Socially Responsible Investment at the Ecole Polytechnique, Paris, and the University of Toulouse. He has also served on a UK government advisory committee and the board of the UK Social Investment Forum.
Tessa Hebb is the Director of the Carleton Centre for Community Innovation, Carleton University. Her research focuses on Responsible Investment and Impact Investment and is funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, Government of Canada. The Carleton Centre for Community Innovation is a leading knowledge producer on Responsible Investing and Impact Investing tools and instruments. Dr. Hebb received her Doctorate from Oxford University. She both teaches and researches on social finance and impact investing topics including how to measure social impact. She has published many books and articles on responsible investing and social finance policies including the volumes Working Capital the Power of Labor’s Pensions; No Small Change: Pension Fund Corporate Engagement; and The Next Generation of Responsible Investing.
Elroy Dimson is Leverhulme Emeritus Professor at London Business School, Visiting Professor at Cambridge Judge Business School, and Chairman of the Strategy Council for the Norwegian Government Pension Fund. He previously served London Business School in a variety of senior positions. A co-designer of the FTSE 100 index, Elroy is a member of the advisory boards of the FTSE Group, CFA Institute, and Russell Investments. In addition to his role with the Norwegian sovereign fund, he serves on the investment committees of Guy’s and St Thomas’ Charity, the University of London endowment, and UnLtd – the Foundation for Social Entrepreneurs. His research focuses on long-term asset management.
Ola Mestad has been Professor of Law at the University of Oslo, Norway, since 2000. He works mainly in contract law, oil and gas law, international economic law, company law, legal history and legal method. For ten years he was in private practice as a lawyer and partner of the law firm Bugge, Arentz-Hansen & Rasmussen (BA-HR) in Oslo as head of the oil and gas law group of the firm. Previously, he has been research fellow at Leopold-Wenger – Institut fur Rechtsgeschichte at the University of Munich and Recruitment Professor at the University of Bergen, Norway. Since its inception in 2004 he has been a member of the Council on Ethics for the Norwegian Government Pension Fund.
Sébastien Pouget is Professor of Finance at the University Of Toulouse and a member of the Toulouse School of Economics. He has been Visiting Professor of Economics in the BendheimCenter for Finance, Princeton University (2010‐2011), where he taught investments and behavioural finance courses. Prof. Pouget’s research studies financial markets by relying on insights from management, economics, psychology, and history. Prof. Pouget is particularly interested in the experimental methodology. His research has been published in top international journals including the Journal of Finance and the Review of Economic Studies. Prof. Pouget is in charge of a research center on Socially Responsible Investments, the “Chaire Finance Durable et Investissement Responsable”, sponsored by several asset management companies and institutional investors.
For further information, please contact Robert Harding, PRI Academic Network Manager at academic@unpri.org; or Judy Patla, Canadian Business Ethics Research Network at info@cbern.ca.
Media Contact:
JaniceWalls, Media Relations, York University, 416 736 2100 x22101 / wallsj@yorku.ca
