About
Sustainable, responsible and impact investing (SRI) is an investment discipline that considers environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) criteria to generate long-term competitive financial returns and positive societal impact. There is no universal framework for this area and the strategies under the umbrella of mission-related investing are expansive. UNCG is evaluating investment practices through this lens.
With the help of the University Investment Fund Board, investment firm manager Cambridge Associates, the UNCG Sustainability Council and many other campus constituents, the University is exploring this topic further.
Annual Spending Distribution Overview
Socially Responsible Investing
In the spring of 2018, the UNCG Sustainability Council was awarded a grant from the UNCG Green Fund to support a series of public meetings during the 2018 academic year, which included participation of outside experts, to discuss sustainable investment strategies.
The conversations were intended to model data-informed discussion, multi-dimensional consideration, long-term and short-term perspectives, and civil discourse with the desired outcome of building foundational knowledge around this complex topic that would set the stage for the UNCG community – individuals and the institution – to consider the University’s own investment practices.
The project was supported by numerous UNCG organizations including: UNCG Sustainability Council; UNCG Green Fund; UNCG Office of Sustainability; The Department of Geography, Environment, and Sustainability; The Department of Economics; and The Bryan School of Business & Economics.
Topics included the general overview of socially responsible investing (SRI) and why it’s important, industry and performance trends, and case studies from other universities who have implemented SRI.
Guest speakers included: Jill Hopke and Luis Hestres, co-authors of the Oxford Research Encyclopedia paper Fossil Fuel Divestment and Climate Change Communication; Ebony Perkins, Investment Associate, Self Help Credit Union; Christopher Demetropoulos, Portfolio Associate, Trillium Asset Management; Chas Mansfield, CFA, Chief Investment Officer, Compass Financial Partners; Charles Maimone, Vice Chancellor for Business Affairs at UNC Greensboro; Joshua Lassiter, Vice Chancellor for Business & Finance at Elizabeth City State University; Steward Thomas, Vice Chancellor for Finance & Administration at UNC Pembroke; and John Pierce, Vice Chancellor for Administration & Finance at UNC Asheville. (Titles listed are dated and may not reflect the current employment status of speakers.)
