News from ECCR

Positive Impact Investment: Too Good to Be True? ECCR open debate 2010

Forthcoming, November 2010, London

BP's Gulf of Mexico oil disaster has highlighted the risks and costs of current models of business and investment. Meanwhile urgent action to address climate change, poverty, the denial of  healthcare and education, and other unfulfilled human rights remains acutely underfunded.

Can positive impact investment help meet the social and environmental challenges that humanity faces while still generating sound financial returns? Are innovative approaches to capital allocation the shape of investment to come or more likely to remain a niche sector?

ECCR's 2010 open debate will explore these questions with a panel chaired by Lord Harries of Pentregarth and featuring James Bevan, CCLA Investment Management; Ryan Brightwell, Co-operative Financial Services; Clare Brook, WHEB Asset Management; and Adam Ognall, UKSIF the sustainable investment and finance association.

Thursday 18 November 2010, 4.30-6.15 p.m., Methodist Church House, London. To book a place, contact Miles Litvinoff.

Debate flyer (pdf)

Right way to riches – The Tablet

August 2010

While ethical investment funds still amount to only a tenth of the market, many of the concerns that underpin this sector of the industry, such as climate change, energy and pay levels, are now increasingly being championed by the mainstream...

Read more (pdf)

Reproduced with permission - www.thetablet.co.uk

Keeping the faith – Shared Interest

Summer 2010 

Sally Reith, Shared Interest Supporter Relations Officer for the South East, interviewed Miles Litvinoff, Coordinator of ECCR, to find out more about the organisation and how he sees the relationship with Shared Interest growing...

Read more (pdf)

ECCR and Christian Aid joint submission on country-by-country reporting by extractive industries

July 2010

Christian Aid and ECCR  have made a joint submissi­on to the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) consultation on a country-by-country financial reporting standard for the extractive industries (oil, gas, mining). The importance of country-by-country reporting is increasingly recognised – most recently in the new US Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act.

­Our submission argues that a fully mandatory and comprehensive standard will increase companies’ accountability to governments and investors by combating aggressive tax avoidance, corruption and non-disclosure of risk, and will support the public interest by enabling civil society in developing countries to better monitor payments to governments as advocated by the Publish What You Pay coalition. Investors and others can read the IASB’s discussion paper and make submissions ­here until 30 July..

Joint submission (pdf)

July/August 2010

ECCR joins civil society coalition urging action on oil spills in the Niger Delta

July 2010

Following BP’s Gulf of Mexico disaster, ECCR and many other human and environmental rights groups and civil society leaders have called for equivalent compensation to address the impact of oil spills in the Niger Delta.

Press letter (pdf)

Full statement (pdf)

June 2010

'Rethinking Ethical Investment in Turbulent Times': ECCR London and South East Group launch meeting

May 2010, London

A new ECCR group for London and the South East was launched at the Mount Street Jesuit Centre, London W1, with a presentation by Dr Robert Howell of the Council for Socially Responsible Investment, New Zealand, on 'Rethinking Ethical Investment in Turbulent Times'. For information about the group  please contact Helen Boothroyd (tel. 075 0393 1172).

May 2010

Churches aspire to ethical investment – Financial News

April 2010 ­

Christian investors have been holding their heads high of late, and not just because last week they were celebrating Easter, the most important period in their religious calendar. They had a relatively good financial crisis ... The Ecumenical Council for Corporate Responsibility, a voluntary coalition of church-based investors and ethical asset managers, has seen Co-operative Financial Services and Triodos Bank join its ranks ....

Read more (pdf)

April 2010

Churches and campaigners call on Irish National Pensions Reserve Fund to put principles into practice on responsible investment

Ireland's National Pensions Reserve Fund (NPRF) today faces calls from British and Irish church-based investor coalition the Ecumenical Council for Corporate Responsibility (ECCR) to back up its statements on responsible investment and prudent investment management by supporting resolutions on controversial 'tar sands' projects at Shell and BP's annual general meetings ...

­News release. (pdf)­

­Irish Green Party Senator Dan Boyle calls on the NPRF to support the resolutions. 

ECCR to support BP and Shell shareholder resolutions on tar sands

FairPensions' investor briefing.

BP resolution and supporting statement.

Shell resolution and supporting statement.

Take action.

March 2010

Banking on Justice: churches investing for a fairer future

March 2010, Edinburgh

Held at St George's West Church, Edinburgh on 18 March 2010 in partnership with ECCR corporate member the Church of Scotland. Chair: Rev. Ian Galloway, Convener, Church and Society Council, Church of Scotland. Speakers: Ryan Brightwell, Co-operative Financial Services; Alex Connor, Triodos Bank; Kathy Galloway, Christian Aid Scotland; Doug Gay, co-author Justice and Markets; Jamie Hartzell, Ethical Property Company; Miles Litvinoff, ECCR; Victoria Woodbridge, EIRIS.

Conference report (pdf)

Conference programme (pdf)

News release (pdf)