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Corporate Social Responsibility
News
10.28.2003 ET
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Calvert Recognized for Global Sustainability Leadership
Socially Responsible Investment Firm Receives First Royal Award for Responsible Investment
(CSRwire) BETHESDA, Md. - Calvert (www.calvert.com) , the largest family of
socially responsible mutual funds in the United States, has been awarded
the Royal Award for Responsible Investment 2003.
The award is a joint endeavor by the Royal Awards for Sustainability (www.royalawards.org)
and the United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiatives (unepfi.net) (UNEP FI) who
have jointly launched an award process to identify outstanding examples of
corporate activity in the field of sustainability and socially responsible
investment.
The award was presented to Calvert's President & CEO Barbara J. Krumsiek
in Tokyo during the 2003 UNEP FI Global Roundtable. The objective of The
UNEP FI 2003 Global Roundtable, "Sustaining Value," is to explore how
financial institutions and capital markets can become powerful drivers for
sustainability. There were three winners in total with one second tier
special recognition award.
"Calvert thanks the Royal Award Jury for this Award," said Calvert CEO
Barbara Krumsiek upon accepting the award. "It is Calvert's core belief
that markets will reward companies and investors for integrating
financial, social and environmental performance into more holistic,
sustainable investment strategies. Such strategies must include
enlightened financial analysis utilizing full cost accounting methods as
well as a robust analysis of a corporation's governance structure,
business practices, environmental and social policies and performance,"
she added.
Calvert was cited for its leadership efforts in socially responsible
investing and commitment to sustainable development in several areas:
- Corporate Governance, Social and Environmental Investment Criteria
-- which direct investments to companies meeting basic standards of
corporate social responsibility.
- Special Programs -- Including
Calvert's Special Equities(which invests in start-ups) and High Social
Impact (which invests in communities) investment programs, which channel
capital to underserved communities and innovative, sustainable
businesses.
- Shareholder Engagement -- Calvert's shareholder advocacy programs,
including proxy voting, corporate dialogues, filing shareholder
resolutions and advocating regulatory reform, encourage companies to
become more sustainable.
- Commitment to Diversity -- Calvert has long advocated that racial and
gender diversity on corporate boards and in corporate management bring a
diversity of perspectives and experience that better positions companies
for sustainable, long-term growth.
- Participation in critical public policy debates, on topics from
corporate governance to global warming.
In addition to Calvert
receiving the Royal Award for responsible investment, Tessa Tennant,
Founding Board Member of the Calvert World Values International Equity
Fund, has won the Third SAM/SPG Sustainability Leadership Award. This
annual award is sponsored by SAM Sustainable Asset Management and
Sustainable Performance Group (SPG) and is given for extraordinary
leadership by individuals working within or in cooperation with the
private sector to make sustainability happen successfully in practice. Ms.
Tennant is being honored for her pioneering role in social investing work
in Asia, particularly her role in establishing ASrIA, a not for profit,
membership association dedicated to promoting sustainable and responsible
investment within the Asian capital markets.
Calvert is the largest family of socially responsible mutual funds in the
United States with approximately $9 billion in assets under management,
offering twenty-eight funds that allow individual and institutional
investors to pursue a broad range of investment objectives within a single
fund family. Calvert created the Calvert Social Index(TM), a benchmark for
measuring the performance of large, U.S.-based socially responsible
companies, and also offers an extensive lineup of tax-free and taxable
fixed income investments. For more information on Calvert, click on www.calvert.com.
Calvert mutual funds are underwritten and distributed by Calvert
Distributors Inc., member NASD, a subsidiary of Calvert Group.
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