June 2, 2009 -The US has traditionally been the home of socially responsible investment (SRI) based on the screening out of unfavourable companies or the best-in-class positive weighting approach to investment.

More recently, however, new SRI terminology has entered the lexicon: ESG integration, a holistic look at where environmental, social and governance factors can add value or mitigate risk across an entire institutional investment portfolio. The trend has been taken up strongly in Europe and the same is happening in the US.

With more than 500 institutional investors (both asset owners and investment managers) signed up to the UN Principles for Responsible Investment (UN PRI) - of which the number of US signatories is 78 and rising fast - there is now a wall of institutional money lined up to evaluate ESG integration.

Yet, the UN PRI Report on Progress includes the key finding that: "Principle 1 of the PRI, which focuses on incorporating ESG issues into investment analysis and decision making, was ranked the most difficult to implement."

As a result, there is much that investors can learn from each other. Responsible Investor Events aim to translate discussion into practical solutions.

Integrating ESG into Portfolios is a one-day seminar examining how institutional investors and portfolio managers can integrate environmental, social and corporate governance issues into mainstream investment analysis and decision-making, including the wider portfolio impacts.

Delegates will hear from practitioners who will deliver knowledge and insights gained via their first-hand experience. The entire event will focus on best practice.

In association with the US Social Investment Forum (US SIF)Confirmed speakers include:Christina Kussofsky Hillesoy, chair of ethical council, AP Government buffer funds, Sweden Rob Lake, head of sustainability, APG Investments, Netherlands Christopher Greenwald, director of data content, ASSET4, Switzerland Claire McLetchie, executive director, Association for Sustainable and Responsible Investment in Asia (ASrIA), Hong Kong Stuart L Berman, partner, Barroway Topaz Kessler Meltzer & Check, LLP, USA Gary Turkel, head of equity product and ESG, Bloomberg, USA Mike Musuraca, managing director, Blue Wolf Capital, USA David Wood, director, The Boston College Institute for Responsible Investment, USA Lauren Compere, director of shareholder advocacy, Boston Common Asset Management, USA Adam Kanzer, managing director and general counsel, Domini Social Investments, USA Hanna Roberts, engagement manager, GES Investment Services, Sweden Craig Metrick, US head of responsible investment team, Mercer, USA Laura Shaffer, director of shareholder activities, Nathan Cummings Foundation, USA Hugh Wheelan, editor, Responsible Investor, France/UK Erik Breen, head of responsible investing, Robeco, Netherlands Hugo Steensma, managing director, SAM, USA Meg Voorhes, deputy director and research director, Social Investment Forum, USA Hye-Won Choi, senior VP corporate governance, TIAA-CREF, USA Jerome Tagger, chief operating officer, UNPRI, USA Tim Smith, senior vice president, ESG group, Walden Asset Management, USA Sarah Cleveland, senior consultant, Watson Wyatt Investment Consulting, USAFor more information please visit: http://www.responsible-investor.com/images/uploads/resources/research/11242377047Integrating_ESG_NYC_v8.pdf</a.