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A Press Release in response to Maryan Street's address to the CSRI Conference 2008 (Robert Howell April 2008)
Big Questions for Our Time
Would you, or your organisation, invest in a company that:
- uses child labour?
- pollutes land and rivers in a developing
nation?
- desecrates the value system and values
of an indigenous people or a society?
- is owned by organised crime?
- has associations with terrorist organisations?
For most people the answer to these provocative
questions would be a resounding "No".
Yet, how can investors be assured about
the type of investment they are making? How do we, so far
from the rest of the world, know whether the practices of
the offshore organisations we're investing in are ethical
and sustainable? What are the validated measures that we
can use to verify actions with promise? And are our on-shore
organisations performing as we think they should?
Finally, is it possible in any case
to define ethical, sustainable practices and benchmark organisations
and our investment in them, against these standards?
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Like-Minded Organisations
- The Changing Climate for Ethical Investment
Around the world, there are many like-minded
organisations which have researched and advocated ethical
investment, and in some cases catalysed new markets for
ethical investment. Amongst them, the ICCR (the New York
City based Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility)
has over US$110 billion under investment for 275 faith-based
institutional investors. [ www.iccr.org
]
There is no doubt that the climate for
ethical, sustainable investment is growing. For instance:
- many corporations are establishing
management systems which take into account (and report
upon) sustainable practices
- legal developments in some countries
are requiring some organisations and their governors to
consider ethical practices
- shareholders are demanding sustainable,
responsible management practices and investments
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Membership of the Council
for Socially Responsible Investment
You and your organisation are encouraged
to join the CSRI. In doing so, you will be indirectly helping
shape New Zealand's economic future.
Membership:
Annual subscriptions are inclusive of GST.
| Fee |
Investing Organisations |
| |
Fund Managers |
| $5,000 |
Large - $250 million plus |
| $2,500 |
Medium - $100 to $250 million |
| $1,000 |
Small - Less than $100 million |
| $250 |
Small - Less than $25 million |
| |
Financial Advisers |
| $1,000 |
Large - $100 million plus |
| $500 |
Small - Less than $100 million |
| |
Non Investing Organisations (and Non-Profit Investing Organisations) |
| $500 |
Large (more than $500 million invested) |
| $250 |
Small (less than $500 million invested) |
| $50 |
Individuals |
| Friends |
Those individuals and organisations who would like to become Friends without becoming Members should contact Robert Howell, CEO, directly. |
Benefits of membership include:
- discount on annual conference participation
- receipt of regular newsletter
- invitations to seminars, think tanks
and other gatherings on a regular basis to help mould
socially responsible investment
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Donations
The Council for Socially Responsible Investment
is a charitable organisation and welcomes donations. If
you would like to become a Friend of the CSRI please e-mail
info@csri.org.nz
for further details.
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