Social Responsibility

Moving Money - Supporting Solutions for Racial Justice

We are enraged at the violence directed against Black people in America and the murders perpetrated by police forces, whose supposed purpose is to protect all citizens. We are also grateful to all the people who are protesting and risking their lives for change.

We acknowledge our complicity in all this suffering. As bearers of class and wealth privilege, we must locate our position in this system of oppression and put our skills as professional investors in the service of Black communities, justice, and reparation.

Pressing Apple for change at The Oscars of capitalism

The media calls the shareholder meeting of Warren Buffet’s Berkshire Hathaway “Woodstock for capitalists.” Apple’s annual meeting in California, which we attended late last month, should be called “The Oscars of capitalism.” The Apple shareholder meeting is exclusive (it’s difficult for investors to nab a ticket and Al Gore is in attendance), slickly produced in the gleaming “Steve Jobs Theater,” and surrounded by several layers of Secret Service-level security.

Climate Change: The Physical Risks

Climate change risk is a real concern for the world. Last year, scientists approached a consensus that our opportunity to reach the ambitious goal of curbing emissions to avoid global warming of 1.5 degrees Celsius beyond pre-industrial levels has come and gone. In the current climate, coral reefs are dying, deforestation is proceeding rapidly, and Australia has succumbed to a continental rash of fires.

Deforestation and the Investor Dilemma

“The Amazon rainforest is burning.”

That revelation — spread by advocates, scientists and affected communities — demanded the world’s attention in 2019. This summer was a record fire season in Brazil’s Amazon region, often called “the lungs of the world” for the zone’s importance to our atmosphere and our climate. Brazil’s far-right president Jair Bolsonaro claimed that the fires were fabricated or overblown. We know that this is false thanks to satellite imagery and NGO reports.

How can investors help confront racial injustice?

A responsible investment approach should be informed by the real world beyond balance sheets and earnings statements. At Zevin Asset Management, we examine key environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors to shape our view of the future and find companies that respect people and planet.

That is why, as impact investors, we must confront racial injustice. Inequality and injustice based on race, after all, were founding economic realities of American life. Two centuries later, inequality, abuse, and discrimination are still present in every sector — in education, housing, healthcare, and policing.