SAN FRANCISCO, Calif— Geeta Aiyer, who received the prestigious Joan Bavaria Award this week, said that Sustainable and Responsible Investments (SRI) now account for over $6.5 trillion in the United States.
“When I started in SRI over twenty five years ago, it was a very niche industry, and I’ve been excited to see it grow to attract institutional and mainstream investors, while staying true to its values. Here in the U.S., SRI assets now account for over $6.5 trillion — nearly 18% of all investment assets,” said Aiyer founder and president of Boston-based Common Asset Management, LLC, which now manages over $2 billion in assets and is a leader in global sustainability initiatives. “But the industries’ challenges have grown too. From tackling climate change to protecting human rights in global supply chains — the need for the SRI industry to make an impact has never been greater.”
A panel of judges from the investment, business, and NGO worlds awarded the prestigious Joan Bavaria Award to Aiyer. The award is given by the sustainability industry to those who have led the way in creating more sustainable capital markets, and the announcement was made at the Ceres Conference in San Francisco.
In her acceptance speech, Aiyer spoke of her 27-year journey in sustainable and responsible investments but quipped we are, •not done yet.’
“It’s a tremendous honor to receive this Award, which is also a tribute to the great team I work with at Boston Common to build an integrated, successful model for engaged, sustainable global investing,” said Aiyer. “2015 will be a make-or-break year for sustainability professionals. As we move towards the Paris international conference on climate change in December, all of those involved in sustainability must move markets to show that the transition to a low-carbon economy can be a quick and smooth one. I have always been inspired by the words of Martin Luther King who said, “In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.” I think this should galvanize us all to stand up and be counted in this pivotal year.”
Aiyer also gave special thanks to the organizers of the Award, Ceres and Trillium Asset Management. She added, “Joan Bavaria was a legend of the industry, and it’s a very great privilege to receive an award in her name.”
The award honors the memory of Joan Bavaria, a pioneer of social investing who founded Ceres and Trillium Asset Management. Past recipients include Sister Patricia Daly, OP, executive director of the Tri-State Coalition for Responsible Investment, Tessa Tennant, President and co-founder of The Ice Organization, and William Foote, founder and CEO of Root Capital.
Mindy Lubber, president of Ceres and director of the Investor Network on Climate Risk (INCR) said, “Geeta Aiyer has been a monumental force in building the SRI movement, which has been expanding in leaps and bounds. She has challenged traditional thinking and promoted a new way to approach investing.”