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15 - Socially responsible money: an alternative to the financial obsession with “short term” money?

Best Practices of investment funds taking extra-financial standards into account.

Socially responsible investment (SRI) funds – which respect social principles, care for the environment and show concern for good corporate governance – are becoming increasingly attractive, when they can offer a satisfactory financial performance. They still account for only a modest share of international finance, but they are booming.
If non-financial criteria had been taken into account extensively, could the current crisis have been avoided? Many people think so. They are convinced that these criteria will be increasingly incorporated into financial practices because they guard against the devastating effects of "short termism". Expectations are high: the way is open and there are good examples to show how to follow it.

Andreas KNÖRZER - Head of Sustainable Investment - Bank Sarasin (Switzerland)

Andreas KNÖRZER has 18 years capital market experience thereof 10 years as fund manager. He is working for Bank Sarasin, a leading Swiss private bank for 16 years in various functions and is the founder of Sarasin's sustainable investment product range.
Bank Sarasin is today leader in the field of sustainable investments and asset management and was named «Sustainable Bank of the Year» in 2007.

Download his PowerPoint presentation: Powerpoint Andreas KNORZER

Geert HEUNINCK - Head of Sustainable Investment - KBC (Belgium)

KBC Asset Management (Group KBC), a management company created some sixty years ago, launched in 1992 the first investment funds meeting social and environmental criteria. Geert HEUNINCK is in charge of the operations. He can rely on an advisory council made up of ten Belgian and Dutch experts to assess companies. Geert HEUNINCK is also a member of the Board of BELSIF (Belgium Sustainable & Socially Responsible Investment Forum).

Download his PowerPoint presentation: Powerpoint Geert HEUNINCK

Céline LOUCHE - Professor - Vlerick Leuven Gent Management School (Belgium)

Céline Louche teaches and researches into the area of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). One of her domains of expertise is Responsible Investment. She has carried several research projects on this topic among the most recent ‘Sustainable Value Research Project’ (http://www.eabis.org/research-projects/non-financial-performance.html). She also worked five years as a Sustainability Analyst for SRI at the Dutch Sustainability Research institute. She is member of the Academic Board of the European Academy of Business in Society, the scientific committee of the International Network for Research on Organisations and Sustainable Development, and the SRI advisory committee of Dexia Asset Management.

Download his PowerPoint presentation: Powerpoint Céline LOUCHE

Moderator :

Anne-Catherine HUSSON-TRAORE – General Director - Novethic (France)

Anne-Catherine HUSSON-TRAORE, an expert in Corporate Social Responsibility and especially in Socially Responsible Investment (SRI), has been Chief Executive of NOVETHIC since 2001.
Novethic, a subsidiary of Caisse des Dépôts (France), is a leading research center for information on sustainable development related to the economy.

Download his PowerPoint presentation: Powerpoint Anne-Catherine HUSSON-TRAORE