Foundation News

The Sierra Club Foundation is proud to announce that we have joined the Investor Network on Climate Risk (INCR), a subgroup of Ceres with a mission to mobilize investor leaders to address climate and other key sustainability risks, while building low-carbon investment opportunities.

As a member of INCR, we are committed to changing our practices throughout the investment value chain to address climate and sustainability risks and opportunities; engage with companies in their portfolios on climate and sustainability issues; and advocate for strong climate and energy policies at the international, federal, regional, and state levels.

Our participation in INCR reflects our belief that our fiduciary duty is not limited solely to the oversight and investment of donated funds, but includes a responsibility to manage those funds in a manner consistent with our mission and values. Accordingly, over the past several years, our Investment Committee worked to transition the Foundation’s equity holdings in the operating and endowment portfolios to funds and managers that meet our environmental, social, and governance (ESG) criteria.

In 2013, our Board of Directors elected to divest our holdings in fossil fuel companies and reinvest those assets in holdings promoting climate and clean energy solutions. To demonstrate our commitment, TSCF signed onto the Divest-Invest Initiative. Joining INCR further bolsters our commitment to investing according to our values as we continue to prioritize mission-aligned investing and advocate for other environmental organizations and philanthropic foundations to divest from fossil fuels and reinvest in clean energy.

To learn more about INCR, please visit their website here: http://www.ceres.org/investor-network/incr.