In this webinar IEN will provide an overview of a new Intentional Endowments Network (IEN) initiative designed to support institutions to integrate ESG options into their retirement plans. We’ll cover the current landscape of sustainable investing in retirement plans, how to participate in IEN’s work in this area, and the favorable regulatory and market forces driving the need and opportunity to begin aligning your retirement plans with your organization’s sustainability commitments.

The webinar will feature Samantha Stephens from Mirova, an affiliate of Natixis Investment Managers. Sam will discuss the performance of these funds and the ways in which colleges and universities can better align retirement plans with sustainability commitments. Also presenting on the webinar will be Purposeful Strategies, IEN’s partner in this initiative. Purposeful Strategies has run a similar campaign for corporate pension plans with the World Business Council for Sustainable Development and can talk about how institutions can participate and the type of information that will be produced to help you achieve success.

Colleges and universities are already making progress aligning endowment investments and business practices with their institutional mission, but a “blind spot” often exists between an organization’s values and the retirement investments it deploys on behalf of a vital constituency, its own employees. The overwhelming majority of institutions as well as companies have not yet aligned their retirement plans with their sustainability commitments. We believe this is a sizable sustainability gap for colleges and universities, as well as a market opportunity for the asset management and investment advisory community.