Mr O’Connor brings more than ten years’ of international experience from both financial services and sustainability spheres, including as Director and Senior Economist for Economists at Large, Senior Investment Analyst at Innovest (now MSCI), and most recently as leading Economic Advisor for the Australian Conservation Foundation (ACF).

Mr O’Connor has played a critical role during his time at ACF in leading the debate on issues important to the development of sustainable financial markets.  These issues included the financing of Australia’s low carbon economy, carbon pricing, forestry and resources.

Pablo Berrutti, Chair of RIAA’s Board of Directors, noted that Mr O’Connor’s appointment comes at a critical point in the evolution of responsible investment.  

“We are thrilled that Simon is joining RIAA, and are particularly excited about Simon’s track record in linking civil society and the investment community.  Strengthening these connections, as many sustainability leaders in the corporate sector have done, will be critical to ensuring that the investment industry can meet the needs of beneficiaries in the coming decades”.

Mr O’Connor’s practical experience as an analyst and economist is also expected to bring unique insights which will allow RIAA to better serve its members, who span the investment value chain across Australia and New Zealand.

Mr Berrutti said, “RIAA and the RI Academy have an important role to play in building strong networks across our industry, leading debates on issues important to our members and supporting skills development throughout our region. Simon provides RIAA with the right leadership for the next phase of our development and to support the changing needs of our members”.

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For more than a decade, these regional bodies have produced research reports, generally on a biennial schedule, on the trends in sustainable and responsible investing within their own markets.  The release of this harmonized global “Trends” report, the first ever, is scheduled for December 2012.
 
This is an important step in helping to identify and compare sustainable investment industry developments across geographic boundaries.  Specifically, the report will analyse the prevalence of investment strategies that consider environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) factors in investment analysis and ownership activities.
 
The sustainable investment organisations, at the conclusion of their summit in London last week, also agreed to launch a global website in the last quarter of 2012 and to collaborate more closely on policy issues.
 
The organisations at the meeting included the UK Sustainable Investment and Finance Association (UKSIF), US SIF: The Forum for Sustainable and Responsible Investment, the European Sustainable Investment Forum (Eurosif), the Canadian Social Investment Organization (SIO), the Responsible Investment Association Australasia (RIAA), the Dutch Association of Investors for Sustainable Development (VBDO) and the Association for Sustainable & Responsible Investment in Asia (ASrIA). Additionally, the Africa Sustainable Investment Forum Project (AfricaSIF.org) provided the group with input from the African region.
 
The sustainable investment organisations represent more than 1,000 members including pension funds, asset managers, NGOs, banks, community development organisations, research institutions and consulting firms, impact investors and financial advisors.
 
The global sustainable investment Trends 2012 report will document the types of investors involved, break down the strategies employed and make international market comparisons. It will cover all asset classes, from public equities and fixed income to hedge funds and microfinance.  ESG investment strategies such as screening, integration and engagement will be assessed across jurisdictions.
 
This original research will be a valuable resource to investors and policy makers and will serve as the baseline for future research. Each participating organisation will be responsible for collecting data in its home market.
 
“The enduring strength of sustainable investment organisations is that we are driven by what’s needed on the ground in our regions and guided by the deep expertise of our members.” said Louise O’Halloran, Executive Director, Responsible Investment Association Australasia. “Bringing that expertise together as a global force is an incredibly powerful benefit for our community of members around the world.”
 
The global leadership meeting followed a two day symposium in London organized by UKSIF, US SIF and Eurosif.  The program included panels on shareholder engagement and the economics of sustainable investment research, among other topics.

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