Marking the 20th Anniversary of SRI in the Rockies offers more than an opportunity to review the hard-won progress of investors to prove that socially responsible investing is viable and now clearly out-performs traditional mainstream investing.  Since the credit crises of 2008-2009, we can now assert with confidence that investing for long-term sustainability and taking ESG factors as material to asset valuation could have actually helped avert these crises.   We investors are now winning the paradigm battle and cite the evidence to show that the Efficient Market Hypothesis (EMH) is bunk and by the same token show that the Modern Portfolio Theory (MPT), the Capital Asset Pricing Model (CAPM) and, yes, even the sacred tenets of the "rational investor" and the Black-Scholes Merton Options Pricing Model all are part of history.

Our two main recommendations are to reword and extend the Combined Code so that it truly encompasses the responsibilities of investors alongside those of boards and better reflects cultures, values and behaviours in the assessment of risk and allocation of rewards 

The business world is in the midst of extraordinary change. Great leaders will come to the fore. They will be recognised for overcoming adversity with confidence and for rebuilding purpose for their organisations. They will need to take stock, scan their environments for possibility and use this information to bypass cultural paralysis and fear. To achieve this, they will require significant energy, both mentally and physically, to achieve the focus necessary to adapt and flex. They will require a Peak Performance mindset worthy of an Olympic athlete, a great statesman or a new generation of leader who is strong, visible and resilient enough to deal with the uncertainty and unpredictability that lies ahead.

How an interdependent approach to leveraging globalisation will create a business culture that's sustainable and fair to all. A key ingredient for building the firm of the future is the setting up of a culture that can evolve, sustain and grow. Relationships, learning, adapting, evolving – simple to use words – not so simple to understand or, for that matter, apply in a particular context. For one, the mechanistic worldview [what became the order in the Industrial era] suggests the need for rigid structures. Today’s realities are quite different. Relationships are being formed without any physical contact: very deep relationships are being founded on areas of common interest.

While companies and consumers are becoming more aware of their social responsibilities, South Africa still faces huge, un-met challenges. And although philanthropy plays a vital role in the development of communities, is not enough to bring an end to poverty. GreaterGood South Africa, through its SA Social Investment Exchange (SASIX), is pioneering new ways of giving people and communities access to the capital they need to lift themselves out of poverty.