Date: May 2004There has been a general consensus that socially responsible investing (SRI) leads to inferior, rather than superior, performance. Using Innovest’s corporate ecoefficiency scores, the authors of this report provided evidence to the contrary. They composed two equity portfolios of different "eco-efficiency" ratings and found that over the period 1995-2003 the high-ranked portfolio gave substantially higher average returns than the low-ranked one. They showed that this difference could not be explained by differences in market sensitivity, investment style, or several other factors, and so concluded that the incremental benefits of SRI can be "substantial".

This article, by James Palmer and Prof. Michael Mainelli and part of the London Accord, is intended to provide an illustration of the application of portfolio modelling to climate change investment. For more information go to www.london-accord.co.uk

In order for the true cost of carbon to be represented in the market, its effects on the environment must be captured like any other externality, and subject to the same laws of supply and demand, setting a dynamic price of emissions in business.This article by the Z/Yen Group examines the two primary market mechanisms available – cap-and-trade schemes, and carbon tax. For more information go to www.london-accord.co.uk

The Road to London, by Prof. Michael Mainelli and Jan-Peter Onstwedder, tells the story of how the London Accord came to be, from its origin in the autumn of 2005 to its publication in December 2007, tracing the individuals and the external factors that shaped it. For more information go to www.london-accord.co.uk