What matters for socially responsible investment (SRI) in the natural resources sectors? SRI mutual funds and forestry in North America

Abstract

Socially responsible investment mutual funds have played an active role in encouraging sustainability in the natural resources sectors, particularly in North America's forest industry which tends to be reactive in adopting sustainable practices. A survey of socially responsible investment mutual funds in Canada and the US was first undertaken in 2006 and then replicated in 2010–11 to understand the implications of this growing investment practice on the natural resources sector, with a focus on forestry. While we did not expect to find a convergence in environmental, social or governance criteria among funds, this study found that environmental criteria are most important to respondents in evaluating natural resource stocks, and that this is stable over time and consistent according to fund size. Governance criteria became prominent in 2010–11, perhaps a result of the Global Financial Crisis. These results build on literature examining the investment evaluation process for socially responsible mutual funds. What the findings highlight is that evaluation criteria are dynamic, responding to changing attitudes and firms should consider this in developing their sustainability agenda. Some socially responsible mutual funds have played a unique role in the forest sector, working collectively with Non-Government Organisations and civil actors to influence forest companies to improve sustainability, and have divested shares in forest companies that do not comply with their demands. Our results improve understanding for what is important to socially responsible mutual funds in evaluating the forest sector. The study shows a decline in importance for forest certification over the period and that the Forest Stewardship Council scheme is viewed as most credible by respondents. However, poor financial returns in the forest sector may constrain further attention from socially responsible mutual funds.