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Feb 22, 09

Responsible Investing

The Private Wealth Council is pleased to announce the latest issue of the Responsible Wealth Review, a publication that explores opportunities for responsible wealth ownership, while offering insight and analysis from some of the world's leading thinkers and decision makers.

The latest issue introduces the concept of Responsible Investing, an approach that effectively generates and manages wealth while "doing good". Responsible Investing not only fulfills our responsibilities to ourselves and our families, but also empowers us to take leadership and stewardship of pressing issues facing society and the survival of the planet.

Marcel Brenninkmeijer, the founder and Chairman of Good Energies, explains his rationale for shifting his focus from the fashion industry to renewable energy. Good Energies is a leading global investor in renewable energy and energy efficiency industries.

The flagrant wastefulness of water has led to dire consequences, warns Peter Brabeck-Letmathe, Chairman of Nestlé AG. He outlines a recovery plan that could prevent the global collapse of the water supply.

From Abu Dhabi, Dr. Sultan Al Jaber, CEO of Masdar Abu Dhabi's Future Energy Initiative, provides an insider's guide to Masdar City, the world's first zero carbon, zero waste-city, powered entirely by sustainable energy.

This issue also presents some of the environmental and social returns that come with socially responsible investing (SRI). Nobel Peace Laureate Dr. Mohamad Yunus, the founder of the Grameen Bank, describes the evolution of this village bank that now services hundreds of thousands of the poorest of the poor.

Queen Silvia of Sweden reflects on both the challenges and accomplishments of fighting drug use among young people. The Queen is the president of the Mentor Foundation, a non-profit organization that has made great strides in tackling this global crisis.

Another Nobel Laureate, German author Günter Grass offers his perspective on some of the historical and sociological trends and events he has witnessed throughout his long life.

Additional contributors include: Christopher Flavin and Robert Engelmann, both from the Worldwatch Institute, on mobilizing global political will to combat climate change; Josh Lerner, professor of Investment Banking at Harvard Business School, on a working definition of Responsible Investing; Matthew Keller, Regional Director of One Laptop Per Child, on a global education project aimed at fighting poverty; and finally, Ernst Ligteringen, CEO of the Global Reporting Initiative, on the need for progressive, sustainability data.

Their reflections are a guidepost in making responsible and sustainable in-vestment decisions, explains publisher Fritz Kaiser, "We need to actively support the positive development of our society and our environment. We can absolutely do good while achieving long term sustainable returns on in-vestments. If you can understand the drivers of change and navigate on the "right" side of change, then you have a better chance of being a successful long-term investor, rather than another gambler in the market," says Kaiser.

 



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