Robert's Radical Truths

Japanese trade unions recommend ESG integration for pension funds TBLI optimistic on outcome fifth Asia conference

RENGO, the Japanese trades union confederation announced plans, during last weeks TBLI CONFERENCE™ ASIA 2010, to integrate ESG- factors into its investment decisions. These pension funds represent a significant part of the country’s institutional retirement savings, which as a whole is more than JPY 50 trillion (€450 bn). This move is especially important because of the close relations between RENGO and the new government of Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama.

For the fifth time TBLI CONFERENCE™ organized the largest annual global networking and learning event on Socially Responsible Investment (SRI) on May 27th and 28th 2010, this year in Tokyo, Japan.

TBLI founder and CEO Robert Rubinstein on this development: “Sustainable Development has been slow in uptake to date in Japan. This step forward is a gigantic impulse for impact investment.” At this two-day conference RENGO stated ESG is the way to regain trust within the financial sector. By the end of the year a report will examine how pension funds could steer away from short-term returns in favour of ESG-related, long-term investments.
TBLI GROUP™
Robert Rubinstein

TBLI GROUP™ specializes in Triple Bottom Line Investing (TBLI) and ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance). Based in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, TBLI GROUP™ seeks to raise awareness of sustainable investment in the financial sector by assisting investors and providing a global network for parties who share this goal. TBLI CONFERENCE™ has an annual edition in both Asia and Europe. More than 375 participants, all leaders from industry, finance and government, visited TBLI CONFERENCE™ ASIA 2010 May 27-28, 2010.
www.tbliconference.com