Overall Rating Gold - expired
Overall Score 69.26
Liaison Gioia Thompson
Submission Date March 1, 2017
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

University of Vermont
PA-9: Sustainable Investment

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 1.01 / 4.00 Claire Burlingham
Controller
Controllers Office
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Option 1: Positive Sustainability Investment 

Does the institution wish to pursue Option 1 (positive sustainability investment)?:
Yes

Total value of the investment pool:
450,000,000 US/Canadian $

Value of holdings in each of the following categories:
Value of Holdings
Sustainable industries (e.g. renewable energy or sustainable forestry) 0 US/Canadian $
Businesses selected for exemplary sustainability performance (e.g. using criteria specified in a sustainable investment policy) 0 US/Canadian $
Sustainability investment funds (e.g. a renewable energy or impact investment fund) 0 US/Canadian $
Community development financial institutions (CDFIs) or the equivalent 0 US/Canadian $
Socially responsible mutual funds with positive screens (or the equivalent) 1,000,000 US/Canadian $
Green revolving loan funds that are funded from the endowment 0 US/Canadian $

If any of the above is greater than zero, provide:

A brief description of the companies, funds, and/or institutions referenced above:
Green Century Fund was researched and selected based on its very limited connections to the fossil fuel industry.

Percentage of the institution's investment pool in positive sustainability investments:
0.22

Option 2: Investor Engagement 

Does the institution wish to pursue Option 2 (investor engagement)?:
Yes

Sustainable Investment Policy 

Does the institution have a publicly available sustainable investment policy?:
---

None
A copy of the sustainable investment policy:
---

None
The sustainable investment policy:
The University of Vermont ‘s Statement of Investment Policies and Objectives states the following: "Adherence to these investment strategy objectives does not preclude consideration of moral, ethical and social criteria in selecting investments or participating in shareholder resolutions that address moral, ethical or social issues. However, the core responsibility of the Board is to steward University assets in a manner consistent with prudent fiduciary practices."

None
Does the institution use its sustainable investment policy to select and guide investment managers?:
No

None
A brief description of how the policy is applied, including recent examples:
---

Proxy Voting 

Has the institution engaged in proxy voting, either by its CIR or other committee or through the use of guidelines, to promote sustainability during the previous three years?:
Yes

None
A copy of the proxy voting guidelines or proxy record:
Procedures for Proxy Voting_revised 03.10.16-1.pdf

None
A brief description of how managers are adhering to proxy voting guidelines:
---

Shareholder Resolutions 

Has the institution filed or co-filed one or more shareholder resolutions that address sustainability or submitted one or more letters about social or environmental responsibility to a company in which it holds investments during the previous three years?:
No

None
Examples of how the institution has engaged with corporations in its portfolio about sustainability issues during the previous three years:
---

Negative Screens / Divestment Efforts 

Does the institution have a publicly available investment policy with negative screens?:
Yes

None
A brief description of the negative screens and how they have been implemented:
UVM does not invest in tobacco companies or uranium landmine companies

None
Approximate percentage of the endowment that the negative screens apply to:
33

Investor Networks 

Does the institution engage in policy advocacy by participating in investor networks and/or engage in inter-organizational collaborations to share best practices?:
Yes

None
A brief description of the investor networks and/or collaborations:
UVM has been active with AASHE, Responsible Endowments Coalition and has attended Forum for Sustainable and Responsible Investments (USSIF) conferences and partnered with Interfaith Center on Socially Responsible Investing

Optional Fields 

The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives is available:
http://www.uvm.edu/sriac

Additional documentation to support the submission:
---

Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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The information presented here is self-reported. While AASHE staff review portions of all STARS reports and institutions are welcome to seek additional forms of review, the data in STARS reports are not verified by AASHE. If you believe any of this information is erroneous or inconsistent with credit criteria, please review the process for inquiring about the information reported by an institution or simply email your inquiry to stars@aashe.org.