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October 09, 2002
SRI Community Reaps Success in Washington
by William Baue
Recent proposals from the SRI community enacted as public policy are creating momentum toward more
potential legislation and regulations that support SRI goals.
SocialFunds.com --
The SRI community has long advocated for progressive public policy regulations and legislation
regarding corporate governance and social and environmental issues. Recently, the SRI community
has been particularly active in this advocacy. Just last week, for example, members of the SRI
community made presentations to the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works (EPW)
proposing that the Securities and Exchange
Commission (SEC) strengthen environmental disclosure regulations.
 "We were there to promote a public policy
recognition of the need for disclosure of environmental liability, especially as it relates to
climate change," said panelist Lily Donge, a social research analyst with the Calvert Group. Other panelists included Martin Whittaker of
Innovest Strategic Value Advisors and
Damon Silvers of the AFL-CIO. Innovest is a research firm that rates corporate environmental and
social performance and the AFL-CIO is a national labor organization.
The SRI community's
advocacy for public policy changes has met with some success lately. Last month, the SEC proposed
regulations that would require mutual funds to disclose their proxy votes and policies. SEC Chair
Harvey Pitt also proposed eliminating the "ordinary business" rule that companies often invoke to
keep shareowner resolutions off their proxies. Letters and rulemaking petitions to the SEC written by SRI community members as well as
institutional investors and environmental groups contributed to the development of these SEC
proposals.
Social Investment
Forum (SIF) President Tim Smith co-authored one of the letters and commented to SocialFunds.com
on the history of the SRI community's public policy advocacy.
 "Throughout the last 30 years, the SRI community has
been involved both in advocacy directly with companies and in trying to impact public policy, which
would affect companies," said Mr. Smith. "The SRI community has always had a multiple-pronged
approach. You change companies' behavior both directly and by changing the rules of the road."
Domini Social Investments Principal
Steve Lydenberg suggested several ways the SRI community could extend the momentum of present
successes into the future.
"In the aftermath of Enron and related scandals, the SRI world
has an important immediate opportunity to put forward at least three agendas," Mr. Lydenberg told
SocialFunds.com. "First, a formulation of the responsibilities of stock ownership. Second, a
program for required disclosure by corporations of social and environmental data, building on the
work of the Global Reporting Initiative. And third, a redefinition of the corporation, drawing on
the stakeholder model of the corporation. The SRI world's long experience in evaluating social and
environmental issues puts it in a strong position to influence these debates."
Mr.
Lydenberg elaborated on his first and third proposals. Regarding the responsibilities of stock
ownership, he calls for the democratization of corporate governance mechanisms. For example, he
suggests there should be greater shareowner participation in proxy voting. Regarding a redefined
corporation, he discredits the notion of enhancing stockowner value at any cost. Mr. Lydenberg
favors a model that seeks to enhance value for all stakeholders, including employees, customers,
communities, and the environment.
Mr. Smith also projected the SRI community's future in
public policy advocacy. He distinguished between initiatives that SRI members are working on
currently and regulation and legislation changes that SRI community members would like to see. The
former category includes such issues as abolishing sweat shops and recycling computers. For the
latter category, Mr. Smith suggested the U.S. emulate the British regarding the law that requires
pension funds to report on the degree to which they consider ethical, social, and environmental
issues in investment decisions.
"Such legislation is on our wish list," said Mr. Smith.
"Nobody here has proposed it as a piece of legislation, but the British law acts as a prompt for us
to promote similarly ambitious initiatives."
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SRI World Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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