PDF Investing in Mercy

Investing in Mercy

September 2018

In this issue ? Mercy Investment Services becomes UNPRI signatory ? Global Climate Action Summit highlights new Investor Agenda ? Engagement with GlaxoSmithKline brings innovative drugs to those in need ? Increasing employment opportunities for young adults with autism

Mercy Investment Services becomes UNPRI signatory

Bryan Pini, president and chief investment officer of Mercy Investment Services, signs the UN Principles for Responsible Investment on behalf of Mercy Investment Services.

As another step in its commitment as a leading socially responsible investor, Mercy Investment Services recently became a signatory to the United Nations Principles for Responsible Investment (UNPRI). Joining the internationally recognized UNPRI publicly demonstrates Mercy Investment Services' commitment to responsible investment, and offers access to leading research, reports and guides that will support our corporate engagements. In early September, Mercy Investment Services attended the annual PRI in Person, which is the world's largest responsible investment conference. The conference included keynote addresses by former vice president Al Gore and Unilever CEO Paul Polman. In his remarks, Gore provided examples of the effects of climate change on natural disasters, stressed the urgency of the climate crisis, and urged consumers, governments, corporations and investors to take immediate and significant action. Polman encouraged a move toward circular consumption ? recycling and reusing ? and shared his view of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as "a world scorecard on what is wrong." The nearly 50 breakout sessions addressed topics including board diversity, the physical risk of climate change, efforts to reduce the impact of palm oil production, and workers' rights. Mercy Investment Services is proud to be a member of UNPRI and looks forward to the collaborations and resources that will strengthen our socially responsible investment program.

Global Climate Action Summit highlights new Investor Agenda

Earlier this month, Mercy Investment Services joined companies, and representatives of cities, states and countries around the world in San Francisco, California, for the Global Climate Action Summit. Hosted by California Governor Jerry Brown, the summit highlighted global actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and address climate

change, while also serving as a platform for attendees to announce new commitments to climate action. Marianne Comfort of the Institute Justice Team, along with Mercy Investment Services, attended events sponsored by faith organizations to celebrate our commitments to climate action and to take a sobering look at the hard work ahead to keep global warming to "well below" 2-degrees Celsius over pre-industrial levels, as the Paris Agreement demands.

The summit included the announcement of the Investor Agenda, which represents almost 400 investors with nearly $32 trillion in assets pledging action on investments, policy advocacy, disclosure and engagement. Developed by seven partner organizations, the Investor Agenda calls on global investors to take action in four focus areas: increasing investment in low-carbon solutions; ramping up corporate engagement to encourage companies to act on climate change; increasing disclosure of climate risks and opportunities; and advocating for government policies to address climate change. Mercy Investment Services is proud to be among the Investor Agenda participants demonstrating their commitment to care for our common home.

During the summit, companies and governments announced significant pledges to positively impact the environment:

? Mahendra Cements, a heavy-emitting Indian company, announced it will be the first global cement company to set a science-based target for greenhouse gas emissions.

? United Airlines committed to a 50% emission reduction target from 2005 levels by 2050, and to meet it by reducing their own emissions, not relying on carbon offsets, which exceeds current international standards and agreements.

? Two of the largest electric vehicle (EV) charging station manufacturers announced major commitments to expanding infrastructure.

? Washington joined California, Connecticut and several other U.S. states in the international ZEV Alliance to push for more EVs in their states. Twenty-six cities around the world committed to 100 percent zero-emission bus fleets by 2025.

Mercy Investment Services applauds these companies and governments for positive steps forward and looks to build upon the work of the summit and the Investor Agenda in our engagements for the 2019 shareholder advocacy season.

Engagement with GlaxoSmithKline brings innovative drugs to those in need

As Mercy Investment Services advocates for global access to medicines, its collaboration with other Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility (ICCR) members in a corporate engagement with GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) has led to significant progress from one of the world's largest pharmaceutical companies.

? GSK ranked first in the 2016 Access to Medicines Index (ATMI) for the fifth time and earned high rankings in the Access to Vaccines Index (ATVI), two tools shareholders use to move companies toward change. Shareholders commended GSK for its leadership while urging the company to do even more to make medicines and vaccines available to low-income populations.

? GSK recently announced a single-dose treatment for relapsing malaria, the first new malaria treatment in 60 years. Shareholders hope GSK will develop a business plan to make the treatment available to those who need it most in African and Asian countries.

? The ViiV Healthcare partnership, which includes GSK, Pfizer and Shionogi, recently announced a public-private partnership with Unitaid and Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI) to accelerate development of optimal pediatric formulations of dolutegravir, a basic drug in HIV therapy.

? ViiV Healthcare has also developed Juluca, a single pill that can replace three or four drug regimens to treat HIV infection in adults. Investors encouraged the company to make the medicine more widely available in low- and middleincome countries and to study the doses for pediatrics across age and weight bands.

In light of ICCR's 2019 focus on vaccine access, shareholders and GSK, which leads pharmaceutical companies in vaccine revenues, discussed how to resolve the gap between the cost of vaccine production and what a country or nongovernmental organization can afford. Vaccination has greatly reduced the burden of infectious diseases and annually prevents almost six million deaths.

Increasing employment opportunities for young adults with autism

Rising Tide Car Wash is a scalable social enterprise with the primary mission to employ adults with autism. Unemployment among people with autism is disproportionately high and at least 500,000 more individuals with autism will enter the workforce in the next decade. Founded in 2013 by the family of a young adult with autism, the car wash helps provide a supportive environment, intensive training, and team building to help meet the need for high-quality employment opportunities.

The success of the first Rising Tide Car Wash in South Florida prompted the business to open a second location. Rising Tide sought a loan from Disability Opportunity Fund (DOF), a Mercy Partnership Fund investee that provides technical and financial services to individuals and organizations serving the disability market throughout the United States. For the past 10 years, DOF has supported the development of accessible, affordable residences, community centers, and specialized educational programs. DOF's flexible financing allowed Rising Tide to build a second location in South Florida and explore the possibility of opening a third location.

By delivering a first-rate car wash experience to the consumer, Rising Tide strives to inspire communities to change their perception of the capabilities of individuals with autism. More than 1,000 customers have joined Rising Tide's monthly unlimited car wash program, and there is currently a waitlist. Rising Tide continues to help its 92 associates realize their capabilities, make friends, build careers, and increase their independence.

Disability Opportunity Fund is one of nearly 60 investees in Mercy Partnership Fund's portfolio. Learn more about the work of DOF and Mercy Partnership Fund's investments around the world.

Shareholder advocacy news

Impact investing news

314.909.4609 communications@



 ................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download