Views & Updates

Founder of Trillium Asset Management (Trillium) and Ceres, Joan Bavaria was a pioneer of social investing, using her vision and passion to help catalyze change in the capital markets. In 2008, Ceres and Trillium created the Joan Bavaria Award in Joan's honor, after she lost her prolonged battle with cancer. Joan was recognized as a personal hero by many sustainability leaders. The Joan Bavaria Award aims to carry on Joan’s legacy by honoring other sustainability heroes across the planet.

What does it take to lead an ESG impact investment firm? Learn more about Matt Patsky’s journey to becoming Trillium CEO, how he defines success, and what’s next for the firm in CIO Views’ “The 10 Most Inspiring CEOs to Look Out for in 2022”

Trillium and a group of investors representing over $3.4 trillion in assets sent a second letter to Starbucks on March 15, 2022, urging the company to publicly commit to respect workers’ rights to organize into a union and to swiftly negotiate fair and timely collective bargains with workers should they vote to unionize.

Portfolio Manager Patrick Wollenberg, CEFA, provides an overview of the ESG Global Equity portfolio and discusses potential challenges and opportunities for the strategy presented by the current macro environment, driven by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Elizabeth Levy, CFA, Head of ESG Strategy and Portfolio Manager, discusses how women are changing the financial services landscape―in ESG investing and beyond―with a panel of accomplished women investment professionals.  

CIMA and CFP continuing education credit is offered upon completion of the program.

Chief Investment Officer John Quealy clarifies Trillium’s current investment portfolio exposure to Russia following its unjustified and tragic invasion of Ukraine. He also highlights how traditional and alternative energy sectors may impact portfolio performance and the expectation of continued volatility as these events―not experienced in this magnitude since the end of WWII―continue to unfold.

Trillium Chief Investment Officer John Quealy shares his perspectives on market challenges of January 2022 and his expectation of continued volatility through first quarter. Also announced―key promotions on the investment team.

On February 1, 2022, Trillium Asset Management LLC sent a letter to New York Times Company CEO Meredith Levien urging the Company to cease and refrain from actions that may violate federal labor law, to respect the final outcome of the Times Tech Guild election without further delays, and to swiftly come to a fair agreement with the Times Guild. At this time, it appears the company is attempting to limit the size and scope of the union and delay a vote.

Trillium CEO Matt Patsky shares what it means to be a B-Corp, how stakeholders benefit, and why he believes more financial firms haven’t filed for B-Corp status.

For many years, Trillium has been concerned about bank overdraft policies. After filing a shareholder proposal with Bank of America in 2018, we engaged regularly with the company to discuss these concerns. In January, we were very pleased when they announced changes to their overdraft policies.

Trillium is happy to announce it has successfully withdrawn its climate change focused shareholder proposal at J.B. Hunt Transport this week based on multiple conversations with the company and their 2021 CDP statement, which give us confidence that in 2022 it will commit to setting science-based targets.

Trillium’s findings in this white paper give hope companies are moving in the right direction, providing greater avenues for voter access for employees, but there is much work to be done.

Cheryl Smith, economist and portfolio manager, dispels the myths and addresses the advantages of active ESG investing in today’s marketplace.

In April 2021, Trillium joined other leading global asset managers in signing onto the Net Zero Asset Managers (NZAM) Initiative, formally pledging to align our portfolios with the goal of net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 or sooner, in line with global efforts to limit warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius. By joining NZAM, we pledged to make our own commitments to move our equity strategies towards a net zero greenhouse gas emission world. Therefore, in the run-up to the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow, we are setting our commitment in an effort to do our part to help global progress be made this decade to slow and end GHG emissions and climate change.

Today over 100 investors representing over $1.6 trillion released a letter calling on Congress to pass a comprehensive and permanent federal paid family and medical leave program by the end of 2021. The letter, organized by Trillium and the Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility (ICCR), was supported by domestic and global asset management firms, state treasurers’ offices and pension and faith-based funds, and makes the economic case for passing a federal paid family and medical leave policy as a part of the BuildBack Better budget legislation pending in Congress.

In April, Trillium led a group of investors calling on the EPA to use its authority under Section 404(c) of the Clean Water Act to immediately restrict mine waste disposal in wetlands, rivers and streams within the Bristol Bay watershed.