TUC trustee seminar on responsible investment

Full details here.

Responsible Investment Trustee Training Day
10am-4pm, Monday 26 January, 2009

Responsible investment has grown hugely in profile and impact, not least with the global success of the United Nations Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI). The need for active ownership and scrutiny of companies has been powerfully underlined by 2008's financial turmoil and the losses sustained by pension funds.

Donald MacDonald, member nominated trustee at BT pension fund and chair of the PRI, has said: 'The increasing support for responsible investment shows that investors have taken a long hard look at the credit crunch, and some of the practices that caused it, and decided they can benefit from more comprehensive analysis of investment risk, one which incorporates environmental, social and corporate governance issues into decision making and ownership practices.'

This pilot trustee training on responsible investment will cover:

? what responsible investing is and is not - eliminating myths

? why responsible investment is integral to meeting fiduciary duty to members

? how to ensure your fund managers focus on members' long-term interests

? linking with trustees of other funds to ensure effective engagement with companies

? practical steps to make progress, including building support for responsible investment on your own trustee board.

This training is for trustees who want to better understand and take forward responsible investing for the benefit of fund members, and are looking for practical support in doing so.

The training is free for members of the TUC's trustee network. It will be delivered by Catherine Howarth (Executive Director of FairPensions and an MNT at The Pensions Trust), Bernie Doeser (a non-exec Director of FairPensions and former Shell Pension Fund trustee), David Pitt-Watson (former Chair of Hermes Equity Ownership Services and author of The New Capitalists) and James Gifford (Executive Director of the United Nations Principles for Responsible Investment).

The training will take place at Congress House, Great Russell Street, London, WC1B 3LS.