Invest To Support These Causes:

The greenhouse effect is the process in which certain particles (those we call greenhouse gasses) absorb heat reflected from the earth’s surface and keep it circulating below the atmosphere. Humans have both increased the production of greenhouse gasses and reduced the capacity of the environment to absorb them. Most industries contribute to greenhouse gas emissions – particularly energy/heat generation, agriculture, and transportation, but there is high variance in carbon emissions performance within each industry, including both leaders and laggards.

Data

OpenInvest partners with ET Index and South Pole Group, who are leading data analysts and providers. “Scope 1, 2, and 3” emissions data (direct emissions, indirect emissions, and those “purchased” for heat, energy or steam) is collected for companies across all industries where available. The company is subsequently ranked against its sector peers. When a company fails to disclose its Scope 1 and 2 emissions, it is assumed that it performs worst in class. Scope 3 emissions are complex, and calculating them is a relatively new field. A variety of public filings and sector-based assumptions and calculations are deployed.

If you select this screen, OpenInvest invests you in the leaders (lowest emissions) and divests you from the laggards (highest emissions).

Sources

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greenhouse_gas
http://www.ucsusa.org/global_warming/science_and_impacts/science/global-warming-faq.html#bf-toc-1

The Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) poses a serious threat to the water and lands of the Standing Rock Sioux of North Dakota. Protesters from a local Sioux tribe in North Dakota garnered national and international support to stop construction under a local water source, but President Trump and the Army Corps of Engineers forced the completion of the Pipeline in early 2017. The protesters, or Water Protectors, argue that the pipeline’s projected route under the nearby Missouri River (800 meters from the Standing Rock Indian Reservation) threatens their water and livelihood. They also claim that construction sites traverse sacred lands, which construction workers wilfully ignored and destroyed. Despite pressure from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Department of the Interior, and the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, the companies responsible failed to consult tribesand conduct a full environmental impact survey.

Data

Researchers with Food and Water Watch compiled a list of financial institutions that have invested in or offered credit to the holding companies that are building the DAPL. We verified all of these references by reviewing 8Ks and other official financial statements.

If you select this screen, OpenInvest divests you from the American companies financing the Dakota Access Pipeline, as well as Phillips 66, a confirmed part-owner of the Pipeline.

Sources

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dakota_Access_Pipeline
http://rapidcityjournal.com/news/local/tribe-didn-t-respond-to-pipeline-company-s-request-for/article_12c9fe33-82c9-5b77-9c5a-f774ee7c4023.html

http://sacredstonecamp.org/dakota-access-pipeline/

Deforestation is the leading cause of declining global biodiversity (over 50% since 1970), and is responsible for approximately 20% of global greenhouse gas emissions. While the forestry sector may be the better known cause, agriculture is responsible for 85% of global deforestation, with many of the byproducts ending up in your supermarket. Rainforests, jungles and other valuable wooded areas are threatened for plantations of palm oil, an edible byproduct found in a great number of foods and household products. Along with palm oil, soy, forest products, and beef are responsible for approximately half of all tropical deforestation. This situation is intensifying, as demand for food commodities is expected to nearly double by 2050.

Data

Most of the deforestation impacts of large companies are in their supply chains, where there is very little public transparency. Forest 500, a project of the Global Canopy Programme, identifies the 500 global companies who have the most power to combat this issue in their operations and supply chains. Forest 500 then ranks each company on a scale of 1-5, depending on their anti-deforestation policies and actions (or their lack thereof).

If you select this screen, OpenInvest divests you from any company with a rank lower than 3.

Sources

http://wwf.panda.org/about_our_earth/all_publications/living_planet_report/
http://assets.worldwildlife.orgations/458/files/original/2050_criteria_final_low_res_online_viewing.pdf?1348517472&_ga=1.35701161.840463465.1470777099
http://www.saynotopalmoil.com/Whats_the_issue.php
http://www.fao.org/home/en/

While the most damaging impact of fossil fuels is their combustion and the subsequent creation of carbon emissions, the extraction processes for coal and petroleum also cause considerable damage to the environment: destruction of habitats, removal of local vegetation and vegetative cover, pollution of ground- or surface-water, excessive waste from purification processes, acid rain, oil spills, and more. The earth’s reserves of fossil fuels are limited, but it is hard to say when those limits will be reached.

Data

Fossil Free Indexes produces the Carbon Underground 200, which ranks the top oil, gas, and coal companies by the potential CO2 emissions of their reported reserves.

If you select this screen, OpenInvest divests you from the companies with the highest emissions potential and keeps you in the companies with the lowest emissions potential. Divesting from all fossil fuel companies would affect diversification, but may be available upon request.

Sources

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Environmental_impact_of_the_coal_industry
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Environmental_impact_of_the_petroleum_industry

The goal of LGBTQ workplace rights is to protect individuals from bias in hiring, promotion, job assignment, termination, compensation and harassment on the basis of their sexual orientation or identity. In the United States, protections vary greatly by state, and sixteen states have no protections at all. However, individual companies can protect the rights of employees and even customers. While some are making positive strides towards including LGBTQ individuals in every protection and privilege, there is a tremendous gap between corporate leaders on the issue and the rest of industry.

Data

Each year, the Human Rights Campaign produces the Corporate Equality Index, which rates companies out of 100 on their treatment of LGBTQ employees. The index is strengthened by broad parameters including sexual orientation and gender identity in the company’s non-discrimination policy, domestic partner benefits, transgender-inclusive benefits, organizational LGBTQ competency, and public commitment to the LGBTQ community.

If you select this screen, OpenInvest invests you in companies rated 80-100 and divests you from companies rated 0-20.

Sources

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LGBT_employment_discrimination_in_the_United_States
http://www.hrc.org/campaigns/corporate-equality-index

Despite both external and internal research to the contrary, tobacco companies denied for decades that tobacco is carcinogenic, cigarettes are harmful, and nicotine is addictive. In 1996 a VP at tobacco giant Brown & Williamson blew the whistle on the company’s attempts to increase the addictiveness of cigarettes by adding additional chemicals. In the ensuing legal battles, over a thousand documents from various tobacco companies were released, showing the lengths to which tobacco companies went to hide 1) the damaging effects of tobacco and secondhand smoke, 2) the addictive effects of nicotine and 3) their attempts to advertise to children and teenagers. Tobacco is responsible for 1,300 deaths per day in the United States.

Data

The data for this screen is simply which companies are in the tobacco industry, which you can see here (in the GICS subindustry category).

If you select this screen, OpenInvest divests you from all tobacco companies.

Sources

http://www.who.int/tobacco/media/en/TobaccoExplained.pdf
http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/fact_sheets/fast_facts/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tobacco_Master_Settlement_Agreement

President-elect Trump has a history of misogyny, racism, disbelief in proven climate science, disregard for veterans and the disabled, and a troublesome amount of personal business interests. This screen is for those who believe the above issues may interfere with his judgement as Commander in Chief and would like to take a stand.

Data

This theme both overweights and excludes companies. Companies who openly refused to back Trump or removed their support for the Republican Party once Trump was chosen as nominee are overweighted. Companies whose executives supported Trump during his candidacy are excluded. This screen also excludes the retailers who are boycotted by the #GrabYourWallet campaign for selling products that bear the Trump name (though you can choose to re-include those companies on the individual inclusion/exclusion page). Various news sources were used, and you can see our citations here.

Sources

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/15/us/politics/donald-trump-women.html?_r=0
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/donald-trump-racist-examples_us_56d47177e4b03260bf777e83
http://www.ontheissues.org/2016/Donald_Trump_Environment.htm
http://time.com/4489574/veterans-donald-trump/
http://www.snopes.com/2016/07/28/donald-trump-criticized-for-mocking-disabled-reporter/
http://www.newyorker.com/news/john-cassidy/trumps-businesses-represent-an-impossible-conflict-of-interest

Globally, Americans own the most guns per capita, and they are ten times more likely to be killed by guns than individuals in other highly developed nations. Although experts consider gun violence a public health crisis that should be studied like viral epidemics, little progress has been made to protect American citizens. Heavy lobbying from the National Rifle Association (NRA) and gun companies, and a fervent commitment to the 2nd Amendment right to bear arms, has stymied congressional efforts to regulate guns or their sale.

Data

Various consumer and industry reports show how much of a company’s revenue comes from the sales of weapons and ammunition.

If you select this screen, OpenInvest divests you from all companies who derive more than 5% of their revenue from the sales of weapons or ammunition.

Sources

http://www.gunviolencearchive.org/past-tolls
http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/01/03/508037642/study-says-gun-violence-should-be-treated-as-a-public-health-crisis
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/15/magazine/inside-the-power-of-the-nra.html?_r=0

Refugees are displaced by a variety of causes: warfare, climate change, instability, shortages, and more. While a variety of domestic and international organizations are dedicated to helping refugees globally, many remain in temporary camps, trapped in unsafe situations, and/or unable to connect with family. In the private sector, some organizations – public, private, big, and small – have made it a priority to help refugees. OpenInvest has conducted research identifying 21 public companies in America who have stood up, making significant contributions to refugee welfare, including hiring, funding, and in-kind services.

Data

The #WithRefugees screen is based on extensive research, drawing on data from the Obama White House’s 2016 “Call to Action” commitments; mainstream media, foundation, and NGO reporting and public filings; company websites; and discussions with a number of leading refugee relief organizations (Refugee Council member agencies). (The list excludes contributions made by foundations that are now fully independent from their corporate origins/namesake, and also Donor Advised Funds (DAFs) which serve as a legal vehicle for the contributions and charitable decisions of others.)

If you select this screen, OpenInvest will favor the companies most dedicated to helping refugee populations when constructing your portfolio.

Sources

http://www.gunviolencearchive.org/past-tolls
http://www.unhcr.org/news/latest/2016/6/5763b65a4/global-forced-displacement-hits-record-high.html

While women now comprise 47% of the workforce, only 4% of S&P 500 companies have female CEOs – and only one company out of those 500 has achieved gender parity on its board. A significant overall wage gap also remains. The Institute for Women’s Policy Research found that as of 2015, women still only make $0.79 for every $1.00 made by men, a gap that grows if the woman is a minority. While some research disputes this gap, the reasoning is usually that women work in traditionally lower-paying industries and occupations like healthcare and administration. The IWPR study notes, however, that society continues to segregate these jobs and industries by gender, and that jobs done mainly by women earn roughly 66% less than jobs done mainly by men. Other battles include paid family leave, job security during and after pregnancy, and contraceptive coverage included in company healthcare plans.

Data

There is currently limited transparency into companies’ performance on gender in terms of hiring, pay, and other relevant factors. As a proxy, 2020 Women on Boards has made a list of companies with women on their boards, with a goal of increasing the percentage of women on boards to 20% by 2020.

If you select this screen, OpenInvest invests you only in companies with at least one woman on this board. We hope to raise the bar for minimum board seats, and add additional indicators, as progress is made and as more data becomes available.

Sources

http://www.catalyst.org/knowledge/statistical-overview-women-workforce http://www.catalyst.org/media/womens-representation-fortune-500-boards-inches-upward http://iwpr.org/initiatives/pay-equity-and-discrimination
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/whats-the-real-gender-pay-gap/2016/04/24/314a90ee-08a1-11e6-bdcb-0133da18418d_story.html?utm_term=.df0fd470ddb1