This article investigates the influence of socially responsible investment (SRI) on the social and environmental impact of the market and corporate behavior. It assesses SRI's influence through five means: (i) to promote SRI as a profitable alternative to conventional investment (ii) to alter the cost of capital of targeted companies, such as by divestment, and thereby to create pressure for improved corporate behavior; (iii) to advocate change within companies as shareholders or lenders, such as by filing shareholder resolutions and informal engagement with corporate management; (iv) to draft codes of conduct for systemic changes across domestic or global financial markets; and (v) to lobby for reform of public policy and official regulation pertaining to the financial economy. The article finds that in all of these means SRI has so far failed to wield exert significant influence, but its most promising means of influence is through advocating legal and policy changes.

Item Type:	Refereed Article
Keywords:	Governance, financial services regulation, socially responsible investment, sustainable development
Research Division:	Law and Legal Studies
Research Group:	Environmental and resources law
Research Field:	Environmental law
Objective Division:	Law, Politics and Community Services
Objective Group:	Community services
Objective Field:	Community services not elsewhere classified
UTAS Author:	Richardson, BJ (Professor Benjamin Richardson)
ID Code:	91826
Year Published:	2012
Deposited By:	Faculty of Law
Deposited On:	2014-05-30
Last Modified:	2017-10-24
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