Green Century Celebrates 20th Anniversary

Two Decades of Investing in a Green Future

 

June 30, 2011 — Green Century Capital Management (Green Century), the investment advisor to the Green Century Funds, is proud to celebrate its 20 year anniversary on July 1st.  Since 1991, Green Century has been dedicated to green investing, seeking competitive returns for the Green Century Funds’ investors while advocating that corporations improve their environmental performance.  

Green Century has been a cornerstone of the sustainable and environmentally responsible investing industry.  According to Mindy S. Lubber, Green Century’s founding President and now President of Ceres, “Twenty years ago there were few other options for people who wanted to align their investments with their environmental values.  Two decades later, Green Century has a long history of providing responsible investment vehicles while consistently advocating that corporations improve their environmental behavior.”    Ceres leads a coalition of investors and NGOs that works with companies to address climate change, water scarcity and other sustainability challenges. Ceres also directs the $10 trillion Investor Network on Climate Risk. 

Over the years, Green Century has helped pave the way for significant strides in sustainable and responsible investing through its innovative approach to green investing:  

  • Independent.  Founded in 1991 by a partnership of non-profit environmental advocacy organizations, Green Century remains 100% owned by these groups. It is far from a typical Wall Street firm, many of which are constantly pressured to achieve short-term financial targets while ignoring significant environmental and financial long-term risks.  Green Century has a long-term focus and has remained true to its green mission.

 

  • Environmental victories.   As a long-term green investor, a critical component of Green Century’s investment strategy is being an active shareholder that has the right and responsibility to hold companies accountable for their environmental performance.  By encouraging companies to be responsible corporate citizens, Green Century is not only working to protect the planet but also seeking to reduce significant risks and market disadvantages for companies.

    Green Century believes it has one of the most active and effective shareholder advocacy programs in the country, working with hundreds of companies over the years to improve their environmental behavior.

    • Key issues.  Green Century has successfully championed many green issues, including working to protect the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, phasing out the toxin Bisphenol A (BPA), and increasing disclosure of the risks of hydraulic fracturing, a controversial method of drilling for natural gas. 

    • Strong wins.  When Green Century does not agree with a company’s decisions, it makes its case known and advocates for change. This year Green Century earned record breaking votes at corporate annual meetings, averaging over 30%* support for its shareholder resolutions.

 

  • Pioneering portfolios.  Green Century offers diversified investment funds that adhere to stringent environmental criteria, avoiding certain industries that it believes are too destructive to both the planet and potential future profits. 

    • Green Century Balanced Fund.  A stock and bond fund that has no investments in fossil fuel companies, focusing instead on sustainable companies in a variety of clean industries as well as other responsible companies.   The Balanced Fund was the first mutual fund in the country to disclose its carbon intensity: 66% less carbon intensive than the S&P 500® Index.  Read the Carbon Footprint report.     

    • Green Century Equity Fund.  The Equity Fund invests in the companies included in the MSCI KLD 400 Social Index (formerly named the Domini 400 Social Index), the first and the best known socially responsible investing index.


Green Century Capital Management is an investment advisory firm focused on environmentally responsible investing.  Founded by a partnership of non-profit environmental advocacy organizations in 1991, Green Century's mission is to provide people who care about a clean, healthy planet the opportunity to use the clout of their investment dollars to encourage environmentally responsible corporate behavior. Green Century believes that shareholder advocacy is a critical component of responsible investing and actively advocates for greater corporate environmental accountability. Green Century manages the Green Century Balanced Fund and the Green Century Equity Fund, two environmentally responsible mutual funds.

* The percentage in favor was calculated by (i) dividing the number of votes in support of the proposal by (ii) the sum of the number of votes voted in support of and against the proposal.  Abstentions and broker non-votes were not included in the calculation.

You should consider the Funds' investment objectives, risks, charges, and expenses carefully before investing.  To obtain a Summary Prospectus and/or Prospectus that contains this and other information about the Funds, please click here, email info@greencentury.com, or call 1-800-93-GREEN.  Please read the Summary Prospectus and/or Prospectus carefully before investing. 

Stocks will fluctuate in response to factors that may affect a single company, industry, sector, or the market as a whole and may perform worse than the market. Bonds are subject to risks including interest rate, credit and inflation.

The Green Century Funds are distributed by UMB Distribution Services, LLC. 6/11


 

 


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