11.15.2005
Gore Makes Sustainable Investment His Business (TheAge.com.au)
November 14, 2005
As chairman of a British company, the former US vice-president still has global warming and long-term consequences on his mind, writes Peter Weekes.
AL GORE, the man who five years ago won the popular vote but lost the US presidential elections by a few hanging chads, has a stark warning for all investors.
"Capitalism is at a critical juncture," he says, arguing that the focus on short-term results is undermining issues such as the long-term sustainability of profits, how a company relates to the community and its employees, and the environment.
Australia's politicians might prefer to quietly retire after securing lucrative business consultancy deals, but Gore is out to make a noise as co-founder and chairman of British-based sustainable investing company Generation Investment.
"If in the process of proving our business case that it is just good common sense to take these matters into consideration when making investment decisions, we can encourage other investors to do the same and have an impact on the behaviour of the market, then that's all for the good," he says.
Generation was formed when Gore met former Goldman Sachs chief executive David Blood and they began mulling over how to combine conventional equity market analysis with longer-term judgements about sustainability.
(More ... Gore makes sustainable investment his business - Business - Business) ¶ 15:07
As chairman of a British company, the former US vice-president still has global warming and long-term consequences on his mind, writes Peter Weekes.
AL GORE, the man who five years ago won the popular vote but lost the US presidential elections by a few hanging chads, has a stark warning for all investors.
"Capitalism is at a critical juncture," he says, arguing that the focus on short-term results is undermining issues such as the long-term sustainability of profits, how a company relates to the community and its employees, and the environment.
Australia's politicians might prefer to quietly retire after securing lucrative business consultancy deals, but Gore is out to make a noise as co-founder and chairman of British-based sustainable investing company Generation Investment.
"If in the process of proving our business case that it is just good common sense to take these matters into consideration when making investment decisions, we can encourage other investors to do the same and have an impact on the behaviour of the market, then that's all for the good," he says.
Generation was formed when Gore met former Goldman Sachs chief executive David Blood and they began mulling over how to combine conventional equity market analysis with longer-term judgements about sustainability.
(More ... Gore makes sustainable investment his business - Business - Business) ¶ 15:07
