A report released at the United Nations Global Compact's Leaders Summit on June 24, 2004, details recommendations by the financial industry to better integrate environmental, social and governance issues into investment analysis, asset management and securities brokerage.

"Investment markets have a clear self-interest in contributing to better management of…environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) factors [which] will ultimately contribute to more stable and predictable markets," states the report. Its recommendations address issues relating to time horizons and regulation, defining and measuring the business case, skills and competencies in the financial sector, and issues surrounding the quality and quantity of information.

"One of the remarkable aspects of this project is the caliber of participating institutions and their statement to support its recommendations," says Professor Bruce Usher. The report is endorsed by: ABN Amro, Aviva, AXA Group, Banco do Brasil, Bank Sarasin, BNP Paribas, Calvert Group, CNP Assurances, Credit Suisse Group, Deutsche Bank, Goldman Sachs, Henderson Global Investors, HSBC, Innovest, ISIS Asset Management, KLP Insurance, Morgan Stanley, RCM, UBS, and Westpac.

The UN Global Compact Office and the Swiss Department of Foreign Affairs prepared the publication with the assistance of a working group including the above financial institutions, the Conference Board, the UN Environment Programme Finance Initiative (UNEPFI) and Professor Bruce Usher at Columbia Business School.