Riverwater 2022 Engagement Efforts
Engagement is the second pillar of Riverwater’s Three-Pillar Approach to Sustainable Investing. As active investors, we seek cooperative engagement with company leadership and board members about improving their sustainability efforts. It is not a one sized fits all approach. Each engagement is unique and encourages each company prioritize initiatives and seek real solutions on the ESG issues that are most important to the success of each company.
Helping Companies Begin the Journey
Riverwater specializes in small-cap investment management. Not surprisingly, smaller companies are generally at an earlier stage in the ESG journey than their larger peers. As responsible investors, Riverwater helps executives understand how a focus on sustainability can improve financial results, and provides guidance for beginning and continuing the journey.
Engagement Produces Meaningful Results
During 2022, Riverwater Partners provided 19 companies with educational resources regarding the benefits of a focus on ESG. Of those 19 companies, five have begun publicly reporting their sustainability efforts, an important first step on the ESG journey. Six of the companies we engaged with in 2021 have begun publicly reporting their sustainability efforts.
Highlights of such public reporting include a sustainability page on the Akoustis website, sustainability reports published by Docebo and Veeco. Additionally, Anika Theraputics received a Silver Medal in Sustainability from EcoVadis, as it scored in the top 25% of companies reporting during 2022.
More about our engagements and approach responsible investing can be found in the 2022 Riverwater Sustainability Report Sustainability Report: Responsible Investing through Sustainable Investing. Overall, Riverwater Partners’ Sustainability Report is a testament to the firm’s commitment to Responsible Investing and our belief that Sustainable Investing is the foundation of everything we do. By using a rigorous investment framework that considers sustainability factors and engaging with executives and policymakers to promote improvement, Riverwater Partners is working towards a sustainable future while upholding its fiduciary duty to its clients.
Click here to read Riverwater Partners’ 2022 Sustainability Report.
