 Natural Strategies News:
January 2001 Edition
Dear Colleagues, for those of you who did not receive the
now infamous broadcast, here it is, best, C :
Happy New Year! Natural Strategies is proud to introduce
"Natural Strategies News"!
Our goal is to share with you, our clients and colleagues, our excitement about our work
and important developments in the world of sustainable business. As we are inspired by the
stories of other businesses, individuals and organizations, so we hope that sending our
stories out into the world will do the same. Please feel free to pass this along.
Our first edition spotlights the work of Principal, Susan Burns, and her innovative work
with Portfolio 21, a sustainable business mutual fund.
Best regards, Natural Strategies, LLC
Natural Strategies, LLC Develops Mutual Fund Methodology that Beats the S&P 500
San Francisco- Natural Strategies, LLC has developed a screening methodology used to
evaluate companies for a sustainable business mutual fund called Portfolio 21 which beat
both the S&P 500 and Morgan Stanley World Equity Index last year.
Working with client Progressive Investment Management, a Portland investment firm, Natural
Strategies created a scoring system that selects for sustainable business practices. As
Natural Strategies Principal, Susan Burns, puts it, "We believe that companies using
sustainability principles as their core business strategy will prosper in the future and
can also be more efficient and profitable today."
Portfolio21 (P21) brought in a return almost 2% higher than the S&P's results for the
12-month period ending Sept 30, 2000. And despite negative returns in all US markets for
the fourth quarter 2000, P21 continues to outperform the S&P. For the period ending
December 31, 2000, P21 achieved a total return of -4.28%, while the S&P 500 returned
-9.11%, and the Morgan Stanley World Equity Index showed a -12.92% result.
"Global ecological pressures are effecting every major industrial sector in the form
of consumer pressure, environmental regulations, and tougher competition from companies
that take advantage of ecologically-superior business practices" says Burns.
"The goal of Portfolio 21 is to identify companies that are aligning their business
strategies with these market trends."
Burns' team translated the principles of The Natural Step and other sustainability
frameworks into a detailed set of criteria and a comprehensive scoring system used to
evaluate companies for P21, the only US mutual fund with a global emphasis on
sustainability. The key sustainability criteria areas are impact of products and services;
environmental management; resource efficiency; liabilities; community capital;
investments; and leadership.
Leslie Christian, President of Progressive Investment Management, commented on Natural
Strategies' participation, "Susan Burns and her firm, Natural Strategies, have been
instrumental in the development of the selection criteria and research methodology for
Portfolio 21. Clear thinking, relevant experience, and great facilitation skills are all
strengths of Natural Strategies. We appreciate their commitment and contribution."
*
Natural Strategies, Inc. creates competitive advantage for clients by integrating
sustainability principles into business strategy. Services include Education, Strategy,
Management Systems, Program Implementation, Organizational Development, and Corporate
Communications.
*
Past performance is not indicative of future performance. For more complete information
about Portfolio 21, including charges and expenses, you may obtain a prospectus by calling
(877) 351-4115, ext. 21, or visiting the website, www.portfolio21.com. Portfolio 21 may
invest in foreign securities, which are subject to the risks of currency fluctuations,
political and economic instability and differences in accounting standards. Please read
the prospectus carefully before investing. Distributed by First Fund Distributors, Inc.
Phoenix, AZ 850
Cheryl Ross, Director of Marketing
Natural Strategies
415.485.4995
www.naturalstrategies.com
"We create competitive advantage for clients ready to integrate sustainability with
business strategy" |
