Just Investing

Hosts Adam Sank and Matthew Illian talk about the plummeting number of DEI proposals at shareholder meetings. They also discuss SpaceX receiving the lowest possible sustainability rating – and how an election in South America threatens Indigenous lands. Then Darrell Goodwin, Southern New England Conference's Executive Minister, joins the conversation to share thoughts on faith and finance – and ho...

SpaceX blasts off toward the Nasdaq, fueling concerns among responsible investors. Plus, green energy sees a surprising jolt, and a sustainable fashion company takes an unexpected turn on the runway. Then investor, entrepreneur and author Jenna Nicholas of LightPost Capital explains how her Bahá'í faith informs her work in impact investing. Visit www.ucfunds.org

The value of green bonds doubles in five years, responsible investors score twin victories at BP and New York State notches a full-sail win against BJ's Wholesale Club. Then Ben Cohen, iconic co-founder of Ben & Jerry's ice cream, joins us to look back on his decades-long fight for social justice causes… and why he's now fighting to "free Ben & Jerry's" from its current owners. Visit www.ucfunds.o...

A proxy voting giant slashes support for sustainability proposals, just as the SEC makes it easier for companies to exclude shareholder proposals. So how are responsible investors fighting back? We'll explain. Then Laura Campos from the Nathan Cummings Foundation joins us to talk about how her organization, which is rooted in the Jewish tradition of social justice, works with partner groups to ach...

Big Banks ditch third-party proxy voting advisors, and new SEC guidance muzzles smaller investors. We'll look at how responsible investors are responding to these developments. Then Kate Finn, founder and Executive Director of the Tallgrass Institute, joins us to discuss how her organization uses investment strategies to advance the rights of Indigenous Peoples - and how other investors can do the...

The fight over New York City's pension funds takes a new turn, China establishes a corporate climate reporting standard, and there's some positive news about net-zero targets worldwide. Then Kees Gootjes, Executive Director of De Nieuwe Beurskoers, explains how his Dutch organization is working with faith-based organizations in the Netherlands and across the globe to encourage companies to conduct...

G20 Leaders strengthen their commitment to the Paris Climate Agreement… in defiance of Donald Trump. But it's a different story at the COP 30 UN Climate Change Conference, which wraps up without a strong result. Then Timothy Smith, Senior Policy Advisor at the Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility (ICCR), joins us to talk about his 50-plus-year fight to hold corporations accountable in the...

Environmental issues take center stage this month, as Exxon sues California over climate disclosure laws, young people sue Canada's largest pension fund over climate-related financial risk, and France penalizes a major oil company over alleged greenwashing. Then Tejal Patel, Executive Director of the SOC Investment Group, joins us to discuss the fight against excessive executive pay at companies l...

India joins the list of carbon credit countries, a hopeful development in the fight to reduce global emissions. Meanwhile, Exxon automates its proxy voting; could other big companies follow suit? Then, the Rev. Dr. Courtney Stange-Tregear from the UCC Cornerstone Fund explains how "God math" can transform churches and communities for the better. For more information, visit www.ucfunds.org  

In the Season 2 premiere, Adam and Matthew discuss some good news from the International Energy Association and some not-so-good news regarding the Net-Zero Banking Alliance – and how these developments will impact global net-zero goals. Then, Sam Jones from the Heartland Initiative explains how investors can continue advancing human rights in an increasingly turbulent world. Learn about UCF's not...

In our Season 1 finale, Adam and Matthew discuss why shareholders keep voting for CEO-to-worker pay ratios of 200-1, the EIRIS Foundation's new Social Lobby Map and a tribute to corporate governance pioneer Bob Monks.  Then, Susi Snyder of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICANW) explains how institutional and private investors can screen their portfolios of these weapons of m...

Matthew Illian travels to Washington, D.C. to speak with Members of Congress about the importance of faith-based investing – and to attend the U.S. Sustainable Investing Forum Conference. He gives us an on-the-scene report from our nation's capital. Then the Rev. Penny Lowes, UCF's outgoing Board Chair, explains how her faith informs her passion for responsible investing... and her hopes for the f...

So-called "Green Funds" in Europe are revealed to hold billions in oil and gas companies, and more anti-DEI shareholder resolutions fail spectacularly at major U.S. corporations. Then, Sister Susan Francois of the Congregations of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace explains why her Catholic faith compels her and others in her order to advocate for the rights of native peoples and other disenfranch...

Anti-DEI shareholder resolutions meet with shocking results in the first quarter of 2025, and Matthew sounds off on ESG. Then, Marita Canedo of the Vermont-based group Migrant Justice joins Adam and Matthew to discuss the terrible conditions that migrant dairy workers face in that state – and how her group is working to change them. Read a detailed and thoughtful defense of shareholder proposals,...

In spite of federal pushback against responsible investing, a surprising number of ICCR member resolutions lead to agreement. But not all the news is rosy, as the Trump administration shutters Environmental Justice offices across the country. Rewired corporate responsibility executive Connie Lindsey joins Adam and Matthew to explain why there's cause for hope, even in these troubling times.  View...

State Attorneys General jump into the fight over DEI, and big changes at the SEC shift power from the federal government to the Board Rooms. Then William Burckart of the Investment Integration Project (TIIP) joins Adam and Matthew to shed light on the cutting-edge field of systems-level investing. Visit www.ucfunds.org .

A DEI backslide rocks corporate America, and President Trump pulls out of the Paris Climate Agreement. Paul Thompson from the European Federation for Accountants and Auditors join Adam and Matthew to discuss the impacts of these seismic shifts on responsible investing. Visit www.ucfunds.org .

Workers in some states win a higher minimum wage and paid sick leave, and Adam and Matthew break down what lies ahead for workers' rights. Then David Schilling from the Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility shares stories from his decades-long work in the fight against forced labor… and the role responsible investors play in this vitally important issue. Visit www.ucfunds.org.

Open AI announces it's becoming a public benefit corporation, and Adam and Matthew discuss what that could mean for responsible investors. Then legendary gadfly Jim McRitchie of corpgov.net joins us to shed some light on corporate lobbying... and what happens to corporate governance after the elections. Visit  www.ucfunds.org .  

The Supreme Court reverses decades-long regulatory rules, and Adam and Matthew discuss what that means for responsible investors. Plus, California pushes back on plastic pollution. And Nadira Narine from the Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility (ICCR) highlights the fight for workers' rights – from living wages to the right to unionize. Visit www.ucfunds.org.

For our kick-off episode, Adam and Matthew define what responsible investing is – and how many ESG goals are good for both business and the planet. Then Courtney Wicks reveals ExxonMobil's historical connection to enslaved labor and offers highlights from the critical work of Investor Advocates for Social Justice (IASJ). Note: Shortly after we recorded our interview with Courtney Wicks, she left I...

Welcome to "Just Investing," a Podcast from United Church Funds! Hosts Adam Sank and Matthew Illian welcome listeners to this new offering from United Church Funds. The first episode drops Friday, September 6! To learn more about responsible investing, visit www.ucfunds.org.