This Week in ESG and Impact Investing

“Politicizing federal statistics and questioning the integrity of those who produce them harms decision making in every sector.”  Cecilia Rouse, President,  Brookings Institution at "The Importance of Credible Government Economic Data to Business." September 18, 2025, https://www.brookings.edu/events/the-importance-of-credible-government-economic-data-to-business/ . Credible economic data is an incredibly relevant topic, vital not only for the business community but for all citizens. Indeed, when federal statistics are bent for politics, the cost ripples through every boardroom, newsroom, and household. Objective decision making relies on the best available data, especially federal data, to understand trends like employment and inflation, and to set expectations for the future. Thus, without trust in federal statistical reports and agencies, every decision relying on them suffers. A Culture of Objectivity The reliability and integrity of the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS),...

  William Michael Cunningham, Creative Investment Research and  Thaddaeus Dawson, Founder,  10K Minority  Appraisers Foundation The 10K Minority Appraisers Foundation (10KMA) has achieved impressive success, yet its mission to foster an equitable, modern appraisal industry is just beginning. The Department of Labor’s recent certification of the 10KMA national appraiser apprenticeship program marks a pivotal milestone in this journey. On Tuesday, June 25, 2024 at the Westin Hotel in Crystal City, VA, I had the privilege of attending a reception to celebrate this historic, first-ever certification. The excitement was palpable, as this signing represents a significant stride in fostering and empowering the next generation of appraisers, harnessing their distinctive perspectives and skills to enhance appraisal outcomes. Speeches from Foundation members and supporters, including CEO and founder Thaddaeus Dawson, emphasized the importance of diversity and the need to updat...

  "The labor force participation rate is the percentage of the civilian noninstitutional population 16 years and older that is working or actively looking for work. It is an important labor market measure because it represents the relative amount of labor resources available for the production of goods and services." Source: US Department of Labor.  https://www.bls.gov/opub/mlr/2016/article/pdf/labor-force-participation-what-has-happened-since-the-peak.pdf

On June 23, 2020, "the U.S. Department of Labor proposed a rule that would 'update and clarify' the Department of Labor's investment duties regulation. According to the news release issued announcing this proposed rule, "Private employer-sponsored retirement plans are not vehicles for furthering social goals or policy objectives that are not in the financial interest of the plan," said Secretary of Labor Eugene Scalia. "Rather, ERISA plans should be managed with unwavering focus on a single, very important social goal: providing for the retirement security of American workers." Our 135 page response, filed on July 26, 2020, concerned the social impact of the proposed rule, and stated that: "With this proposal, we believe the Administration and, by extension, the Secretary, have violated their oath to protect the public and should resign or be removed. Of course, we understand how committed these specific individuals are to self-promot...