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Ceres Investor Network

The Ceres Investor Network represents more than 220 institutional investors with $44 trillion in assets under management who are committed to responsible investment practices and policies that help protect the planet while also improving portfolio value.

Learn how to join

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members including leading asset owners and managers, pension and labor funds, foundations, endowments and family offices.

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trillion in assets are represented by the Ceres Investor Network members.

actions were taken by 56 companies due to investor members filing climate-related shareholder resolutions in 2023.

We set the standard for responsible investor leadership.  

As fiduciaries, investors are focused on managing risks and creating good returns for their beneficiaries and clients. The Ceres Investor Network draws on our decades of experience and expertise to help members manage their investments and portfolios responsibly, creating long-term value, strong financial gains, and a just and sustainable future. Together, Ceres and our investor members work to promote responsible investing, engage with companies on business practices that prepare them for success in the future, and advocate for key policy and regulatory solutions that make the economy and financial markets more competitive. 

Joining the Ceres Investor Network provides an opportunity for investors to shape and forge responsible investment leadership while capitalizing on the boundless economic potential of a sustainable economy. 

"Ceres staff’s expertise and passion for the organization’s mission strengthens its members’ capacity to create meaningful positive change in public policy and corporate business practices that aligns with long-term investors’ economic interests."

Photo of David Zellner

David Zellner

Chief Investment Officer, Wespath Benefits and Investments

Investor Listings

Addenda Capital

AFL-CIO

AGF Investments

Alexandria Real Estate Equities

AllianceBernstein

Allspring Global Investments

American Fed of State, County and Municipal...

Amherst College

Antin Infrastructure Partners

Member benefits

The Ceres Investor Network offers members engagement opportunities based on investor needs and preferences.

Learn how to join

Peer learning opportunities

Members benefit from peer learning opportunities on responsible investment topics through in-person events, webinars, and working group meetings.

Engagement with companies

Members are supported in their engagements with prominent companies, including Fortune 500 firms, on responsible business practices across operations and supply chains. 

Access to experts

Members have direct access to Ceres in-house experts, who offer timely, reliable research and information on corporate sectors, sustainability themes, responsible investing, transition planning, and public policy engagement.  

Global investor initiatives

Members have opportunities to work with investors from around the world to showcase their leadership and accelerate action on global sustainability risks through several investor initiatives.  

Enhanced visibility

Members enjoy enhanced visibility of their leadership through media opportunities, including press events, social media, and op-ed placements. Additionally, they are publicly recognized on the Ceres website and in press and marketing materials. 

Events and communications

Members gather virtually and in person throughout the year at high-profile events to exchange best practices and insightful solutions on emerging risks and opportunities. Members also receive a monthly newsletter that highlights relevant news updates, engagement opportunities, and noteworthy events.

Ways to Get Involved

Members of the Ceres Investor Network can participate in the following initiatives and working groups.

A global investor-led engagement initiative to ensure the world’s largest corporate greenhouse gas emitters mitigate their exposure to climate risk by taking necessary action on the climate crisis.

An investor-led initiative engaging 50 of the highest-emitting food companies in North America to reduce financial risk by improving climate disclosures, setting ambitious climate targets, and developing their own climate transition plans in line with the Paris Agreement.

A global investor-led engagement initiative focused on driving greater corporate ambition and action to reduce nature and biodiversity loss, thereby reducing financial risk and maximizing long-term investment value for shareholders.

An international group of asset managers committed to addressing climate risks and opportunities by aligning their portfolios with the goals of the Paris Agreement, consistent with their fiduciary duty.

An international group of asset owners committed to addressing climate risks and opportunities through their investment strategies, corporate engagements, policy advocacy, and disclosures.

A global investor-led engagement initiative to engage companies to value and act on water as a financial risk and drive the necessary large-scale change to protect water systems.

Working Groups*

Banks Working Group

A forum for investors to engage with U.S., Canadian, Asian, and European banks so that lending, financing, and investing is in line with the just transition to a net zero emissions economy. Ceres works with partners to convene discussions with investors on engagement priorities, providing sector-specific guidance and benchmark analysis of banks’ progress.

Carbon Asset Risk Working Group

A forum for investor members who are engaging with oil and gas and electric power companies as they transition to a net zero economy. Working group meetings provide access to leading experts and resources and provide opportunities for investor discussion and peer learning.

Clean Steel Finance Advisory Group

An investor advisory group to promote the greenhouse gas emissions standards for steel and discuss ways to engage steelmakers in this hard-to-abate sector to adopt science-based targets and implement climate transition plans.

Climate Action 100+ North American Working Group

A forum for North American investors participating in Climate Action 100+ that provides investors with up-to-the-minute data to support their corporate engagements.

Infrastructure Working Group

A forum for investor members to highlight best practices for transitioning infrastructure portfolios towards a net zero emissions economy. The working group holds regular discussions on credible decarbonization strategies, responsible infrastructure investment practices, and opportunities created by legislation such as the Inflation Reduction Act.

Land Use and Climate Working Group

A forum for investor education and peer learning opportunities focused on protecting, improving, and restoring natural landscapes by addressing climate and sustainability issues related to land use. The group’s topics include commodity-driven deforestation, nature and biodiversity loss, and greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture.

Paris Aligned Investment Working Group

A forum for discussion and exchange of investment practices, frameworks, and resources to support both asset owners and managers in setting and implementing investor climate action plans and net zero portfolio targets.

Policy Working Group

A forum for members to discuss how investors can engage policymakers and regulators on key climate and clean energy issues through a variety of approaches, including direct advocacy, sign-on letters, thought leadership, and speaking and media engagements.

Private Equity Working Group

A forum for General Partners and Limited Partners to discuss investment practices, policies, frameworks, and tools to assess, manage and mitigate sustainability risks. Options investors can choose to consider includes adopting investment practices aligned with the Net Zero Investment Framework, aligning environmental and social impacts of investments to support sustainable development, and implementing climate transition plans.

Shareholder Initiative on Climate and Sustainability

A forum for investor members seeking to engage companies on sustainability issues through proxy resolutions. Ceres tracks shareholder proposals and provides research and analysis throughout the proxy season that investors can choose to consider when voting.

*Ceres Investor Network Working Groups do not make investment recommendations or require investors to take any specific action, collectively or individually. All participating investors are independent fiduciaries and are solely responsible for their own investment, engagement and voting decisions.


How to join the Ceres Investor Network

If your investment firm is interested in joining the Ceres Investor Network, please fill out the form below or contact [email protected]. To be eligible for membership, you must be an asset owner, asset manager, investment consultant, or labor union doing business in North America and have a minimum of $150 million assets under management.

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