Green Century Capital Management (Green Century) employs an unusual tool in its quest to help protect the global environment - mutual funds. Founded in 1991 by a partnership of non-profit environmental groups, Green Century administers the Green Century Funds, a family of no-load, environmentally screened mutual funds. One hundred percent of the profits earned by Green Century from fees for managing the Green Century Funds belong to its non-profit owners to support their work for cleaner air, cleaner water, and the protection of open space. Green Century currently offers two mutual funds: the Green Century Balanced Fund and the Green Century Equity Fund.
Green Century Balanced Fund
The Green Century Balanced Fund seeks to promote environmentally proactive corporate behavior and a cleaner environment through investing primarily in the stocks and bonds of environmentally distinguished companies. Many of these companies are also in the business of solving environmental problems, working in innovative sectors such as renewable energy, sustainable agriculture, and water treatment.
The Fund invests in large and small companies. Investment in small companies involves greater risk than investing in the stocks of larger, more established companies. The bonds the Fund invests in may be of any maturity and are generally of investment grade credit quality, although the Fund may invest up to 35% of its net assets in high yield, below investment grade bonds, commonly known as junk bonds, which involves risk greater than investing in more highly rated bonds. For a fund fact sheet, click here.
Green Century Equity Fund
The Green Century Equity Fund invests in an index of 400 companies screened to exclude those with the worst environmental and social records. When companies pursue profit with no regard for environmental consequences, they may actually put those profits at risk. A company facing enormous liability once a product is determined to be unsafe, or one stung by negative publicity for a toxic spill, faces very significant financial consequences for past behavior. The Green Century Equity Fund directs investments away from companies that flout basic standards of environmental responsibility.
The Green Century Equity Fund invests essentially all of its assets in the stock market. As with all equity funds, the share price will fluctuate and may fall if the market as a whole declines or the value of the companies in which it invests falls. The companies in which the Fund's portfolio is invested may perform worse than the stock market as a whole. For a fund fact sheet, click here.
Shareholder Advocacy
Green Century participates in shareholder advocacy in an effort to persuade companies to improve their environmental performance. As an institutional investor, Green Century can play a unique role in helping to shape more environmentally friendly corporate policies. Our current engagements address:
- Wilderness Preservation and Biodiversity: Protection of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and other sensitive areas from oil drilling; more responsible forest stewardship.
- Clean Air and Energy: Disclosure of carbon emissions, increased use of renewable energy, and increased federal fuel standards.
- Toxics and Environmental Health: Promotion of electronics recycling programs; elimination of processes and products that expose people to toxics.
- Pure Water and Safe Food: Full disclosure and reduced use of genetically engineered ingredients; adoption of environmentally superior practices in factory farming.
- Chemical Security: Adoption of safer chemicals and processes at industrial sites to reduce the risks associated with chemical accidents and terrorist attacks.
- Political Influence: Implementation of policies for corporate political giving that include board oversight and annual disclosure of all contributions to political candidates and 527 groups, particularly in cases in which contributions adversely affect the environment.
Achievements include:
- Apple Computer*: On June 24, 2005, Apple began offering free iPod recycling in its retail stores.
- Whole Foods Market*: On April 4, 2005, Whole Foods announced that it would provide information about genetically engineered ingredients on its private label products.
- ConocoPhillips*: In December 2004, ConocoPhillips withdrew from Arctic Power, the industry group lobbying to open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil drilling.
For more information on our shareholder advocacy efforts, click here.
Implications - the Growth of Environmental Investing
The Green Century Funds are among a relatively small number of mutual fund companies serving the environmental investing movement, which is building momentum as a major force for progress in environmental protection. A sign of that momentum came on February 4, 2004, when California State Treasurer Phil Angelides launched a landmark environmental "Green Wave" initiative that urges California Public Employees' Retirement System (CalPERS) and the California State Teachers' Retirement System (CalSTRS) to invest $1.5 billion in corporations with "environmental practices that will enable them to survive and thrive in a world of increasing environmental concern and regulation." This kind of initiative will not only direct more capital to responsible companies, but will signal to other corporations that environmental issues are of growing importance to investors.
Contact Information
Kristina Curtis
Senior Vice President
Green Century Capital Management
114 State Street, Suite 200
Boston, Massachusetts 02109
1-800-93-GREEN
(617) 482-0800 phone
(617) 422-0881 fax
info@greencentury.com

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* As of June 30, 2008, Apple Computer comprised 1.03% of the Green Century Balanced Fund and 2.60% of the Green Century Equity Fund; and Whole Foods Market, Inc. was not held by the Green Century Balanced Fund and comprised 0.05% of Green Century Equity Fund. As of June 30, 2008, neither of the Green Century Funds was invested in ConocoPhillips. Portfolio composition will change due to ongoing management of the Funds. References to specific investments should not be construed as a recommendation of the securities by the Funds, their administrator, or their distributor.
Revised 6/22/05