Impact Investing & Sustainable Portfolio Management
Impact investing puts your capital to work for both financial returns and meaningful change. At Nixon Peabody Trust Company, we help clients integrate environmental and social considerations into their portfolios through a disciplined, research-driven approach to sustainable and impact investing. Whether you are seeking market-rate returns, ESG alignment, or measurable social ROI, our team designs strategies that reflect your values without compromising performance.Contact us todayPrimary approaches for sustainable and impact investing
A values-focused investor may primarily be concerned about avoiding investments in company stocks that violate their conscience (such as weapons, tobacco, or oil companies). For this investor, an exclusionary approach might be most suitable, especially where specific companies are screened out of a portfolio based on their business involvement
An impact-focused investor may instead look to direct capital to underserved communities through a community development loan fund to start small businesses or obtain home loans. An impact investor might also be interested in supporting green bonds that direct capital to climate change related investments, such as electrifying an urban bus transit system.
A performance-focused investor may look to proactively invest in sustainability themes, such as renewable energy or sustainable foods. Investors with this focus may also seek to invest in companies with good overall environmental, social, and governance (ESG) records because they believe these are better managed companies with lower risk. These investors would prefer not to own companies with major headline risks associated with corporate governance scandals or a history of producing unsafe products. For these investors, good management of ESG risks and opportunities is just good business and an approach that should be rewarded in time.
Over the last 20 years we have seen a major increase in demand for investment products that employ one or more of these sustainable investing approaches. It is now possible to create well diversified portfolios, with exposure to sustainable investments across all asset classes (cash, equities, fixed income, and alternatives). These portfolios can provide risk adjusted returns similar to traditional portfolios, but with the added benefit of an impact or sustainability objective.
About Us
Our Approach
Our team at Nixon Peabody Trust Company has decades of experience creating sustainability-focused portfolios. We can help you design customized strategies that match your specific motivations and provide benefits beyond the bottom line.
We help clients layer an impact focus into our well-designed impact investment strategies, allowing them to address social inequality and environmental challenges like climate change and water scarcity.
How we can help
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NP Sustainable: Equity: Integrates sustainability analysis including ESG leaders and screens out tobacco and fossil fuels; custom exclusionary screens can be applied to match your specific values.
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High Impact Investments: Allocates capital to mission-driven organisations and green bonds following a rigorous integrated impact and financial assessment, with measurable reporting on social ROI and stakeholder value.
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Customised Screening: Tailors exclusions and inclusions to your individual values, allowing you to direct capital toward the themes that matter most; whether social equity, environmental sustainability, or other priorities.
How we compare to other impact investing firms
Unlike many standalone impact investing firms, Nixon Peabody Trust Company combines deep legal expertise with institutional investment capabilities. Our clients benefit from direct collaboration with Nixon Peabody Trust & Estate attorneys, dedicated portfolio managers, and financial planning specialists all working as an integrated team. This multidisciplinary approach allows us to embed impact considerations across your entire wealth plan, not just your investment portfolio.
Whether you are new to impact investing or looking to deepen an existing commitment, Nixon Peabody Trust Company has the expertise and infrastructure to support your goals. Our impact investing services are designed for individuals, families, and institutions that want their capital to reflect their values and perform. Contact us today to begin a conversation about how we can build a sustainable portfolio tailored to you.
FAQs
Our solution providers include producers of smart water meters, leaders in renewable energy finance, water filtration and valve companies, and thin film solar module manufacturers, among others.
Our fossil fuel free screen excludes traditional oil, gas, and coal companies, but permits power companies with greater than 30% renewable energy exposure. This recognises that some utilities are actively transitioning toward cleaner energy sources.
Each investment undergoes an integrated impact and financial assessment. We look for organisations with proven return track records, demonstrated stability and liquidity, innovative models of impact creation, and robust impact measurement and reporting.
Yes. You have the ability to direct your investment toward specific themes that matter most to you whether that is social equity, environmental sustainability, or other areas.
Sustainable and impact investing encompasses strategies that integrate environmental, social, and governance (ESG) criteria into investment decisions or that direct capital explicitly toward solving social and environmental challenges. Investors may pursue one or several approaches depending on their goals, values, and risk tolerance.
Impact portfolios can include a wide range of asset classes, including equities, fixed income (such as green bonds), private markets, and alternatives. This allows for diversification while maintaining an impact focus.