2. Jewish Advocacy Strategy is now available in a fossil-fuel-free version
Investors are increasingly concerned about climate risks, especially for fossil fuel companies. JLens’ core Jewish Advocacy Strategy screens out coal companies, based on investor surveys, but maintains an 'own and advocate' position with oil and gas companies. However, we are pleased to announce that the Leichtag Foundation seeded a fossil-fuel-free version of JLens' Jewish Advocacy Strategy in 2020. As of August 2021, more than 10% of the assets in the Jewish Advocacy Strategy have now transitioned to the fossil-fuel-free version. JLens will continue to own and advocate with oil and gas companies in our core strategy, but as investors increasingly seek to eliminate fossil fuels entirely from their portfolio, we are pleased to have a fossil-fuel-free option. 


3. JLens Responds to Ben & Jerry's Announcement
Like so many in the Jewish community, JLens was disappointed by Ben & Jerry’s decision to end the company’s relationship with their Israeli distributor following a decade of pressure by BDS activists. At JLens, we have spent the past five years developing investor advocacy relationships with Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) leaders at the 300 US companies held in JLens’ Jewish Advocacy Strategy. We are the only anti-BDS investor advocate that CSR executives hear from, and as a result we play an important role as a resource, and a counter narrative to the investor advocates pushing companies to adopt BDS.  

Following the Ben & Jerry’s announcement, JLens reached out to our over 700 CSR executive contacts to answer questions and discuss how politicized divestment from one side of a two-sided conflict will never be effective at achieving peace. We have held numerous direct discussions with CSR executives following JLens’ Ben & Jerry’s outreach. Additionally, JLens’ CEO Julie Hammerman published an OpEd in Algemeiner to encourage the Jewish community to maintain a counter controversy campaign with Ben & Jerry’s and parent company Unilever to “signal to the CEOs of the 124 global (non-Israeli) companies actively being pressured by BDS that the controversy doesn’t go away once the company acquiesces to BDS — it only gets worse.”


4. Morningstar Continues BDS Activism; JLens Seeks Shareholders
Morningstar’s continued support and profiteering from the BDS campaign showed up in the news recently when KLP, the $80B Norwegian fund, divested from 16 BDS-targeted companies. Large institutional investors, including KLP, hire Morningstar subsidiary Sustainalytics/GES to pressure BDS targeted companies to cut ties to Israel. When the companies fail to yield to pressure, Sustainalytics/GES adds the company to a divestment list. The process overseen by Sustainalytics/GES is detailed on KLP’s website in the Excluded Companies, Process of Analysis section. 

If you are a direct shareholder of Morningstar (ticker MORN) and would like to be involved in JLens efforts to stop BDS support at Morningstar, please be in touch with JLens' Director of Advocacy at dani@jlensnetwork.org. For background information on JLens' campaign with Morningstar, click here.
 

5. JLens Portfolio Companies: Microsoft and Motorola Solutions
JLens maintains ongoing investor advocacy dialogue with the 300 US companies in the Jewish Advocacy Strategy portfolio. JLens' six advocacy focus areas are aligned with Jewish teachings: Obligation to Society, the Worker, the Environment, Ethical Business, Coexistence, and Support for Israel. Both Microsoft and Motorola Solutions have been in JLens' portfolio since the strategy launched in 2015. We are proud of our relationship with both companies' CSR teams, and the dedication both companies have demonstrated for corporate social responsibility efforts. We had calls with Microsoft and Motorola Solutions this month, and are sharing a high level summary as an example of JLens' ongoing CSR dialogues. 

JLens’ August 6th dialogue with Microsoft covered a range of topics. We explored how the company is expanding CSR priorities to meet COVID-related needs by developing a platform to assist millions of job-seekers affected by the pandemic and increasing digital connectivity in rural communities around the world. JLens encouraged Microsoft to continue taking steps to increase the racial diversity of its workforce and suppliers. JLens discussed Microsoft’s 2020 AnyVision divestment decision, since the topic is categorized in the SRI field as a BDS victory. JLens’ expression of appreciation for Microsoft’s longstanding relationship with Israel, combined with suggestions for the company to avoid BDS controversy in the future, will be shared with the board in the CSR executives quarterly report. 

In JLens’ August 12th dialogue with Motorola Solutions, we addressed environmental concerns by encouraging the company to adopt specific Scope 3 targets for its carbon emissions. JLens advocated for the company to conduct a global median pay gap analysis to aid in the retention and promotion of women and people of color. Motorola CSR executives confirmed the company’s commitment to its business operations in Israel and told JLens that they take pride in their work there and are committed to defending their operations in Israel against the ongoing threats from the BDS movement. 


6. Upcoming Events
August 24, 2021: Rabbi Jacob Siegel, JLens' Director of Engagement, will be presenting at The Kitchen, a San Francisco based Jewish community, on the topic of Judaism, climate change, and socially responsible investing.