Krumsiek: As performance improves, we believe there is increased opportunity for SRI post-financial crisis and with emphasis on the green economy. For example, our Alternative Energy Fund, even with its volatility, continues to be one our most popular offerings.

Schueth: What important trends should socially conscious investors be tracking?

Krumsiek: We think that by 2012 we will see a more sustainable cost of carbon. That will drive winners and losers in areas like oil and gas, electric utilities and chemical companies. We believe this will also set the stage for the emergence of new companies, or the transformation of existing ones, into new business leaders that become dominant by providing solutions to global problems, like climate change and water scarcity.

Robinson: The most interesting areas of growth are all going to be about environmental solutions or green solutions or sustainability. All the stars are aligned here. Fossil fuel prices continue to rise, and we have a political framework-at least at the federal level-that is interested in promoting green buildings, green jobs and greater efficiency, specifically in the energy space.

Keefe: Sustainability must become the economic imperative of the 21st century global economy. The shift from an industrial-age economy to a sustainable one will present tremendous opportunities for investors. I also think that achieving gender equality is an important economic imperative. Lifting up half of the human race is not only a moral imperative, and the key to eradicating poverty around the globe, but a potentially huge catalyst to wealth creation and global development.

Schueth: What kind of new products do you anticipate for the SRI industry in 2010?

Keefe: My firm is rolling out a series ETFs based on FTSE/KLD sustainability indexes to provide new opportunities for SRI investors in that space. In addition, we've partnered with Morningstar Associates to launch a new series of asset allocation funds in the SRI/Sustainable Investing/ESG arena with the goal of providing new, one-stop, turnkey solutions for advisors and their clients.

Krumsiek:  We've been encouraging our sustainability research team to become more involved in traditional financial analysis. In this way we can push the professional development of a new generation of SRI practitioners who have the skills to truly integrate ESG analysis with traditional financial analysis. We also plan to further develop our institutional offerings, with separate accounts based on our in-house equity strategies.

Schueth: Do you see opportunities for increased visibility for the industry?

Krumsiek: Certainly the "greening of the American public" presents us with more opportunities to pique the interest of financial advisors and investors. My firm is steadfastly committed to clients using our current SRI lineup, and we spend a lot of time talking with them about how Calvert's SRI offerings should evolve.

Budde: I believe it's crucial for SRI strategies to attract new segments of investors and achieve scale. Scale allows for advantages in cost structure, returns, distribution, marketing and other areas. These are all factors that many SRI-oriented firms lack and can also be a challenge for larger firms that have developed a significant SRI niche.

Schueth: Do you have a sense that there's an integration of ESG in the mainstream financial services world?