Institutional investors aligned with the Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility are calling on companies to fight gun violence by amending corporate policies.
A resolution asking gun manufacturers, retailers and distributors, as well as companies with financial ties to these industries, to help halt gun violence has been signed by 142 institutional investors with $643 billion in investments, the center announced Thursday.
The resolution asks the public companies “to review their operations, supply chains and policies and take meaningful action on this significant public safety concern.” Among the actions the center wants is a ban on the manufacture and sale of military-style assault rifles.
“Episodes of gun violence are a daily occurrence in the U.S., but a series of recent mass shootings involving semi-automatic assault weapons has focused national attention on the ease with which these military-style weapons can be acquired by civilians. The most recent event at a school in Parkland, Fla., which ignited a student-led national movement for increased gun control, has raised important questions about how corporations and investors may unwittingly be funding or fueling gun violence,” the center said.
In their statement, the investors argued that the responsibility to take action rests not only with gun manufacturers and retailers, but extends to all companies, including those with indirect financial and business ties to the industry.
“The bravery and eloquence of the Parkland students has brought us to a tipping point on this issue,” said Adam Kanzer of Domini Impact Investments, a signer of the resolution. “We are asking investors and corporations large and small to take a hard look at their connections to gun violence and do what they can to restore peace and safety to our communities.”
The Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility is a coalition of shareholder advocates who promote socially responsible investing.