Abstract

The paper focuses on the development and practices of Socially Responsible Investment (SRI) in the US and Europe. The aim is to explore the historical, cultural and political embeddedness of SRI. Based on secondary sources of information, it offers a comparative analysis of the development and current practicesof SRI on both sides of the Atlantic and discusses the future implications for SRI. The paper shows that SRI movements in both regions present differences in terms of definitions, actors involved, vocabulary and motivations, and strategies implemented. Nonetheless, they also share a common underlying purpose and seek similar goals of improving corporations’ policies and practices on social and environmental issues.