Powering change
We have conviction in acting, advocating and leveraging influence to deliver change with and on behalf of our clients. We take our role as an active steward very seriously. Our focus is on engagement, voting and market reform to generate outcomes that benefit our clients and in many cases society, the environment and the broader economy as well.
Active ownership - voting and engagement
Stewardship means taking responsibility for something entrusted into someone’s care. To us, that means monitoring, engaging, and, where appropriate, intervening, on matters than can have a material impact on the long-term value of our clients’ investments – issues such a board diversity, human rights abuses and greenhouse gas emissions. We use our expertise and influence to promote good practice among those companies and projects in which we invest to gain insight and reduce risks and spot opportunities.
Shaping sustainable capital markets
We also recognise that sometimes engaging with a company is not enough. We operate in a market that is imperfect and policy makers and regulators can play a critical role in defining the framework within which companies and investors operate. We work tirelessly to help shape capital markets that factor in people and planet, as well as profit.
Powering change
Voting with conviction
1 Jul 2020
We consider voting to be an important part of the investment process and have had a formal and considered voting policy since 1994. We have explicitly incorporated corporate responsibility disclosure and performance into our voting since 2001 - being one of the first asset managers to do so globally.
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Powering change
Protecting human rights through the power of benchmarks
1 Jul 2020
We created the Corporate Human Rights Benchmark in 2013 with a view to use the competitive nature of markets to challenge companies to embed human rights in their organisation. 6 years on the benchmark is widely supported by companies, governments, investors and civil society. This is our update for 2019.
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Powering change
Superbugs – on the frontiers of sustainability
1 Jul 2020
The issues related to antimicrobial resistance and spread of drug-resistant 'superbugs' pose serious risks to public health and the business landscape. We have engaged with our investees to discuss their strategy on antibiotic resistance.
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Responsibility built-in
As a long‑term, active investor we hold a deep conviction that environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors can have a material impact on investment returns and client outcomes.
Responsible investing is a driving force across every investment we manage.
We integrate material ESG factors into our investment approach for all asset classes and regions that we invest in. Our investment teams are supported by a Global Responsible Investment (GRI) Team, where 22 ESG analysts act as a centre of excellence on ESG. We generate macro, thematic, industry, security- and asset-specific qualitive insights to enhance investment processes. We have proprietary quantitative ESG scoring tools to underpin the assessment of ESG risks at both a security and a portfolio level.
Our approach is set out in our Responsible Investment Philosophy and we have an ESG policy for every asset class. Our commitments are fully embedded into our internal controls environment and are subject to robust challenge form the firm’s control functions as well as assurance from our external auditors.
We also recognise that institutions and individuals have different ESG needs. Our ESG Solution capability works with clients to help them define their approach to ESG and design investment strategies that meet their preferences. We offer several sustainability-focused funds that are designed to deliver sustainable outcomes alongside financial performance.
Responsibility built in
The ESG layers – from the macro view to a company profile
1 Jul 2020
Understanding how economies transition to a sustainable future is more than just an ESG score. Our ESG insights are developed through connected thinking across asset classes: from the macro view to a company profile, and from how we see the world to how we view a sovereign, a sector or a company.
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Responsibility built in
A company-wide commitment
1 Jul 2020
A big part of integrating ESG into our investment decisions is making sure that it is embedded across the investment process. Two ways of doing this is our Responsible Investment Officer Network and the integration of ESG into the way investment team members are remunerated.
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Responsibility built in
ESG and alternative assets
1 Jul 2020
Responsible Investment and ESG have traditionally been biased towards liquid assets such as equities and bonds. There are several reasons for this, including the weight of assets under management, availability of information, and the rights and access provided to shareholders.
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Connected thinking
We believe in the power of connections and connected thinking. Creating a sustainable future and delivering long-term investment returns can only be accomplished by working together with colleagues, clients, competitors, policy-makers and regulators to connect different perspectives, share knowledge and experience.
It is only when clients feel connected to their capital, able to see where their money is going and what it is doing on their behalf, that they will feel truly empowered and impelled to push for change. That’s why we have created and contributed to initiatives that aim to make sustainable investment easier for customers, like building new sustainable standards at firm and fund level with the British Standard Institute or shaping the Investment Association’s sustainable framework.
We connect stakeholders to build award winning sustainable institutions that deliver for everyone. One of those is the World Benchmarking Alliance, an impact initiative that publicly ranks large, leading companies around the world on the impact they’re having on the planet to incentivise businesses to do more.
By connecting insights and perspectives we are able better understand the complex sustainability trends around us. As a large, global player with ESG integrated across all asset classes and locations we have unique access to a wide range of information about ESG risks and opportunities across the economy.
Connected thinking
Connecting for climate change
1 Jul 2020
It is only by working with multiple stakeholders that you can deliver a positive impact – be they governments and central banks to charities and customers. Our work to tackle the climate emergency is one of the examples of how we do that.
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Connected thinking
Demonstrating connected thinking and thought leadership on deforestation
1 Jul 2020
We believe that accelerating environmental damage from climate, deforestation, ocean pollution, and loss of biodiversity all pose significant risk to economies and the corporate bottom line.
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Connected thinking
Connecting with wider stakeholders
1 Jul 2020
The The World Benchmarking Alliance (WBA) initiative is a great example of what can be achieved when stakeholders across civil society, business, governments and consumers connect their thinking and collaborate together to tackle some of the world’s biggest challenges.
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Connected thinking
Power in numbers
1 Jul 2020
Nearly a third of all natural World Heritage sites are subject to extractive activity, despite protection from the UNESCO World Heritage Convention. Following a number of successful engagements on this topic, including SOCO International and BP, we helped to launch a collaborative project to call on extractive companies to make ‘no go’ commitments in World Heritage sites.
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Connected thinking
The EU High-Level Expert Group on Sustainable Finance
1 Jul 2020
In 2017 Aviva Investors’ Chief Responsible Investment Officer Steve Waygood was invited to become a member of the European Union High-Level Expert Group on Sustainable Finance (HLEG).
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Turning talk into action
It is only through commitment, passion and genuine collaboration that we can bring our sustainable aspirations to life. In our “This is how” series, we profile some of the ways ESG helps us be better investors, for our clients, and for the world around us.
Investment risk
The value of an investment and any income from it can go down as well as up. Investors may not get back the original amount invested.
Responsible investment
Responsible investment isn’t just the right thing to do, it makes sound financial sense.
Our capabilities
Discover our capabilities with ESG integrated across all asset classes.