Responsible investment isn’t just the right thing to do, it makes sound financial sense.
Investment integration
As a long‑term investor, we’re convinced our investments will be more successful if we understand how the companies and projects we invest in perform on issues like board diversity, governance, climate change and regulatory developments.
Our insight into environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues and trends help us understand the risks that could hit our investments and spot investment opportunities.
Supported by the Global Responsible Investment team, our analysts and portfolio managers integrate these issues into the investment analysis and decision-making process across all our asset classes.
A company-wide commitment
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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ESG and alternative assets
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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The ESG layers – from the macro view to a company profile
At Aviva Investors, we integrate ESG issues across the investment process: 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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Active stewardship
At its simplest, stewardship means taking responsibility for something entrusted into our care. To us, it means monitoring, engaging, and, where appropriate, intervening, on matters than can have a material impact on the long-term value of our investments - matters such as board diversity, human rights abuses and greenhouse gas emissions, for example.
We consider active stewardship to be a fundamental responsibility as investors. In 2017 we engaged with 1,381 companies, voted on 49,358 resolutions at 4,151 shareholder meetings and worked alongside other investors and civil society organisations through more than 30 collaborative initiatives.
Voting with conviction
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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Power in numbers
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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Superbugs – on the frontiers of sustainability
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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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.
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Market reform
To us, being a responsible investor means recognising that sometimes it’s not enough to just engage with a company. We operate in a market that’s imperfect and full of failures. All too often the true cost of running a business, such as emitting carbon, is not something the company has to pay for themselves.
Unfortunately that makes it easier for investors and companies to make short-term decisions that can harm investment returns and our society in the long run. Yet policy makers and regulators can play a critical role in defining the framework within which companies and investors operate.
We're proud to have led and worked on several reforms and initiatives at a local, national and international level to create sustainable financial markets.
Sustainable Development Goals - the World Benchmarking Alliance
The UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), agreed in 2015, are the milestones marking the path towards the future we want. These goals cannot be achieved without the firm commitment of the private sector to work with government and civil society to deliver the solutions and investments needed to achieve the SDGs.
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The EU High-Level Expert Group on Sustainable Finance
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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Pushing for further global reform
At Aviva Investors, we are relentless in our pursuit of pushing for substantive global reform of capital markets. This has included significant work within the UN system and with other multilateral international institutions.
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