Investing responsibly is not a fad. For us, it is an investment belief.
By building responsibility into all our investment processes, we aim to improve our risk management and investment performance while at the same time help to create more sustainable investment solutions fit for the future. As an active owner of capital, our scale and influence help us drive the change required to build a future our clients are able to retire into.
Our contribution to a changing world
We’ve been using our voice to drive positive change for five decades. The business and investment cases for acting responsibly are hard to dispute these days. Companies that conduct their business in a respectful and sustainable way are more likely to succeed over time, benefiting both you and society. Bad practices don’t just hit the headlines, they hit the bottom line as well.
I believe investors have a vital role to play in pushing for change on society’s biggest issues, from climate change to diversity; from environmental degradation to human rights. I am proud that Aviva Investors has long been at the forefront of investor action on these issues.
It is only through commitment, passion and genuine collaboration that we can bring our sustainable aspirations to life. By acting collaboratively across asset classes, locations and our multiple stakeholders, we are able to instigate change through continual active engagement, voting and market reform initiatives.
Our highlights
Delivering a sustainable future will only happen if we all take action to create positive change. We have delivered for our clients by making active sustainable choices in how we invest and drive change in the world.
Shaping a sustainable world
Aviva Investors scored A+ in the 2020 Annual United Nations Principles for Responsible Investing (UNPRI) report. We are a founding signatory to the UNPRI and catalysed the development of the SSE and World Benchmarking Alliance that aims to publicly rank 2000 companies on ESG credentials.
Our unique approach to responsible investing
We are united by a firm-wide ambition to work with and for our clients to do what is right for them, society and the world around us.
Responsibility built-in
We employ systematic and robust consideration of material ESG factors in investment decisions, led by insight that goes beyond the conventional. Beyond any applicable binding criteria, our portfolio managers are empowered to make the right decision for the best client outcome, supported by ESG research integrated into our investment franchises via specialist teams.
Shaping our future
Making a difference does not stop with our investments. We work in partnership with clients, policymakers and regulators, sharing knowledge and collaborating to build a sustainable future for us all. We are committed to reforming capital markets and empowering our clients to make informed choices.
See change in action
Climate change is the biggest systemic challenge of our time. Discover how we're approaching climate action and supporting the transition to a low-carbon and climate-resilient world.


Responsible Investment Annual Review 2021
This year’s Responsible Investment Annual Review seeks to demonstrate how Aviva Investors has turned talk into action in 2021. We are proud advocates of the Financial Reporting Council's (FRC) UK Stewardship Code and this report details the impact that our responsible investment approach has had on our clients and on the society we serve.
Responsibility built-in
Find out how we integrate ESG into our investment processes as a firm and in every asset class.
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.
Note: ESG and Climate related engagement, goals and exclusions can vary at the investment strategy and portfolio level depending upon country, jurisdiction and individual client needs.
Our latest views

Responsible Investing
Life force: Why nature matters
12 May 2022
Growing awareness that natural systems are stressed or even close to breakdown is prompting asset managers to look closely at nature-based risks and investee companies to understand their environmental impacts and dependencies.
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Responsible Investing
Disney’s tales of diversity: Creative lessons on developing and identifying talent
13 Apr 2022
Middle managers need to up their diversity, equity and inclusion game. They must think harder about roles models, succession planning, psychological safety and team dynamics to harness untapped human potential, explains Apiramy Jeyarajah.
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Equities
Back to nature: Why we must act now on the biodiversity crisis
31 Mar 2022
In an age of mass extinctions, policymakers, businesses and financial institutions are beginning to acknowledge the risks associated with biodiversity loss, along with the opportunities that arise from nature-positive solutions.
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AIQ Feature
Power to the people: The moral and investment case for human rights
30 Mar 2022
Healthy and happy employees, consumers, and communities are all critical ingredients in a company’s long-term success. Investors have a key responsibility in ensuring the rights of these groups are respected.
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Fixed income
Now for the hard part…..The challenge of delivering net zero
29 Mar 2022
More than one fifth of the world’s largest listed companies have committed to net-zero targets, but few have detailed roadmaps to get there. Mirza Baig considers the challenges for investors managing transition pathways.
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Responsible Investing
Change diets, not the planet: The link between food and sustainability
29 Mar 2022
We explore how shifting diets can help create a more sustainable world.
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AIQ Feature
Tough gig: How to improve the platform economy
28 Mar 2022
Companies operating in the gig economy have been subject to industrial action and legal challenges. Workers say they are being denied basic rights; platforms reply this is the price of flexibility. But there is a viable middle-ground which can be beneficial for all, including investors.
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Responsible Investing
Energy in focus: Part 2: The pivot to green
28 Mar 2022
How will the surge in the prices of oil, gas and coal impact the transition to low or zero carbon sources of fuel? In the second part of our Q&A on the energy sector, experts from our credit, equities and ESG teams contemplate the challenges and opportunities in the pivot to green.
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Responsible Investing
Thick skins and tin ears: Facing up to the ESG backlash
25 Mar 2022
Mark Versey goes on the offensive to dispel recent criticisms against ESG investing.
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Responsible Investing
Energy in focus: Part 1: The last hurrah for fossil fuels?
24 Mar 2022
The fallout from the conflict between Russia and Ukraine has highlighted the fragility of energy markets, with significant implications for the global economy.
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Responsible Investing
Hope for net zero: Systemic change is rarely linear
21 Mar 2022
Despite concern over the substance behind many national and corporate net-zero commitments, could the pace of change surprise on the upside? Tom Tayler assesses the state of play.
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Equities
Politics, activists and ESG: The outlook for UK equities
10 Mar 2022
We bring together members of our UK equities team to discuss the key opportunities and risks in the market.
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Responsible Investing
What does the data say? ESG in focus
25 Feb 2022
In this month’s instalment of our visual series on topical data themes, we look at some of the major ESG trends and metrics of the last few years.
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Responsible Investing
Valuing nature: An interview with Elizabeth Maruma Mrema
17 Feb 2022
In this interview, AIQ catches up with Tanzanian biodiversity leader and lawyer Elizabeth Maruma Mrema about the threat of biodiversity loss, the recent Kunming Declaration and missed Aichi Biodiversity Targets, as well as the role of finance in protecting nature.
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Responsible Investing
Smashing the class ceiling: Why business and finance must do more on socioeconomic diversity
16 Feb 2022
Different socioeconomic backgrounds are a key source of diversity of thought, but also intersect with many other diversity traits. The worlds of business and finance cannot achieve true diversity without taking it into account.
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Responsible Investing
Nature’s domino effects: An interview with Sean B. Carroll on the biodiversity crisis
10 Feb 2022
In this interview, AIQ catches up with biologist and science writer Sean B. Carroll about nature’s hidden connections and why human beings must act to reverse biodiversity loss.
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Our team
Our people embedding ESG across Aviva Investors

Steve Waygood
Chief Responsible Investment Officer
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Abigail Herron
Global Head of ESG and Strategic Partnerships
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Mirza Baig
Global Head of ESG Investments
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Eugenie Mathieu
Senior ESG Analyst & Earth Pillar Lead
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Thomas Dillon
Head of ESG – Sovereign
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Thomas Tayler
Senior Manager, Sustainable Finance Centre for Excellence
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Nathan Leclercq
Senior Corporate Governance Analyst
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Louise Piffaut
Senior ESG analyst
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Sora Utzinger
Senior ESG Analyst
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Rebecca Vine
Senior Corporate Governance Analyst
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Doris Ko
ESG Operations Manager
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Vaidehee Sachdev
Impact Analyst - Social Pillar Lead
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Stanley Kwong
ESG Associate Director, Real Assets
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Charles Devereux
ESG Analyst
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1 'Voting Matters 2021: Are asset managers using their proxy votes for action on environmental and social issues?' ShareAction, 2021. Responsible investment NGO ShareAction analysed the voting decisions of 65 of the world’s largest asset managers on 146 shareholder resolutions across environmental and social issues in 2021.
2 ShareAction examines 75 of the most influential asset managers worldwide on responsible investment governance, climate change, biodiversity and human rights; each participant was assigned a rating applicable to their aggregated score, from AAA through E grade.