Responsible investment

By investing responsibly we can take account of environmental, social and governance issues that may impact long-term investment returns, whilst at the same time reducing our own impact on the environment.

Key stats

$20 billion ESG funds inflows in 2019 – four times higher than previous year
$90 trillion in assets now managed by Principles for Responsible Investment signatories
Paris Climate Agreement - global temperature rises must be kept well below 2 degrees Celsius to avoid catastrophic consequences

Responsible investment commitments

Customers

Commitment

Embed responsible investment principles across our business.

Progress

We continued to embed environmental, social and governance (ESG) considerations across our business in 2019. We incorporated ESG considerations more deeply into our fund research process. We also took steps to enhance transparency relating to third-party managed funds on our UK investment platform. A pan-Quilter ESG working group was established to drive our responsible investment commitments across Quilter.

Customers

Commitment

Exercise active stewardship of our customers’ assets.

Progress

In 2019, we continued our voting and engagement activity, using our influence as shareholders in companies on topics such as executive remuneration and climate change in order to protect and enhance long-term returns for our customers.

Environment

Commitment

Reduce the environmental intensity of our activities.

Progress

In 2019 we took some important steps which helped us reduce our direct environmental impact. We reviewed and refined our environmental management strategy to focus on reducing our greenhouse gas emissions, reducing waste and procurement activity. We also secured a new lease for our new London headquarters, which will consolidate three buildings into one at Senator House. The building design and refurbishment has incorporated environmental features which have led to the building achieving a BREEAM Very Good rating.

Responsible investment