Friday, February 27, 2015
GAM Holding AG signs UN-supported Principles for Responsible Investment
- Commitment to work towards implementing ESG considerations in investment processes
- Action plan established for 2015
As part of its ongoing effort to foster sustainable investing across the Group, GAM Holding AG today announced that it has signed the United Nations-supported Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI).
The PRI is an international global network of asset managers, owners and service providers working together to put responsible investment into practice. The principles, which are voluntary, aim to provide a framework for integrating environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) considerations into investment decision-making and ownership practices.
In order to become better aligned with the PRI guidelines, the Group has committed to undertake a series of steps in 2015. These include developing global sustainable investing guidelines, which describe the Group’s general approach to ESG matters, followed by a consideration of how these are integrated into its investment decision-making. Later in the year the Group will focus on the documentation to satisfy the annual PRI reporting requirements.
Group CEO Alexander Friedman said: “As active investors, we have a responsibility to explore all factors that could potentially impact the financial performance of individual companies in which we invest – and these often include ESG issues. Becoming a signatory of PRI reinforces our commitment to fully discharge that responsibility and it is also the right thing to do as an engaged corporate citizen.”
“We are delighted to welcome GAM Holding AG as a PRI signatory”, said Fiona Reynolds, managing director of the PRI. “Their commitment demonstrates the growing awareness and importance of ESG to the investment decision-making process.”