Aegon Asset Management (AAM) has received the highest possible rating (A+) for strategy and governance of responsible investment activities in the annual assessment published by the Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI). This is the fourth consecutive year AAM has received this rating which was awarded to just 29 per cent of the PRI’s 1,677 asset management signatories.
PRI is the world’s leading authority for responsible investment. The organisation sets out six principles for taking ESG factors into account when making investment decisions and active ownership practices. In its annual assessment report the body provides an overview of the signatories’ performance in comparison to peers on several topics including strategy and governance, active ownership, and direct management of equities and fixed income investments.
AAM is one of the leading players in responsible investment and has been a signatory of the PRI since 2011. The firm has continued to demonstrate above-median rankings in the PRI reports, despite operating in an increasingly mature market. Indeed, in this latest report, AAM was cited as improving in a number of areas, including an increase in the ratings achieved in its property and fixed income securitised investments. The firm also scored the maximum score (A+) in the report’s three engagement categories.
AAM’s commitment to responsible investment was recently highlighted with the release of its’ Responsible Investment Report*, in which it reported a significant boost in responsible investment activities. During 2019, the firm launched new ESG-focused strategies, developed proprietary ESG research methodologies within corporate and securitised credit, and demonstrated a commitment to good stewardship through a material increase in engagement and shareholder voting activities. In July the 14-strong Responsible Investment team led by Brunno Maradei was also bolstered with two new appointments; Retno Kusumaningtyas as Senior Responsible Investment Associate and Georgina Laird as a Sustainable Investment Analyst.
