Swiss Life Asset Managers’ long sustainable investment tradition has always been deeply rooted in our corporate DNA. Across recent years we have substantiated these values into an explicit ESG concept and a comprehensive responsible investment approach.
Responsible investment report
How we understand and integrate ESG in our investments
Swiss Life Asset Managers’ responsible investment in eight figures
Clustered based on the three pillars of our ESG concept.
Fiduciary Duty
90%
90% of all assets under management are in scope of ESG integration strategy
A+
A+ accredited in the Strategy & Governance module of PRI
12
As of August 2020, 12 FTEs are fully dedicated to ESG, including 50 ambassadors
9 out of 12
9 out of 12 submitted real estate vehicles were Green Star rated by GRESB
Intergenerational Responsibility
0 CHF
0 CHF are invested in companies deriving more than 10% of their revenue from thermal coal
CHF 2bn
CHF 2 bn are to be invested in green bonds by 2023
Active Stewardship
15
In 2019, we have initiated 15 ESG engagements* among our infrastructure assets
9%
In 9% of all votable AGM agenda items, we did not follow the management’s proposition
Swiss Life Asset Managers’ approach to responsible investment
For us responsible investment means integrating Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) criteria, as well as risk factors and financial metrics, into a controlled and structured investment process. Swiss Life Asset Managers’ investment strategy is designed on a sustainable and long-term basis and harmonised with insurance liabilities. Our investment policy is oriented towards long-term and stable returns. We represent our clients’ interests as an asset manager. We are aware of its responsibility as demonstrated by its actions in investment allocation and the exercise of its voting rights according to clearly defined criteria. We are committed to applying responsible investing throughout our operations.
Our ESG concept in the light of climate change
At Swiss Life Asset Managers, we cultivate a holistic view on corporate responsibility. In our ESG concept, we integrate the perspectives of stakeholders such as our clients, of the society we live and act in, and of our own responsibility of the assets we manage. Therefore, we focus on our fiduciary duty, the intergenerational responsibility and active ownership as the characterising pillars of our ESG approach.
Agreements and memberships
In addition to our active ownership efforts, we promote responsible investment by providing resources and know-how to industry and sustainability associations. By doing so, we actively contribute to the further development of the industry. Alongside the active ownership efforts, these collaborative enhancements form our engagement framework.
SFDR: Transparency on sustainability factors
We are convinced, that sustainability risks could cause material negative impact on the value of an investment. Consequently, we embrace a broad set of ESG criteria throughout the entire investment process. Aligned with our global statement on how we understand sustainbility risks and manage principle adverse impacts (see link below), our local fund management companies have disclosed country-specific information. These disclosures comply with the requirements of the EU Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation (SFDR).
Proxy voting as part of active stewardship
Swiss Life Asset Managers considers proxy voting as an integral part of its approach to responsible investment. Proxy voting is one of the instruments which supports the implementation of active stewardship, alongside corporate dialogue and collaborative enhancement. We actively seek to work with companies and relevant stakeholders to recognise shareholder rights and responsibilities. This allows us to address ESG challenges while safeguarding the financial interests of our clients. We defined principles, procedures and guidelines in our voting policy and disclose our voting activities with Vote Disclosure Services (VDS), using the services of the provider ISS.