Our stewardship activities aim to support outcomes that result in sustainable, competitive investment returns for our clients. Active ownership allows us to be committed to deep research and constructive dialogue and, in our view, is integral to our responsibility to our clients.
Our stewardship efforts in numbers
7,463
Tracked meetings in which E, S, or G topics were covered. We believe these meetings open avenues to value creation through productive dialogue on material ESG issues.
6,700+
Companies for which we voted proxies.
43%
Annual general meetings at which we did not support management recommendations on at least one resolution.1
1 These decisions are intended to advance the best interests of shareholders, support best practices, and foster constructive dialogue.
All figures as of 31 December 2022.
SFDR alignment
We aim to approach the Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation (SFDR) with investment integrity and in a manner consistent with our clients' expectations.
Importance of engagement
With the objective of creating value, we engage to advance resilient business practices and support sustainable outcomes. Deep research and constructive dialogue with management and boards is at the heart of our engagement philosophy. We also encourage transparency to better assess financial risks and opportunities for each company or issuer.
Proxy voting
Many of our clients delegate proxy voting authority to Wellington, given our research expertise, access to management teams, and incorporation of engagement into our investment process. Our investment teams vote proxies in accordance with their individual investment philosophies to support value creation. We prioritize open dialogue so that clients may understand our approach and how it reflects their best interests.
ESG integration and ratings
For many Wellington investment teams, ESG research is an input or lens to help assess the value of investments. The “weight” or prominence of this input differs depending on ESG topic, security type, and the discipline and/or philosophy & process applied to a given investment portfolio. For more than 8,500 companies, we identify relevant data to assess issuer performance on material ESG issues, and we use this data to assign company-level ESG ratings.
What doesn’t change across private and public markets is our common belief that certain ESG issues, are strategic business issues.
Our ESG commitment to portfolio companies
If you are a portfolio company, see how we may be able to help you navigate the evolving ESG landscape.
Reports and policies
Industry initiatives, memberships, & frameworks
Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI)
Voluntary framework that allows investors to incorporate ESG issues into their decision-making and ownership practices
Taskforce on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD)
Develops disclosures for use by companies in providing information to relevant stakeholders
UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
17 goals and 169 underlying targets aimed at expanding global economic growth, reducing inequality, and promoting peace
Global Impact Investing Network (GIIN)
Nonprofit industry leader setting standards for impact investing across asset classes
International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS)
Develops baseline standards for sustainability disclosures to help inform investment and economic decision making
Partnership for Biodiversity Accounting Financials (PBAF)
Provides financial institutions with practical guidance on biodiversity impact and dependency assessments
Insights
Governance best practices in public markets
For private companies approaching the public markets, we highlight the corporate governance best practices that can help pave strong relationships with public market investors.
WellSaid: Partnering with portfolio companies
Co-head of private investing Michael Carmen explores how we partner with portfolio companies to help them along the "last mile from the private market to the public market" including on key ESG issues for private companies to consider.
Financial materiality: The cornerstone of the ISSB’s global baseline for sustainability disclosure
The new standards may help provide market participants with data necessary to price sustainability-related risks and opportunities, which can feed directly into the assessment of enterprise value.
2022 Sustainability Report
We appreciate the opportunity to share our approach to advancing sustainable practices across our investment, client, and infrastructure platforms.
Cybersecurity for private companies
We highlight today's rising cybersecurity risks, explore how they impact private companies, discuss key regulatory considerations, and share best practices for companies facing these threats.
The value in valuing employees
Companies able to adapt and respond to challenges in the labor market will find themselves well positioned for the future, say Equity Portfolio Managers Yolanda Courtines and Mark Mandel.
ESG integration in public and private markets
Two ESG leaders discuss why ESG matters for investors, and how their teams help inform the investment process. They also share their priority research and engagement topics for 2023.
Key updates to Wellington’s 2023 proxy voting guidelines
We periodically update our guidelines in an ongoing effort to help Wellington's investment teams vote proxies in our clients' best interests. Read about key updates for this year from two members of Wellington's ESG team.
Fintech regulation: Geopolitics, ESG, and crypto
Discover how fintech’s growing role as a national strategic imperative impacts regulations, the effect of ESG on regulation, and the specific need for regulation in crypto markets.
European credit: seeking to make the most of the new market regime
Fixed Income Portfolio Manager Derek Hynes and Investment Specialist Jillian Rooney assess why the new market regime is creating potentially compelling opportunities in the European credit market.
URL References
Related Insights
Explore other sustainable and ESG investing opportunities
Socially and environmentally positive themes underpinned by structural economic drivers are central to the investment philosophy in pursuit of value creation and/or risk management.
Seeks to invest in issuers that we believe contribute to a lower-carbon future, can help the world adapt to a changing climate, or are well positioned to manage transition and/or physical risks
Seeks to invest in issuers whose core products, services, or projects provide environmental and/or social solutions in a differentiated way, with the goal of driving measurable positive impact alongside financial returns
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