2006
Founding signatory to PRI1
47
equivalent full-time employees focused on aspects of responsible investment2
>148
Number of ESG-focused engagements in 20233
>3,000
Issuers covered by Insight’s Prime corporate ESG ratings4
A responsible investment leader
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- Insight was a founding signatory to the UN-supported Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI), the world’s leading advocate for a responsible approach to investment that incorporates ESG factors in long-term investors’ decision-making.
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- Insight introduced proprietary ESG ratings for corporates to address the gaps in third-party data, especially for smaller, high-yield and emerging market debt issuers
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- We introduced a comprehensive ranking of how fixed income corporate credit issuers manage their climate change-related risks and opportunities. The Prime climate risk ratings cover a range of key climate-related issues, including physical and transition risks..
- Growth in the impact (use of proceeds) bond market led us to develop a proprietary impact bond analysis framework, to help our analysts discern whether an impact bond meets our expectations for sustainability characteristics.
- In response to client demand, we introduced our first pooled fund with sustainability and ESG objectives, building on our years of expertise analysing and engaging with corporates on sustainability issues.
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- We introduced our country sustainability risk index. This aims to help us better understand the ESG risks at the country level across our portfolios.
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- Insight enhanced our proprietary ESG ratings, introducing customised metrics to make the data as pertinent as possible to our analysis and offering high coverage of global benchmarks.
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- We substantially expanded our responsible investment policy, to spell out in detail the six principles that guide our business and investment approach.
- We introduced sovereign ESG impact ratings, helping us understand how countries are aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, enabling us to build portfolios for clients seeking sovereign debt portfolios with sustainability objectives.
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- We joined the UN Global Compact, confirming Insight’s commitment to supporting its 10 principles on human rights, labour, the environment and anti-corruption.
- We became a signatory to the Net Zero Asset Managers initiative, committing to reach net zero emissions by 2050 at the latest. To support our journey towards net zero, we will either actively engage with our highest emitters, or ensure they are on a net zero pathway.
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- We introduced a thematic engagement programme, prioritising climate change, water management, and diversity and inclusion as themes on which to engage with issuers.
- We introduced a counterparty engagement programme, with the objective of achieving a greater level of impact in our engagements with entities in their capacity as counterparties. We are taking a thematic approach focused on areas including environmental factors, remuneration, diversity and cyber.
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- We launched a research prize for green finance with the University of Oxford. The Greening Finance Prize celebrates, showcases and rewards world-leading research which contributes to the goal of greening the global financial system.
Engaging on the issues that matter
Insight proactively engages on industry and regulatory issues that have implications for our clients and the wider market. These include the transition from LIBOR, central clearing for European pension schemes, and climate change.
Insight has played an active role in the interest-rate benchmark reform process, which will have implications for financial markets worldwide.
Insight is proactively engaging on key issues on behalf of pension schemes across Europe, responsible for the current and future income of millions of European pensioners.
Insight is considering and acting on climate change, where mandated by our clients, seeking to understand the associated risks and mitigate their impact.