Demand for environmental, social and governance information rises
Russell Investments appoints Sustainalytics
(London) - November, 7, 2011 - Russell Investments today announces the appointment of Sustainalytics to provide stock-level environmental, social and governance (ESG) information to support analysis of its funds and client portfolios.
Consideration of ESG issues is on the rise. Clients are addressing issues which may previously have been regarded as non-financial. And the regulatory landscape is changing. The data which Sustainalytics will provide means that portfolios can be analysed for a wealth of factors. This will enable Russell to develop its investment services for clients all over the world who seek greater ESG integration in their portfolios.
Sustainalytics thoroughly evaluates and analyses companies on a range of ESG metrics using targeted sector-specific ESG indicators. The analysis is supported by a comprehensive set of data gathered through a variety of primary and secondary sources, and specialised third-party data providers.
Commenting on the appointment, Mike Clark, chair of the Russell Sustainability Council said:
“There are a number of factors which mean that investors around the world are taking an increasing interest in responsible investment. This requires an understanding of how companies might be impacted by ESG considerations, cultural shifts and regulation as major influencing elements on their portfolios.”
“The appointment of Sustainalytics will give our clients the ability to develop their own approach and help them grapple with the long term issues around ESG issues. The data and information now available will give our clients the best level of coverage for their requirements.”
Michael Jantzi, CEO of Sustainalytics, added:
“ESG is such an important aspect of the investment decision process these days – and it will only become more so. During the last five years we have witnessed the tremendous growth of the United Nations-backed Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI), which now has more than 900 signatories representing approximately USD 30 trillion of assets under management.
“Sustainalytics has more than 20 years of experience in the world of ESG and responsible investing and the analysis we are able to source and provide to investment managers like Russell is becoming more widely requested by investors.”
The Sustainalytics model incorporates between 60 and 100 key performance indicators, weighted according to the industry in which they are operating. These include a broad range of core and industry-specific indicators that address sustainability policies, management systems and performance outcomes.
About Sustainalytics
Sustainalytics is a leading global provider of environmental, social and governance (ESG) research and analysis for investors and financial institutions. We provide a global perspective, underpinned by nearly 20 years of local experience and expertise in the responsible investment market. Sustainalytics strives to continuously provide high-quality solutions and commits to remain responsive to the current and future needs of our clients. Recently, Sustainalytics was voted Best ESG Research House by IPE/TBLI.
Sustainalytics is headquartered in Amsterdam, has offices in Boston, Frankfurt, Madrid, Paris, Timisoara and Toronto; and has representatives in Brussels and Copenhagen.
www.sustainalytics.com
About Russell Investments
Russell Investments is an independent, global financial services firm that provides strategic advice, investment solutions, implementation services and global performance benchmarks that are customized to meet the unique needs of institutional investors, financial advisors and individuals.
Celebrating its 75th anniversary in 2011, 25 years in Sydney and Tokyo and 15 years in the Netherlands, Russell has pioneered innovations that have come to define many practices that are standard in the investment world today, and has four decades of experience researching and selecting money managers globally.
Russell has about $137 billion in assets under management (as of 9/30/11) and works with 2,300 institutional clients, 530 independent distribution partners and millions of individual investors globally. As a consultant to some of the largest pools of capital in the world, Russell has $2 trillion in assets under advisement (as of 12/31/2010) and traded $1.4 trillion last year through its implementation services business. The Russell Global Indexes calculate over 50,000 benchmarks daily covering 85 countries and more than 10,000 securities.
Founded in 1936, Russell is headquartered in Seattle, Washington, USA and has offices in Amsterdam, Auckland, Chicago, London, Melbourne, Milan, New York, Paris, San Francisco, Seoul, Singapore, Sydney, Tokyo and Toronto. For more information about how Russell helps to improve financial security for people, visit www.russell.com.
For more information please contact:
Sustainalytics
Marthe Reinette
Marketing Specialist
+31 20 205 00 17
mreinette@sustainalytics.com
