Threadneedle Social Responsibility

Our Philosophy

We believe well governed companies will outperform over time and it is therefore important that the analysis of governance, social, ethical and environmental (SEE) factors is incorporated into stock selections. Consequently, management of risk and opportunities presented by these factors is integral to Threadneedle's investment decision-process.

Our corporate governance team has been active since 1998 and we have a strategic commitment to Sustainable and Responsible Investment (SRI).

• We strive to integrate governance and SEE factors into mainstream stock selection to identify risks and opportunities.
• We manage core and broad SRI products using a variety of approaches.
• We are active proxy voters and carry out engagement processes on various governance and SEE issues.
• We report on our activities and developments in detail to our clients while striving to keep a high level of transparency to the public.

We also embrace our Corporate Social Responsibility, and strive for environmental and social stewardship throughout our corporation.

"The SRI investment world is growing in importance as investors recognise both their ability to reinforce responsible corporate behaviour and the potential to enhance long term fund returns using an SRI framework. At Threadneedle we believe that, within our active investment approach, a proper consideration of environmental, social and governance factors will help us to quantify corporate risks as well as the opportunities arising from best practices."

Jeremy Podger, Head of Global Equities and SRI Fund Manager.