What is socially responsible investment?
It’s a type of investment that joins environmental, social and governance (ESG) analysis with the financial analysis of companies in order to select the best-performing companies in a portfolio from a sustainable development perspective.
Rigorous stock selection criteria
To be included in an SRI fund, stocks are put through a rigorous, multi-phase evaluation process. First, a financial analysis of the business is done to determine whether it is reliable and solid. Note that businesses operating in certain sectors may also be excluded automatically. These sectors include the tobacco, nuclear power, military weapons, adult entertainment and gaming industries.
Once these first stages have been completed, the company’s stock goes through a final evaluation. The company’s practices are assessed based on three factors: environmental, social and governance, known as ESG.
These ESG factors are rigorously taken into account for our SRI funds, but they are also integrated into all of our investment processes. For instance, in 2019, we signed on to the United Nations Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI) through our subsidiary iA Investment Management (iAIM) and we are proud to say that the vast majority of our external managers are also signatories.
The PRIs were established globally to address the increasing importance of environmental, social and corporate governance issues in investment practices.
Growing popularity
Socially responsible investment is gaining in popularity as savers realize that their financial interests and respect for their personal sustainability values go hand in hand.
The socially responsible investment industry has soared in recent years. Since 2012, in fact, investments in SRI funds have been increasing by more than 100% each year.1
There is also a great deal of environmental awareness and enthusiasm for these funds, which generate particularly good returns. That’s why our teams of experts are working to further develop this sector to meet demand and remain even closer to our values as a carbon-neutral company.
Want to learn more about our family of SRI funds, Inhance? Our financial security advisors will be proud and happy to tell you all about it.
Taking action in a positive, socially responsible manner: it’s more than just a question of fund offerings for iA!
Did you know that iA Financial Group follows a sustainable development strategy?
Discover our Sustainability Report and learn about a host of other subjects in our Advice Zone.
1 https://www.ey.com/en_gl/financial-services/why-sustainable-investing-matters