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Citizenship
Responsible and Sustainable Investing
At GSAM, we believe responsible and sustainable investing extends beyond the evaluation of quantitative factors and traditional fundamental analysis. Where material, it should include the analysis of an entity’s impact on its stakeholders, the environment and society. We recognize that these environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors can affect investment performance, expose potential investment risks, and provide an indication of management excellence and leadership. As a result, it is important for our investment professionals to understand how ESG factors influence our investment decisions. To this end, GSAM is working to more formally integrate the analysis of these factors into our investment processes, where appropriate and consistent with our fiduciary duty.
>> GSAM Statement on Responsible and Sustainable Investing [PDF]
United Nations Principles for Responsible Investment (UNPRI)
In December 2011, GSAM became a signatory to the UNPRI. The UNPRI is a global, collaborative network of investors established in 2006 in recognition of the increasing relevance of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) issues within the investment process. The Principles set forth by the UNPRI are a set of best practices for incorporating ESG issues into investment decision-making where consistent with fiduciary responsibilities. As a signatory, GSAM has committed to considering the investment implications of ESG issues within our portfolio management and investment decision-making processes, where appropriate and consistent with our fiduciary duty.
Proxy Voting
At GSAM, responsible ownership is accomplished through a variety of methods. GSAM has adopted a global proxy voting policy, which we update periodically to incorporate our current beliefs on key governance and ESG topics.
The UK Stewardship Code
The UK Stewardship Code follows on from the Walker Report on Corporate Governance in the UK and aims to enhance the quality of engagement between institutional investors (and their investment managers) and UK listed companies with the aim of enhancing shareholder value.
Essentially, the corporate governance regime in the UK is now split out into two complementary constituent parts:
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the UK Corporate Governance Code that encourages companies to seek ongoing dialogue with investors and |
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| 2. | the UK Stewardship Code which aims to encourage action in the opposite direction, by incentivising investors and their investment managers to engage in an ongoing dialogue with the companies in which they invest. |
The UK Stewardship Code is a “comply or explain” code. To find out more about the Code, the approach of Goldman Sachs Asset Management and to see our relevant disclosures and explanations regarding it please click on the relevant tab on the right of this page.
>> GSAM's Disclosures Regarding its Compliance with the Principles of the UK Stewardship Code
Contact Us
For information, please email gs-gsam-esg@gs.com.