We are committed to investing responsibly.
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We are committed to investing responsibly.
Premier Miton’s approach to responsible investing includes the consideration of environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors alongside financial ones in our active investment decision making across all asset classes. In particular, this means active stewardship of the companies we invest in, which includes having an active dialogue with company management on ESG factors as well as commercial matters and voting at company meetings when we have the opportunity to do so.
We are increasingly focused on integrating environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors alongside financial factors in our investment processes including our decisions as genuinely active investors to hold individual underlying investments in our portfolios. We believe this is important to enable us to deliver strong and durable performance to our clients and to meet our broader investment responsibility.
Once we have invested in a company, we take our stewardship responsibilities seriously by meeting companies and having productive dialogue with company management and their boards. And we aim to actively vote at company meetings when we get the opportunity.
We are committed to investing responsibly across our fund range. We also offer a range of dedicated responsible investing funds, covering ESG and sustainable investment criteria.
We aim to have contact with all our investee companies at least annually.
We usually meet with a company’s management team annually, and additionally occasionally with their non-executive board directors, including their Chairperson. These meetings are designed to increase our understanding of a company’s strategy and operations as well as discussing ESG factors.
We believe this ongoing engagement process plays an important role in helping to assess the broad investment case for buying, holding or selling a holding in a company, as well as allowing us the opportunity to promote good practice covering environmental, social and governance factors to encourage further, positive change.
We aim to actively vote at all meetings where we are allowed to vote. We consider third party voting research and our company knowledge in our voting activity and our voting policy guides our decisions.
We are pleased be a signatory to the Financial Reporting Council’s UK Stewardship Code. Good stewardship includes the responsible allocation, management and oversight of capital to create long-term value for our clients, leading to sustainable benefits for the economy, the environment and society. Good stewardship is a key part of our active investment strategies, covering different asset classes including equities, fixed income, property companies and multi-asset.
To demonstrate our commitment to responsible investing we have signed up to the Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI), a United Nations supported global initiative that promotes responsible investing through 6 principles that guide investors.
The 6 Principles for Responsible Investment are a voluntary and aspirational set of investment principles that offer a menu of possible actions for incorporating ESG issues into investment practice. The Principles were developed by investors, for investors. In implementing them, signatories contribute to developing a more sustainable global financial system.
We also recognise that applying these Principles may better align investors with broader objectives of society. Therefore, where consistent with our fiduciary responsibilities, we commit to the following:
Principle 1: We will incorporate ESG issues into investment analysis and decision-making processes.
Principle 2: We will be active owners and incorporate ESG issues into our ownership policies and practices.
Principle 3: We will seek appropriate disclosure on ESG issues by the entities in which we invest.
Principle 4: We will promote acceptance and implementation of the Principles within the investment industry.
Principle 5: We will work together to enhance our effectiveness in implementing the Principles.
Principle 6: We will each report on our activities and progress towards implementing the Principles.
The Principles for Responsible Investment were developed by an international group of institutional investors reflecting the increasing relevance of environmental, social and corporate governance issues to investment practices. The process was convened by the United Nations Secretary-General.
In signing the Principles, we as investors publicly commit to adopt and implement them, where consistent with our fiduciary responsibilities. We also commit to evaluate the effectiveness and improve the content of the Principles over time. We believe this will improve our ability to meet commitments to beneficiaries as well as better align our investment activities with the broader interests of society. We encourage other investors to adopt the Principles.”
We use the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals as part of our process for assessing and measuring the non-financial outcomes of how we invest.
The UN SDGs are the globally recognised framework for reporting sustainable outcomes. The 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were adopted by all United Nations Member States in 2015 and provide a shared blueprint for peace and prosperity on the planet, now and in the future. They recognize that ending poverty and other deprivations must go hand-in-hand with strategies that improve health and education, reduce inequality, and spur economic growth – all while tackling climate change and working to preserve our oceans and forests.
In 2020 we participated for the first time in the carbon disclosure programme (CDP) by submitting a climate change response for Premier Miton Group plc. The aim of this work is to set an internal benchmark for our climate change performance and to highlight areas where we need to improve. For 2021 we were delighted to achieve a score of B-. This is the same level as the global average. Within this overall score, we achieved an A for emissions reduction initiatives and A- for Governance. You can find out more about CDP by visiting their website at www.cdp.net.
Looking forward, we will be taking the learnings from the CDP response process and continue our focus to support the transition to a net-zero carbon economy.
We are delighted that Premier Miton is a signatory to Climate Action 100+, an investor-led initiative to ensure the world’s largest corporate greenhouse gas emitters take necessary action on climate change. More than 615 investors, responsible for over $60 trillion in assets under management, are engaging companies on improving climate change governance, cutting emissions and strengthening climate-related financial disclosures. As a signatory to Climate Action 100+, Premier Miton has committed to participating in engagements with focus companies that are critical to the net zero carbon transition.
©Premier Miton Investors. 2023. Issued by Premier Miton Investors. Premier Portfolio Managers Limited is registered in England no. 01235867. Premier Fund Managers Limited is registered in England no. 02274227. Both companies are authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and are members of the ‘Premier Miton Investors’ marketing group and subsidiaries of Premier Miton Group plc (registered in England no. 06306664). Registered office: Eastgate Court, High Street, Guildford, Surrey GU1 3DE.
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