Engagement
We engage with companies to use our influence as a shareholder or investor to encourage them to improve how they manage and report on their environmental, social or governance (ESG) risks.
We have also selected thematic ESG issues to help prioritise engagement. Our current ESG priority issues are:
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climate change;
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severe environmental damage;
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human rights (including health and safety); and
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bribery and corruption.
We may also engage on public policy issues in certain circumstances. We maintain strict political neutrality where we engage on New Zealand policy issues.
How we engage with companies
We mainly engage with companies through our global engagement provider Columbia Threadneedle Investments’ Responsible Engagement Overlay service, known as CTI reo®. We may also engage collaboratively with other investors, and directly where appropriate.
This gives us broad coverage across our listed equity and corporate bond portfolios, and access to specialist expertise.
Through our membership of Australian-based investor association Australian Council of Superannuation Investors, which engages with listed companies on behalf of its members on governance and sustainability issues, we also gain broad engagement coverage across the ASX300.
Engagements with companies will typically be conducted in confidence, as free and frank exchanges of information are critical in order for engagement to be effective.
For more information about how we approach engagement, including our priority areas and decision-making process, see our Sustainable Investment Procedures.
For more information about how we engage on Climate Change, see our Climate Change Report.
Overview of our monitoring, engagement and exclusion processes
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