NewsPaperNordic Sustainable Investment Platform

Founded in 1988, Stewart Investors manage Sustainable long-only, active equity strategies in Asia Pacific, Global Emerging Markets, Worldwide, European and Indian Subcontinent. Since the launch of Stewart Investors first investment strategy in 1988, sustainable investment has always been an integral part of the investment philosophy and stock-picking process. At the heart of this philosophy is the principle of stewardship. They believe companies that deliver benefits to society and the environment face fewer risks over the long term and are therefore better placed to deliver positive returns to shareholders.

Their investment philosophy centres around the principle of good stewardship - careful, considered and responsible management of clients’ funds - with sustainability at the heart of this process.

Every member of the investment team is a sustainability analyst in their own right, and is sworn to a strict code of conduct known as the Hippocratic Oath. By signing, they pledge to uphold the principle of stewardship through their conduct, and commit to always act in the interests of clients and society.

*ESG and sustainability analysis and engagement/voting are fully integrated into the role of each team member. The 11 investment analysts are responsible for all company analysis including ESG, identifying engagement priorities, monitoring and engaging investee companies and making all voting decisions. All members of the investment team - investment analysts and portfolio managers - are ESG/RI specialists.

In the Hippocratic Oath, Stewart Investors promise not to pursue returns to the extent that their actions will knowingly harm others. In accordance with the investment philosophy and strategy, the investment team is responsible for avoiding the allocation of client capital to harmful activities. Stewart Investors do not apply negative/positive screening for idea generation however, the investment philosophy is focused on quality companies contributing to, and benefitting from, sustainable development and as an outcome of our bottom-up investment process, they do not invest in companies with material exposure to harmful products and services, or who fail to discharge their environmental stewardship and human rights responsibilities. Companies operating in high-risk sectors will not be natural candidates for portfolios in terms of their long-term sustainability positioning. Nor, with Stewart Investors' focus on strong risk-adjusted returns and a potential universe of tens of thousands of companies, do they believe they need to invest in such companies to deliver the long-term, sustainable returns the clients expect. The clients reasonably expect clarity on what exposures they may have to negative activities. As such, Stewart Investors have developed a position statement highlighting the activities and practices they find inconsistent with the way they invest.