Asset classes

SRI

The main aim of our Sustainable and Responsible Investments (SRI) team is to deliver top-performing funds while incorporating an understanding of social, environmental and corporate governance issues into the way in which we manage money.

We do this by actively investing in companies providing solutions to social and environmental problems, and avoiding companies which exacerbate them.

We also use our influence as shareholders to promote good practice among those companies in which we invest. We focus on areas where we believe improved management of social, environmental or governance issues will enhance or protect shareholder value.

Our view is that the world economy needs to move to a more sustainable model in order to address the significant social and environmental problems that the current global economic model has created. For these reasons, we believe that those companies conducting their business in a sustainable and responsible manner are more likely to succeed over time.

We have established ourselves as market leaders in this asset class, having managed SRI funds since 2001 and garnered numerous industry awards. We offer a broad range of products that enable Investors to benefit from the shift to a more sustainable economy.

Please note that we have recently announced that we have appointed Alliance Trust Investments as investment adviser for our Sustainable and Responsible Investment (SRI) range. The Aviva Investors Sustainable and Responsible Investment team, headed by Peter Michaelis will move to Alliance Trust Investments to establish an SRI capability within that business. This appointment as investment adviser will be implemented by 31 August 2012. Peter Michaelis and his team, who have been successfully running SRI funds for over 11 years and remain committed to doing so, will move along with, Mike Appleby, Neil Brown, Harriet Parker and Alexandre Werbowy. The oversight provided by the SRI Advisory Committee* will also remain in place. The team will continue to provide investment advice to the funds under their current process but do so under an investment advisory agreement, working as part of the investment team at Alliance Trust Investments. Each of the funds will continue to be managed in line with their current investment objectives and policy.

*The SRI Advisory Committee consists of leading lights in sustainable development thinking. They serve to highlight emerging environmental or social trends for the Sustainable Future funds to invest in. They also guide the team’s views on contentious areas and the stance the Sustainable Future funds should take. In addition they oversee the application of the Sustainable Future approach to investment selection and the team’s engagement with target companies. The current members of the Advisory Committee are: Sophia Tickell, Jonathon Porritt, Tim Jackson, and Deborah Leipziger. They will all continue in this role with regards to the Sustainable Future funds when the team moves to Alliance Trust Investments.

Use the links below for more information on our SRI capability.