We believe that the consideration of ESG risks and opportunities as part of the investment process is critical for our investment managers to build a more resilient organisation that mitigates financial and non-financial risks.
As part of our corporate sustainability strategy, we have identified key material issues that are important to our stakeholders, our investment managers, and our customers.
Climate Change
Climate change is one of the biggest challenges facing society now and for future generations. It is a shared global challenge that needs to be addressed by governments, businesses, and individuals. We are committed to supporting progress in transitioning to a low carbon economy.
We work with our investment managers to ensure the physical and transition risks and opportunities associated with climate change are considered as part of the ESG integration process. We also encourage our affiliates to engage with their investee companies and issuers on their transition plan. We believe that engagement is a critical part of the transition to the sustainable economy.
Diversity & Inclusion
We encourage a diverse and inclusive workplace that recognises individual differences and perspectives, helping to foster a positive culture as well as contribute to our business’s success.
Research has shown that companies with higher diversity on their boards tend to deliver improved financial performance. We believe that a greater level of diversity within an investee company can reduce risks and boost performance. We select investment managers that value diversity and inclusion, both as a business and as an ESG factor within their investment process. We encourage our affiliates to engage on this issue with their investee companies, with a number of our affiliates becoming signatories to the 40:40:20 vision gender diversity collaborative engagement initiative.
Human Rights
We respect and support internationally recognised human rights as set out in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Fundamental Conventions of the International Labour Organisation. We expect all our employees and investment managers to comply with our human rights statement and we seek to work with third parties who support our approach and standards.
We only select Managers that recognise the risk of human rights and modern slavery and integrate the consideration of this risk into their investment process.
Demonstrating our commitment to improved human rights, we are a signatory to the Investors Against Slavery and Trafficking Asia-Pacific initiative, to engage on this issue and find better ways of doing business.
View our Group’s Human Rights Statement & Modern Slavery Statement
Our stewardship approach
We believe that sustainability is a long-term driver of future performance and that companies and issuers with strong sustainability and governance practices are in a better position to mitigate risks and capture opportunities.
We believe that company and issuer engagement is an opportunity for value creation across our investments. We work with our affiliates to strengthen their own engagement strategies and encourage both collaborate engagement as well as individual engagements with their investee companies and issuers.
Collaborating for change
As part of Challenger Group, Fidante also engages collaboratively across the industry to effect change and advocate for our Investment Managers through our ESG and distribution teams.
Sustainability is critical to building long-term value for our customers, shareholders, employees and the wider community.
At Challenger, being sustainable is about addressing issues and embracing opportunities that have the potential to impact the financial security of our customers. Our corporate sustainability strategy supports the delivery of our business strategy and reflects our most material social, environmental and governance opportunities.