EIRIS launches ESG proxy voting service

by Responsible Investor | March 12th, 2010

London-based sustainability research house, EIRIS, is to start advising clients on proxy voting based on environmental, social and governance factors. It launched its Enhanced ESG Voting Service this week and said clients would be able to add ESG-specific voting recommendations for investments to the services they buy. The new service will also include support for investor engagements and assistance with reporting on voting and lobbying activity. Eiris said: “Complementing proxy voting services with high quality, independent
research on ESG issues from a dedicated specialist enables investors to build portfolios with expert input and advice to protect and enhance long-term value and returns. The research house said the voting service would enable clients to “actively implement” the UN Principles of Responsible Investment by incorporating ESG issues into ownership policies and practices (Principle 2) and by seeking appropriate disclosure on ESG issues (Principle 3).