Principles for Responsible Investment recruiting for SDG working groups

Two groups, on asset allocation and active ownership, to be set up

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The Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI) is recruiting for two new working groups looking at the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.
The two groups will cover asset allocation and active ownership in listed equity and corporate fixed income. Each group will comprise approximately 15-20 members and will be supported by two PRI staff members.
The PRI has made the SDG agenda a key part of its ‘blueprint’ for the next 10 years. It is currently finalising a publication with PwC to present the SDG Investment Case for investors which will be officially presented at the PRI in Person annual event in September.
The PRI said: “The document will clarify why the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are relevant to (responsible) investors. Once the importance of the SDGs for investment strategies and decisions has been presented, the next activities will focus on how to incorporate the SDGs in investment practices.”
Signatories interested in being involved should contact Jake Goodman by September 11.Working group 1: asset allocation
Once investors have agreed on the relevance of the SDGs for their investment strategy, the next question is how to incorporate the SDGs into their investment decisions. For asset owners, that issue starts with the question of if and how the SDGs (and maybe ESG issues in general) are relevant to asset allocation.
Working group 2: active ownership
More traditional approaches to active ownership (engagement and proxy voting) have focused primarily on companies’ procedures and processes to adequately manage ESG risks. Adopting the SDGs as a relevant framework for responsible investment raises the question of whether and how active ownership practices will evolve. As the SDGs are not just about preventing and mitigating ESG risks, but also creating positive outcomes for society, active ownership activities could expand their focus on new business opportunities in response to sustainability challenges. This would also inevitably entail the use of different tools and measures of success.