At RBC Global Asset Management, we believe that being an active, engaged and responsible owner empowers us to enhance the long-term, sustainable performance of our portfolios. We believe that the proper disclosure and consideration of environmental, social and governance (ESG) risks and opportunities by the companies or countries in which we are invested is critical to strengthening the overall performance of our portfolios.
The impacts of climate change are systemic and unprecedented. They're also already apparent. While climate change has the potential to affect the global economy, the economic impacts on specific markets, regions, and investments are complex, varied, and uncertain. As asset managers and investors, and stewards of our clients' assets, we believe considering climate-related risks and opportunities in our investment approach can enhance our long-term risk-adjusted results.
Our commitment to integrate ESG factors into our investment process is firm-wide. In addition, we have a dedicated Corporate Governance and Responsible Investment (CGRI) team whose role is to advance ESG integration by managing and coordinating ESG research, engaging with our investee companies on ESG–related issues, overseeing all of our proxy voting, collaborating with like-minded investors and engaging with lawmakers or regulators.