Responsible Investments: certification for BCEE Asset Management (now Spuerkeess Asset Management)

There are six main principles to which signatories undertake to adhere to. First, all the signatories commit to incorporating ESG issues into their investment decision-making processes. Second, they also undertake to incorporate these same ESG issues into their ownership policies and practices. Third, the signatories set further requirements for the companies in which they invest, seeking appropriate disclosure from them on ESG issues. Fourth, signatory companies will promote acceptance and implementation of the PRI among asset managers. Every signatory is expected to work together with financial sector operators committed to complying with the PRI in order to enhance their effectiveness. And lastly, signatories will each report on their activities and progress towards implementing the PRI.

Loïc: When you put yourself in your customer’s shoes, you realise how important this certification is. It clearly seems to be the key factor that assures them that responsible criteria are actually being taken into account in the selection of companies in the portfolio. As a result, customers can be sure that their investments are focused on assets that are both profitable and that reflect their social values.

By adopting this approach, we are contributing to global well-being whilst benefiting from the long-term performance created by implementation of these non-financial factors. How does this work in practice? Well, we incorporate ESG issues into our analyses, so the valuation of an asset is more comprehensive and can enable us to exclude securities whose reputational or regulatory risk would be too high. So, responsible investment should not be considered as simply a constraint, as it is a real creator of added value.