OAKS, Pa., Jan. 7, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- SEI
(NASDAQ:SEIC) today announced the launch of a global investment
stewardship strategy that will embed sustainability into
shareholder engagement and proxy voting practices across the
company's approximately $248.1
billion in assets under management as of Sept. 30, 2020. This enhanced strategy builds on
more than a decade of stewardship activity in SEI's Irish fund
complex, expanding on SEI's existing European stewardship
program.
"We recognize that our voice as shareholders is meaningful to
the companies in which we invest. We take our role as investment
stewards seriously and seek to use our voice—through engagement and
proxy voting—to support long-term management of environmental,
social and governance risks and opportunities across our
investments," said Kevin Barr, Head
of SEI's Investment Management Unit. "We will integrate insights
learned from engagement into proxy voting across our global asset
base. With a significant increase in assets in the stewardship
program, we look forward to increasing our voice in the market and
supporting our longstanding commitment to voting in our clients'
best interests."
By participating in collaborative investor initiatives,
including a strategic partnership with Sustainalytics, SEI will
focus engagement activity on global norms and standards, as well as
sustainability themes shaping the future of the global economy.
Sustainalytics, a leading global provider of ESG research and
ratings, provides a suite of active ownership offerings, including
investor engagement services as well as an ESG voting policy
overlay service. Engagement will continue to focus on the
consistent application of guidelines, including the United Nations
(UN) Global Compact, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and
Development's Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises, and the UN
Guiding Principles on Human Rights. Additionally,
sustainability-focused thematic engagement programs will
proactively engage companies on a range of sustainability risks and
opportunities related to climate change and progress toward the UN
Sustainable Development Goals.
SEI has also joined Climate Action 100+, an investor-led
initiative to engage companies whose businesses and operations have
an opportunity to mitigate climate change and support the
transition to a low-carbon economy.
"Climate change presents systemic risks to the global economy,
while many companies and sectors that proactively address this
megatrend may benefit from the transition to a low-carbon economy,"
said Jana Holt, Global Director of
Sustainable Investing Solutions in SEI's Investment Management
Unit. "By becoming a signatory to Climate Action 100+, we join more
than 500 institutional investors globally in an effort to work with
companies to improve governance of climate risks and opportunities,
reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and strengthen climate-related
financial disclosures."
About SEI
After 50 years in business, SEI
(NASDAQ:SEIC) remains a leading global provider of investment
processing, investment management, and investment operations
solutions designed to help corporations, financial institutions,
financial advisors, and ultra-high-net-worth families create and
manage wealth. As of Sept. 30, 2020,
through its subsidiaries and partnerships in which the company has
a significant interest, SEI manages, advises or administers
approximately $1 trillion in hedge,
private equity, mutual fund and pooled or separately managed
assets, including approximately $330
billion in assets under management and $755 billion in client assets under
administration. For more information, visit seic.com.
About Sustainalytics, a Morningstar
Company
Sustainalytics, a Morningstar Company, is a
leading ESG research, ratings and data firm that supports
investors around the world with the development and implementation
of responsible investment strategies. For more than 25
years, the firm has been at the forefront of developing
high-quality, innovative solutions to meet the evolving needs of
global investors. Today, Sustainalytics works with hundreds of the
world's leading asset managers and pension funds who incorporate
ESG and corporate governance information and assessments into
their investment processes. Sustainalytics also works with
hundreds of companies and their financial intermediaries to help
them consider sustainability in policies, practices and capital
projects. With 17 offices globally, Sustainalytics has more
than 800 staff members, including more than 300
analysts with varied multidisciplinary expertise across more than
40 industry groups. For more information, visit
www.sustainalytics.com.
About Climate Action 100+
Launched in 2017, Climate
Action 100+ is a five-year investor-led initiative to engage
systemically important greenhouse gas emitters (and other companies
across the global economy) that have significant opportunities to
drive the clean energy transition and achieve the goals of the
Paris Agreement.
Company
Contact:
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Media
Contact:
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Leslie
Wojcik
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Eric
Hazard
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SEI
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Vested
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+1
610-676-4191
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+1
917-765-8720
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lwojcik@seic.com
|
eric@fullyvested.com
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SOURCE SEI Investments Company