We are proud to announce, we have made the strategic decision to become a firm dedicated to responsible investing.
In our tenth year, and aligned with our corporate values, the time was right to acknowledge the important role we can play in mobilising capital for good.
Russell Waite, Group Director and Head of Sustainability, commented “It has become an increasing imperative for firms, such as ours, to be clear how they manage money in this context. For many years Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) factors have been key components of our fund analysis. We have observed ESG transitioning from the periphery to the core of managers’ processes and this has only accelerated of late, driven by societal demand and the regulatory framework.”
Julia Warrander, Group Director, added “For Affinity, our decision to become a company dedicated to responsible investing means incorporating ESG factors into all investment decisions, alongside active ownership. This is reflected in our continued commitment as a participant of the UN Global Compact and, more recently, becoming signatories to the UN Principles of Responsible Investment (PRI). In addition, and consistent with our philosophy of continuous learning, our Investment Committee are augmenting their specialised knowledge, undertaking ESG and sustainable finance qualifications.”
Ben Stott, Group Director, remarked, “From here on in, all our discretionary investment strategies will fall into two categories, namely Responsible and Sustainable. The investment objectives for all our mandates remain unchanged, however, the criteria we employ for fund selection have evolved. Specifically:
- All fund houses, with whom we have a commercial relationship, must be signatories to the PRI
- All approved funds on our White List must be categorised Article 6 (ESG integrated), 8 or 9, as defined by the EU’s Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation (SFDR)
- All managers are required to demonstrate a commitment, at board level, to diversity and inclusion”
If you would like to learn more, please visit our website or contact:
Russell via russellwaite@affinitypw.com or 01534 828482
Julia via juliawarrander@affinitypw.com or 01534 828481
