Erste Asset Management is a pioneer in the field of sustainable investments with more than 15 years of experience. With one of the biggest teams of sustainability experts in central Europe and the D-A-CH (i.e. Germany, Austria, and Switzerland) region, our house facilitates a thorough analysis of sustainability factors.
Erste Asset Management practices responsibility
Our actions are driven by a number of guidelines that also ensure compliance with sustainable minimum standards in our traditional funds.
Our goal: a stable return and ecological and social value added
Within the Erste Asset Management investment department, a multi-member team of experts exclusively deals with the issue of sustainable investment.
Our sustainability process makes use of all tools available and is not limited to the exclusion of some controversial sectors and companies. We combine the highest ethical standards with a thorough analysis of economically relevant social and economic risks. Our goal is to improve financial performance while achieving a sustainably positive impact on the environment and society.
Erste Asset Management attempts to make the social and ecological value-added generated by sustainable investments measurable. The measurement results, in turn, affect investment decisions. Thereby, we try to improve the impact of our actions in a sustainable fashion.
Also, we are the first investment company in Austria to have signed the Montréal Carbon Pledge. This means we have committed to measuring and publishing our carbon footprint annually.
Active shareholder policy: voting and engagement
We enter into an active dialogue with companies and address shortcomings. Within the scope of this so-called engagement, we cooperate with international partners. The voting rights of all our equity funds are subject to our sustainability guideline.
We want to ensure that our clients’ voices are heard and that profound changes are made in the respective companies, if necessary.
We set the highest standards for transparency and quality
The quality of our processes and sustainable funds is audited and confirmed regularly by external sustainability organisations.
To ensure the high quality of our investment process, we actively work with a range of sustainable panels and industrial associations. Thus we promote the development of sustainable investments across the entire market.
WWF-Cooperation
In 2006, we started a partnership with WWF Austria, which has garnered lots of attention both domestically and internationally. We have successfully implemented a number of big environmental projects with our partner on the back of this cooperation.
ERSTE RESPONSIBLE RETURN - The ESGenius Letter
Our responsibility magazine ERSTE RESPONSIBLE RETURN - The ESGenius Letter discusses topics that are both controversial and up-to-date and informs about our responsible funds.