Lévis, Que.-based Desjardins Global Asset Management (DGAM) announced Thursday that it has signed on to the United Nations-supported Principles for Responsible Investing (UNPRI).
“By factoring in ESG (environmental, social and governance) criteria, we’re able to go beyond the traditional financial analysis of the companies we invest in,” Nicholas Richard, CEO of DGAM, said in a statement. “Adopting the PRI shows that we’re committed to growing our responsible investment expertise.”
As a signatory to the non-binding commitment, DGAM joins a global network of investment firms that are encouraged to factor the tenets of responsible investing into their investment decisions.
DGAM first began integrating ESG strategies into its asset-management approach in 2012, the firm says. It received guidance from New York-based MCSI Inc., whose research arm provides data to help institutional investors manage risk.
Since UNPRI launched in 2006, it has garnered almost 1,700 signatories from more than 50 countries, encompassing an estimated US$62 trillion in assets under management.