SEATTLE, October 14, 2019 — Global investment partner Russell Investments has earned the highest possible scores of “A+” or “A” for all 10 categories assessed in the United Nations-supported Principles for Responsible Investment’s (PRI) annual evaluation. This positive recognition includes the PRI’s “strategy and governance” module as well as modules for specific asset classes such as fixed income, private equity, property and infrastructure.

Each year, PRI signatories/asset managers disclose their responsible investment process through a detailed reporting framework, and signatories were assessed scores this year in respective categories on an alphabetical scale from “A+” to “E”.

“These scores reflect Russell Investments’ sharp focus on serving our clients with responsible investing expertise,” said Global Chief Investment Officer Peter Gunning, who also chairs the firm’s Global Responsible Investment Committee. “Our data-driven responsible investing approach aims to address client concerns on this vital issue. Even more, our investment teams strive to capture the right exposure without jeopardizing return.”

Russell Investments has made great strides over the years in incorporating the PRI principles into its processes including manager research, portfolio management as well as proxy voting and engagement. In addition, considering and incorporating ESG-specific strategies such as the firm’s proprietary decarbonization strategy and ESG tilting methodology, form an important part of its product development process. 

Gunning added that the PRI’s recognition of the firm’s approach is particularly gratifying as it reflects the hard work long underway to evolve the investment process to proactively address client needs and industry challenges in tackling the issue. Each Russell Investments’ asset class team features an ESG knowledge specialist who is responsible for taking steps to ensure that the firm’s ranking process is consistently applied across asset classes. The firm also employs investment specialists within its capital markets research team. They are tasked with monitoring ESG trends and their potential impacts on the overall market.

“We are committed to focusing on the implementation of PRI’s six principles in order to best support our clients and society in responsible and sustainable investing,” Gunning said.

Russell Investments has been a PRI signatory since 2009. More information on the firm’s commitment to responsible investing is available here.

About PRI

The number of PRI signatories has increased to 2,300 organizations—spanning investment managers, asset owners and service providers from 48 countries and representing about $81 trillion in assets. The PRI works with its international network of over 2,300 signatories to put the six Principles for Responsible Investment into practice. Its goals are to understand the investment implications of environmental, social and governance issues and to support signatories in integrating these issues into investment and ownership decisions. The Assessment Report is designed to provide feedback to the signatories to support them in their ongoing learning and development in this regard. More information about PRI and its assessment reports can be found on their website: https://www.unpri.org/signatories/reporting-and-assessment  

About Russell Investments

Russell Investments, an investment solutions partner, offers multi-asset portfolios and services which include advice, investments and implementation. Russell Investments stands with institutional investors, financial advisors and individuals working with their advisors—using the firm’s core capabilities that extend across capital market insights, manager research, asset allocation, portfolio implementation and factor exposures—to help each achieve their desired investment outcomes. The firm has $297 billion in assets under management (as of 6/30/2019). Headquartered in Seattle, Washington, Russell Investments operates globally with 21 offices, providing investment services in the world’s major financial centers such as New York, London, Tokyo and Shanghai. 

Contact:
Steve Claiborne, 206-505-1858, newsroom@russelllinvestments.com