Responsible Investment Brand Index
 | |
| Author | Jean-Francois Hirschel and Markus Kramer |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
Release number | Fourth Edition (2021) |
| Subject | Asset Management |
| Publisher | Hirschel & Kramer |
| Publication place | Switzerland |
| Website | ri-brandindex |
The Responsible Investment Brand Index (RIBI) is a scale to evaluate the global asset management industry on its ability to demonstrate its commitment to sustainable investment into their respective brands.[1] The annual index was created in 2018 by Jean-Francois Hirschel and Markus Kramer.[2][3]
Methodology
[edit]The RIBI universe is based on the global asset managers listed in Investment & Pensions Europe IPE 500 ranking and analyses over 300 publicly available data points.[4] The Index evaluates asset managers on two key dimensions:[5] the Commitment rating, focusing on hard factors (e.g. the level and quality of listed equity voting), and the Brand rating, evaluating soft factors (e.g. the existence of a Purpose statement and the quality of the latter).[6] Each of these two ratings ranges from 0 (poor) to 5 (excellent).[7][8]
Commitment Rating
[edit]The evaluation is calculated based on publicly available information listed in the Principles for Responsible Investment Transparency Report.[9]
Brand Rating
[edit]The evaluation is calculated based on publicly available information on a firm's brand and includes the assessment of whether or not an asset manager expresses a purpose, whether or not the latter connects with societal goals,[10] the evaluation of the quality of the expression of the purpose based on key criteria,[11] whether or not the asset manager has a value system, whether or not this value system connects with societal goals,[12] an evaluation of the quality of the expression of the values system based on five criteria and whether or not the asset manager has a strapline which connects with societal ambitions.[13][14]
Categories
[edit]The consistency of what an asset manager commits to in terms of Responsible Investment and how the firm projects this in its brand is categorized into four main quadrants.[15][16] Avant-Gardists (above average on commitment rating and brand rating), Traditionalists (above average on commitment rating and below average on brand rating), Aspirants (above average on brand rating and below average on commitment rating) and Laggards (below average on both ratings).[17]
The Avant-Gardist category is published in full to encourage positive behaviour within the industry.[18] Firms in this category regularly use and reference the index in their brand communication.[19][20]
Results
[edit]As per the index's third edition, the number of asset managers linking their core purpose to societal goals has nearly doubled.[21] However, only a few companies appear to convey their commitment to Responsible Investment through their brand.[22] Only a fifth (19%) of asset managers fall into the Avant-Gardist category and demonstrate above-average ratings on both the Commitment and Brand dimensions.[23] Whilst regulation and client demand for Environmental, social and corporate governance related investments continue to rise, the ability of asset managers to integrate their good intentions into their brands lags behind.[24][25]
Geographical location is found to have a major impact on how well asset managers rank in the index.[26] There are significantly more French groups among the best-practice companies than in other countries. Also, above-average ranked are companies based in the Benelux. Asset managers based in Germany and Southern Europe are under-represented within the more advanced categories.[27]
As of 2021, the index examines regional differences. European asset managers rate above the global average. The Asia Pacific and North American regions rank below the global average.[28]
Significance
[edit]The index contributes to a critical and healthy debate on how well the asset management industry is achieving this in regards to its ability to express good intention through a firm's identity, e.g. its brand.[29][30]
References
[edit]- ^ "Sustainability – The Heart of Corporate Strategy". Accenture.
- ^ "Les processus ESG des gérants d'actifs sous surveillance". Les Echos (France) (in French). 10 November 2020.
- ^ "Release of the 2021 Responsible Investment Brand Index". Bloomberg. 20 October 2021. Retrieved 14 November 2021.
- ^ Gerber, Samuel (29 November 2020). "Die grüne Avantgarde des Swiss Asset Management" (in German). Finews.ch.
- ^ "RIBI Report 2019" (PDF). unpri.org.
- ^ "La Financière de l'Échiquier, an "Avant-Gardist" management company ranked among the 10 best European asset management boutiques in the 2020 Responsible Investment Brand Index ranking". La Financière de l'Echiquier. lfde.com. 29 October 2020.
- ^ "Responsible Investment Brand Index – Method". Responsible Investment Brand Index. Hirschel & Kramer.
- ^ "Mapfre joins the RIBI index in socially responsible investment". internationalinvestment.net. 16 October 2019.
- ^ Levy, Danielle (29 October 2020). "Revealed: the top 10 fund houses genuinely committed to ESG". Citywire.
- ^ "AM List Rewards two Swedes but Casts Shadow on Laggards". nordsip.com.
- ^ "Vögeli fait une circulaire sur les rapports financiers – MQ Management und Qualität". Gestion et qualité du QM (in French). m-q.ch. 3 January 2020.
- ^ Rust, Susanna. "Swiss consultancies rank managers on sustainable investing 'brands'". ipe.com.
- ^ "Responsible Investment Brand Index 2019" (PDF). collaborate.unpri.org. United Nations.
- ^ "Responsible Investment Brand Index 2020" (PDF). Asset Management Association Switzerland. Asset Management Association Switzerland.
- ^ "Driving Profit and Doing Good: The Transformational Power of Purpose". Journal of Brand Strategy. 9 (3): 231–239. Winter 2020–21.
- ^ "Les gestionnaires d'actifs devront adopter un rythme soutenu". Allnews.ch. 29 October 2020.
- ^ Kenway, Natalie. "Which groups have been ranked the top responsible investment brands?". ESG Clarity. ESG Clarity. Retrieved 14 November 2021.
- ^ Levy, Danielle (2020). "Revealed: the AMs leading on ESG... as the number of laggards grows". CITYWIRE.
- ^ Weller, Simon (12 November 2020). "Ranking der europäischen Investmentmanager mit Responsible Investment-Fokus: AXA IM erneut als Erstplatzierter prämiert". The Wall Street Journal.
- ^ "Ranking der europäischen Investmentmanager mit Responsible Investment-Fokus:". Finanznachrichten.de. 12 November 2020.
- ^ "La marque des sociétés de gestion reflète encore peu l' engagement ISR". Boursorama (in French). 21 October 2019.
- ^ "H&K Responsible Investment Brand Index: Etica Funds first in Italy and sixth in Europe". Etica Funds. 24 November 2020.
- ^ "AXA IM named as the top investment manager in Europe committed to responsible investing". axa-im.com. Axa Investment Managers.
- ^ "Les gestionnaires d'actifs devront adopter un rythme soutenu". allnews. 29 October 2020.
- ^ "SYZ AM recognised as top ten Swiss ESG provider GROUP". Banque SYZ.
- ^ "BNP Paribas Asset Management enters the global Top 10 in the RIBI 2020 rankings". BNP Paribas. 2 November 2020.
- ^ "Die grüne Avantgarde des Swiss Asset Management". Finews.ch. 29 October 2020.
- ^ Kenway, Natalie. "Which groups have been ranked the top responsible investment brands?". ESG Clarity. ESG Clarity. Retrieved 14 November 2021.
- ^ Rust, Susanne (21 November 2018). "Swiss consultancies rank managers on sustainable investing 'brands'". International Pension Europe. Retrieved 8 March 2021.
- ^ Kramer, Markus (2020). The Guiding Purpose Strategy, A Navigational Code for Growth (Extended ed.). London – New York: Clink Street Publishing. pp. 149–154. ISBN 978-1-912262-37-3.