Robeco openly shares its proprietary SI data in a transformative initiative
Rotterdam 31 October 2023 — Robeco will be one of the first asset managers globally to openly share its sustainable investing (SI) data. In an effort to promote data transparency and enhance the quality of sustainable investing, Robeco is broadening its SI Open Access Initiative to the public, including companies and NGOs. The initiative to publicly share corporate Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) scores and country Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) scores, initially launched in August 2022 for clients and academics. The aim is to contribute to new standards in sustainable investing and improve the quality of sustainable investing data, following the principle of the “wisdom of the crowd”.
Sustainable investors face the critical task of systematically assessing the sustainability performance of the companies they invest in. To achieve this, they rely on ratings that provide insight into how sustainable a company’s practices are. Robeco recognizes the importance of accurate and impactful sustainability assessments and has been developing its SDG scores since 2017. Unlike traditional ESG ratings that often measure financial materiality, Robeco's SDG score focuses on impact materiality, assessing the extent to which companies make positive or negative contributions to the Sustainable Development Goals. As such, they are complementary to ESG ratings and, taken together, offer a more holistic perspective on a company's sustainability efforts.
Carola van Lamoen, Head of Sustainable Investing at Robeco: “At Robeco, we believe the widest possible incorporation of SI data is crucial to create real world impact. With our SI Open Access Initiative, we collect feedback to improve the quality of sustainable investing data, and by doing so, we can help investors to integrate SI in their approaches. Furthermore, by collaborating with academics we aim to contribute to the advancement of education and research. Expanding the accessibility of our SI Open Access Initiative, means that we are inviting more external perspectives and feedback, reaffirming our commitment to data transparency and innovation in the field of sustainable investing.”
Currently, through the company’s client portal, over 900 clients and academics have access to Robeco's SI intellectual property. More information regarding the SI Open Access Initiative can be found here.