Robeco logo

Disclaimer

Please read this important information before proceeding further. It contains legal and regulatory notices relevant to the information contained on this website.

The information contained in the Website is NOT FOR RETAIL CLIENTS – The information contained in the Website is solely intended for professional investors, defined as investors which (1) qualify as professional clients within the meaning of the Markets in Financial Instruments Directive (MiFID), (2) have requested to be treated as professional clients within the meaning of the MiFID or (3) are authorised to receive such information under any other applicable laws. The value of the investments may fluctuate. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Investors may not get back the amount originally invested. Neither Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. nor any of its affiliates guarantees the performance or the future returns of any investments. If the currency in which the past performance is displayed differs from the currency of the country in which you reside, then you should be aware that due to exchange rate fluctuations the performance shown may increase or decrease if converted into your local currency.

Robeco Institutional Asset Management UK Limited (“RIAM UK”) markets the Funds of Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. (“ROBECO”) to institutional clients and professional investors only. Private investors seeking information about the Robeco Funds should consult with an Independent Financial Adviser. ROBECO will not be liable for any damages or losses suffered by private investors accessing the website.

RIAM UK is an authorised distributor for ROBECO Funds in the UK and has marketing approval for the funds listed on the website, all of which are UCITS Funds. ROBECO is authorised by the AFM and subject to limited regulation by the Financial Conduct Authority.

Many of the protections provided by the United Kingdom regulatory framework may not apply to investments in ROBECO Funds, including access to the Financial Services Compensation Scheme and the Financial Ombudsman Service. No representation, warranty or undertaking is given as to the accuracy or completeness of the information on this website.

If you are not an institutional client or professional investor, you should therefore not proceed. By proceeding, please note that we will be treating you as a professional client for regulatory purposes and you agree to be bound by our terms and conditions.

If you do not accept these terms and conditions, as well as the terms of use of the website, please do not continue to use or access any pages on this website.

Decline

27-03-2023 · Insight

It's all about cooperation

We believe cooperation is key to improving sustainability data. It is all about integration, education and knowledge sharing. Masja Zandbergen, Head of Sustainability Integration, explains how Robeco’s SI Open Access Initiative embodies all these motives.

    Authors

  • Masja Zandbergen-Albers - Head of Sustainability Integration

    Masja Zandbergen-Albers

    Head of Sustainability Integration

Summary

  1. Robeco launches SI Open Access Initiative for clients and academics

  2. Intellectual property shared for proprietary SDG Framework

  3. Framework analyzes corporate contributions to the 17 goals

As a pioneer of sustainable investing, Robeco has long believed in putting our money where our mouth is. We’ve now done this by sharing valuable intellectual property through free access to our SDG Framework, which scores companies based on the contributions they make to the Sustainable Development Goals.

“You really have to integrate sustainability, otherwise it doesn’t make sense,” says Masja, who has been promoting SI techniques in all their forms for almost two decades. “Just like you have to change the system from the inside out. But that system doesn’t let itself be changed easily. You’ve got to be in for the long haul. And that requires leadership with a sustainable vision.”

It’s still about making returns for clients – generating ‘alpha’ – but in a way that doesn’t compromise future generations. “I’m convinced that in the really long term, a sustainable company is also a better investment,” Masja says.

How do companies and countries score on sustainability?

Explore the contributions companies make to the Sustainable Development Goals and how countries rank on ESG criteria.

Find out more

The eternal dilemma

Trying to be sustainable and do the right thing while also needing to make money is the eternal dilemma. “Asset managers aren’t actually there to make the world a better place, but we do direct the money flows,” Masja says. The reality is that asset managers do generally navigate on outperformance and their assets under management first, and look at sustainability second.”

“We always have that discussion: whether making the world a better place fits within the fiduciary mandate. I believe that it is possible to do both: invest well, while following your own principles. At Robeco, we believe in investing for wealth AND well-being. Biodiversity, climate, human rights – we’re now trying to include all of that in our bottom-up investment research.”

One of the best frameworks

Sharing this bottom-up research is where the SI Open Access Initiative comes in, starting with the proprietary SDG Framework. “I think it’s one of the best frameworks out there,” Masja says. “But what if clients want to gear their entire portfolio toward the SDGs? Then there’s not much they can do with those scores of ours, because they only cover Robeco’s portfolios.”

“If you want to enable your clients to manage their entire portfolio based on our unique SDG Framework, you need to open it up. We’ve done this through this initiative, where clients and academics can gain insight into research that until recently was exclusive.”

“We have to deal with competitors in our industry, but in the area of sustainability, we actually work together on many fronts, because only by doing so together can you achieve anything.”

This story is an excerpt from a longer interview from the Quantifying sustainability book.

Quantifying sustainability: A new book on data & determination

This is a book about nine Robeco specialists and their drive, the numbers and data behind the stories. It’s about ESG integration, SDGs, climate and biodiversity, dilemmas and data.

Download the book
Robeco

Robeco aims to enable its clients to achieve their financial and sustainability goals by providing superior investment returns and solutions.

Important information This disclaimer applies to any documents and the verbal or written comments of any person in presentations or webinars on this website and taken together is referred to herein as the “Information”. The services to which the Information relate are NOT FOR RETAIL CLIENTS - The information contained in the Website is solely intended for professional investors, defined as investors which (1) qualify as professional clients within the meaning of the Markets in Financial Instruments Directive (MiFID), (2) have requested to be treated as professional clients within the meaning of the MiFID or (3) are authorized to receive such information under any other applicable laws and must not be relied or acted upon by any other persons. This Information does not constitute an offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to buy, any financial product, and may not be relied upon in connection with the purchase or sale of any financial product. You are cautioned against using this Information as the basis for making a decision to purchase any financial product. To the extent that you rely on the Information in connection with any investment decision, you do so at your own risk. The Information does not purport to be complete on any topic addressed. The Information may contain data or analysis prepared by third parties and no representation or warranty about the accuracy of such data or analysis is provided.
In all cases where historical performance is presented, please note that past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results and should not be relied upon as the basis for making an investment decision. Investors may not get back the amount originally invested. Neither Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. nor any of its affiliates guarantees the performance or the future returns of any investments. If the currency in which the past performance is displayed differs from the currency of the country in which you reside, then you should be aware that due to exchange rate fluctuations the performance shown may increase or decrease if converted into your local currency. Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. (“Robeco”) expressly prohibits any redistribution of the Information without the prior written consent of Robeco. The Information is not intended for distribution to, or use by, any person or entity in any jurisdiction or country where such distribution or use is contrary to law, rule or regulation. Certain information contained in the Information includes calculations or figures that have been prepared internally and have not been audited or verified by a third party. Use of different methods for preparing, calculating or presenting information may lead to different results. Robeco Institutional Asset Management UK Limited (“RIAM UK”) is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. RIAM UK, 30 Fenchurch Street, Part Level 8, London EC3M 3BD (FCA Reference No:1007814). The company is registered in England and Wales under Ref No. 15362605.

In all cases where historical performance is presented, please note that past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results and should not be relied upon as the basis for making an investment decision. Investors may not get back the amount originally invested. Neither Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. nor any of its affiliates guarantees the performance or the future returns of any investments. If the currency in which the past performance is displayed differs from the currency of the country in which you reside, then you should be aware that due to exchange rate fluctuations the performance shown may increase or decrease if converted into your local currency. Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. (“Robeco”) expressly prohibits any redistribution of the Information without the prior written consent of Robeco. The Information is not intended for distribution to, or use by, any person or entity in any jurisdiction or country where such distribution or use is contrary to law, rule or regulation. Certain information contained in the Information includes calculations or figures that have been prepared internally and have not been audited or verified by a third party. Use of different methods for preparing, calculating or presenting information may lead to different results. Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. is authorised as a manager of UCITS and AIFs by the Netherlands Authority for the Financial Markets and subject to limited regulation in the UK by the Financial Conduct Authority. Details about the extent of our regulation by the Financial Conduct Authority are available from us on request.