RIAA announces 2024 responsible investment leaders, investors

The Responsible Investment Association Australasia (RIAA) has announced the 2024 list of Responsible Investment Leaders and Responsible Investors, with 90 investment managers and organisations recognised.

With 61 leaders and 29 investors on this year’s roster, this represents an increase of 11 per cent for leaders and 26 per cent for investors from last year. The RIAA’s Responsible Investment Scorecard recognises the investment managers’ commitment to four key environmental, social and governance (ESG) pillars covering stewardship, risk management, ESG-integration into decision-making and transparency in reporting.

“It’s incredibly encouraging to see such strong progress, even after raising the standard last year,” Estelle Parker, Co-CEO of RIAA, said.

“The past year has seen heightened regulator action and increased scrutiny of the sector. “The fact that more investment managers have met these higher expectations shows that organisations are embracing the challenge and lifting their game. There’s not only more of them doing it – they’re also getting better at it.

“We’re seeing a deeper commitment to responsible investment practices. This isn’t about short-term adjustments; it’s about adopting a long-term, whole-of-business approach to building more sustainable and resilient markets.” 

According to the scorecard, the leaders are the top 20 per cent of assessed investment managers, while investors are those who score a 15 out of 20 or higher.

The 2024 Responsible Investment Leaders included abrdn, Acadian Asset Management, Alphinity Investment Management, Altius Asset Management, Ausbil Investment Management, Australian Ethical, Aviva Investors, AXA Investment Managers, Betashares, ClearBridge Investments, Dimensional Fund Advisors, DNR Capital, Hyperion Asset Management, Janus Henderson, Macquarie Asset Management, Maple-Brown Abbott, Nanuk Asset Management, Northern Trust Asset Management, Nuveen, Pendal, Perennial Partneres, PIMCO Australia, Resolution Capital, Russell Investments, Schroders Investment Management, T. Rowe Price and U Ethical.

“As a long-standing RIAA member, we’re inspired by the growing number of investors and asset managers meeting increasingly rigorous responsible investment standards. This industry-wide uplift creates a powerful opportunity to deepen our collective impact, driving forward responsible investment practices that benefit both clients and society,” Caroline Ramscar, APAC ESG Investment Specialist at T. Rowe Price, said.