The importance of acceleration
“I think we as a financial institution and portfolio management company are already being forced to make that shift”, says Jack Julicher, director at a.s.r. vermogensbeheer, when asked about responsible investment. He recalls the time of the credit crisis. At that time, moral sense was virtually non-existent in the financial system. That is different now, because clients and employees no longer put up with this. The corporate sector is already changing, he emphasises. a.s.r. is also taking steps. The events during the credit crisis (including the collapse of Fortis) and lessons learned from the profiteering policies affair were reasons to change. For example, all a.s.r. vermogensbeheer investments are screened for their impact on society, sustainability and good governance. Companies that do not make the cut are excluded. At the same time, the insurance company wants to increase the number of investments in companies that contribute positively to society.
