Our sustainable investing philosophy is guided by our:
Fiduciary Duty
We recognize our fiduciary responsibility to play an active role in managing material ESG factors that may positively or adversely affect our clients’ long-term investment objectives.
Long-Term Investment Horizon
We focus on the preservation of capital over the long term to enable our clients to meet their financial obligations.
Purpose & Core Values
Our purpose is to help our clients secure a better financial future for the Albertans they serve. Our core values are excellence, transparency, humility, integrity and collaboration.
Build
The governance of sustainable investing at AIMCo begins with our Board-approved Responsible Investment Policy which applies to all assets under management. The AIMCo Investment Committee oversees the sustainable investing strategy and approves all related guidelines.
Integrate
Consideration of certain material factors — such as greenhouse gas emissions, water usage, worker health and safety, human capital management, data security, and board composition — enables better-informed investment decisions and supports the creation of long-term value. The diversified nature of our portfolios calls for a tailored approach to evaluating risks and opportunities across the investment process.
Pre-Investment
We use an investment-focused lens to evaluate the governance framework and sustainability performance of a potential investment. This informs our voting stance at publicly traded companies and assists portfolio managers in their investment decision-making process.
Post-Investment
We track sustainability initiatives, risks and performance at select investee companies over time and may follow up through engagement.
Stewardship
Stewardship, defined by the Principles for Responsible Investment as the use of investor rights and influence to protect and enhance overall long-term value for clients, is an important part of AIMCo’s investment process. On behalf of our clients, we participate in integrated active ownership activities, such as proxy voting and engagement, and we exercise our voice as shareholders on material ESG issues. Our “voice over exit” philosophy means we prefer to leverage our influence as investors to spur ongoing, constructive dialogue rather than to divest and unnecessarily reduce the investible universe.
Engagements
In alignment with the International Corporate Governance Network’s (ICGN) Global Stewardship Principles, AIMCo believes that constructive engagement with investee companies can protect and enhance long-term value for clients. We prioritize engagement with select investee companies and external managers on material sustainability issues using an outcomes-based approach.
Proxy Voting
The proxy voting system is a fundamental tenet of shareholder rights, providing a mechanism for shareholders of publicly traded companies to exercise voice on important corporate governance matters at annual general meetings or special shareholder meetings. Our clients delegate proxy voting to AIMCo and our proxy voting records are publicly available.
Inform
We demonstrate transparency and accountability by regularly reporting directly to our clients on our sustainable investing activities and disclosing our guiding documents.
Climate Approach
AIMCo’s Climate Approach is investment-driven and focused on meeting our clients’ objectives. It is centred on the areas we can have the most impact as a global, long-term investor.