We recognise that in addition to delivering for our Partner Funds, we have a broader responsibility to have a positive impact on our stakeholders, the environment and the community in which we operate.
Our approach to Corporate Social Responsibility has five areas of focus:
Our customers
Our 11 Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) Partner Funds are at the centre of everything we do. As a customer-owned, customer-focused organisation, our purpose is to make a difference for the Local Government Pensions Scheme (LGPS) by using the strength of our collective scale to deliver innovative and cost-effective investment opportunities that enable our Partner Funds to implement long-term investment strategies. We use a range of mechanisms, including surveys and service level agreements, in addition to routine feedback to ensure we are meeting our customers’ expectations.
Our people
As a responsible employer, we support the development and well-being of our colleagues, promoting greater diversity, giving access to opportunity and giving all colleagues a voice in our business, and showing how we are making progress in these areas. We have developed a graduate recruitment programme open to graduates from all backgrounds aimed at bringing diversity of perspective into the organisation. Every year we offer internships through the Girls Are INvestors (GAIN) organisation. Colleague surveys and regular all-business meetings are among the mechanisms used to ensure all colleagues can play a full part in the business.
Business processes and suppliers
We have positive, open, and fair relationships with prospective and existing suppliers that are supported by transparent business processes in areas including prompt payments and responsible sourcing. We use our relationships, leadership by example and the design of our processes to encourage good business practice. Our procurement processes require suppliers to demonstrate their policies around diversity, equity and inclusion, environmental impact, carbon reduction and modern slavery. Our suppliers include social enterprises providing support with in-house catering, employee well-being and our communications.
The environment
Through our business processes and their actions all colleagues must show understanding that our work has an impact on the environment, and we deliver on our duty to manage that impact in a responsible and ethical manner. We identify and take action on opportunities to reduce our
negative impacts and promote actions which benefit the environment. We are committed achieving Net Zero greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) across our investment portfolios by 2050 or sooner, with a parallel commitment in relation to our corporate Scope 1 and 2 emissions. Our progress against these commitments is reported annually in our Climate Change Report.
The community
We take positive action, directly and in partnership, to impact the community where we operate over and above the direct and indirect economic benefits created by our business, supporting and encouraging our colleagues to do so. Colleagues carry out fundraising activities for a charity nominated annually and can take additional days of leave to pursue volunteering that benefits community organisations.
Modern Slavery
As both a business and as an investor, we recognise the importance of human rights issues globally, including modern slavery, and increased stakeholder scrutiny on the global financial system to manage capital in a way that supports sustainable and inclusive economies.
Read our Modern Slavery Statement in full.