Lazard Asset Management is committed to maintaining an investment approach that is consistent with high standards of environmental, social and corporate governance.
As fiduciaries, we seek to maximise shareholder value for our clients. As a result, our first priority and focus is on the valuation and profitability of a company. We recognise that environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) issues can affect the valuation of the companies that we invest in on our clients’ behalf. As a result, we have systematically integrated ESG issues into our investment process.
We utilise internal and external resources to assist us in analysing ESG issues, engage with companies in which we invest on factors that we believe to have a financial impact, and, when authorised, normally vote proxies on all resolutions.
UK Stewardship Code Declaration of Support
Lazard Asset Management Limited supports the principles outlined in the
UK Stewardship Code and its objectives in all material respects. We believe that it will generally help to improve standards of corporate engagement and facilitate communication and transparency for institutional investors with the companies in which they invest.
UN Principles for Responsible Investment (UNPRI)
We endorse much of the overall philosophy of the UNPRI. Please refer to
Appendix 1 of our ESG Policy for further detail.
OECD Principles of Corporate Governance
We support the OECD Principles in all material respects.