ESG
The ESG Phenomenon: Van Lanschot Kempen Report
The latest developments in the ESG space.
Van Lanschot Kempen
Wealth manager Van Lanschot
Kempen has published its annual Stewardship and
Sustainability Investment Report 2022 this week,
highlighting progress made towards embedding sustainable
investing across its investment strategies.
The report provides insight into what has been achieved with regards to sustainable themes and activities for institutional, semi-institutional and private clients. Van Lanschot Kempen said it engaged in 2022 with 165 companies on environmental, social and governance themes through its investment strategies, up from 132 in 2021. This represents nearly 50 per cent of equity holdings in terms of number of investee companies. Throughout 2022, Van Lanschot Kempen said it voted at 427 distinct company meetings, with 15 per cent of votes cast against management.
The report found that the aggregated alignment of sustainable equity funds to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals related themes increased in 2022, primarily on energy and climate.
Van Lanschot Kempen said it is committed to decreasing the carbon footprint of portfolios by 7 per cent every year, as part of its target to become a net-zero wealth manager by 2050, with a reduction of 50 per cent by 2030. 2022 saw a decrease in carbon metrics across portfolios, the firm added. Van Lanschot Kempen’s proprietary sustainability scoring method was implemented across all funds, combining external ratings with in-house views and expertise on company holdings across 20 ESG risk factors.
Lars Dijkstra, chief sustainability officer said: “In 2023, we are continuing to monitor and improve the companies we invest in by using our Sustainability Risk Score and performing corresponding engagements, as well as focusing on achieving tangible improvements using our milestone approach. We continue to support our clients by providing transparency, both in regulatory terms but also by helping them to navigate the three most significant transitions facing us today: energy, food and materials."
