The firm said it engaged with 15 holdings in its Sustainable Opportunities Balanced fund and 18 holdings in the Sustainable Opportunities Growth fund in 2025, looking at sustainability risks and opportunities. This included thematic engagements on issues such as the emissions profile of artificial intelligence and water scarcity, focusing on companies offering innovative solutions.

Quilter Cheviot also set out its voting activity for the period, having voted on nearly 1,000 individual resolutions, representing all resolutions for which the funds had voting rights. During the year, the funds voted against management on 18 resolutions, including those relating to director elections and remuneration, where proposals lacked sufficient transparency or robustness, or where outcomes did not reflect performance.

Quilter Cheviot votes and engages with companies on ESG matters and has integrated ESG considerations into its investment process. Engagement activity is classified across three categories: reactive engagement in response to specific events, proactive thematic and collaborative engagement, and business as usual dialogue as part of its continuous oversight.

“Engagement and voting are central to holding companies to account on behalf of our clients. They help us assess whether companies are taking material risks seriously, whether incentives are aligned with outcomes, and whether boards are responsive to shareholder concerns,” Claudia Quiroz, head of sustainable investment at Quilter Cheviot, said.

“We are focused on driving change through active engagement. Our scale and depth of resource enable us to make a difference,” Quiroz continued. “Even where we are pleased with company performance, we continue to push for further improvement, ultimately working to protect and enhance long-term returns for our clients.”