Investment professionals

Ethical issues at a glance

Some clients have strong views on a particular issue, such as gambling, or are passionate about a particular area – such as animal rights. Others just want to know their money is working to make a better world.

No list will be exhaustive, but the issues below are those most frequently raised by investors and covered by responsible investment funds.

Environment	People	Animals	Governance	Values
Climate change	Human rights	Animal testing	Board Structure	Arms trade
Habitat loss & biodiversity	Workers' rights	Fur	Excessive executive pay	Tobacco
Genetic engineering	Equal opportunities	Factory farming	Political donations & lobbying	Alcohol
Pollution & toxics	Access to medicine		Bribery and corruption	Pornography
Nuclear power	Health & safety			Gambling

These issues are often described by the umbrella term ESG – environmental, social and governance issues.

Our Ethical Engagement Policy

The Co-operative Asset Management is the only UK fund management group to apply a customer-driven engagement policy across all its funds. In 2005 we gave our customers the chance to tell us what issues they cared most about. The results were used to create our Ethical Engagement Policy. Our customers know we are engaging companies with their concerns.

Engagement in action

During 2007, The Co-operative Asset Management challenged advertising, marketing and Public Relations company WPP Plc regarding irresponsible lobbying activities of some of its subsidiaries. We argued that responsible representation should be prioritised over carbon emissions. In August 2008, the company informed us of a raft of reforms that met our recommendations including embedding ethical training for employees, strengthening its Code of Conduct to address client choice and enhance the systems that ensure this Code is being observed.