First State Investments wins ESG award from Financial News for the second year running

Financial News celebrated the 14th annual Awards for Excellence in Institutional Asset Management at London’s Victoria & Albert Museum on the evening of October 7, 2015. First State Investments has won the ESG category for a second year running.

In the First State’s Environmental, Social and Governance Strategy of the Year citation Financial News (paywall) said: “First State, under responsible investments chief Will Oulton, has gone further than most mainstream asset management firms in integrating environmental, social and governance issues into every facet of its investment process and even its own business – one of its initiatives in the past year has been to begin reporting on the gender diversity of its investment teams (21% of its investment professionals are women).”

First State Investments (‘FSI’), known as Colonial First State Global Asset Management in Australia, is the investment management business of the Commonwealth Bank of Australia. They are a global asset manager with established offices across Europe, the US, Middle East, and Asia Pacific regions and have assets under management of £98.8 billion.

Independent SRI consultant John Fleetwood of 3D Investing said: “This is recognition of First State’s distinctive sustainability strategy that focuses on long termism and corporate governance.”

You can read the 2014 award announcement here. You can also view First State’s 2015 responsible investment annual report here.