Aviva Backs Sustainable Benchmarks Recommendation

The International Development Committee published a report urging the Government to push forwards with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. Steve Waygood, from Aviva Investors, is quoted in the report, UK Implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals. He says the use of international benchmarks to improve participation from capital markets could be significant in meeting these targets.

Steve Waygood, Chief Responsible Investment Officer at Aviva Investors said: “Aviva Investors welcomes the International Development Committee’s recommendation today for the creation of more international benchmarks to help foster the delivery of the United Nation’s 17 Global Goals for Sustainable Development (SDG). International benchmarks – or performance league tables – publicly ranking companies against specific SDGs are potentially transformational.

“These public mechanisms would, for the first time ever, enable policymakers, civil society and individual investors to compare at no cost the relative performance of companies within a sector on a range of business relevant sustainability issues. Such issues include contribution to economic development, gender diversity, climate risk, international labour standards and human rights.

“Armed with this information, individual investors could reward companies that perform well against sustainability goals, creating a clear commercial and reputational incentive for businesses to improve their sustainability credentials – a race to the top.”