Active Stewardship

Engagement and active stewardship are integral parts of the Responsible Investment approach. By actively engaging with companies and relevant stakeholders, ESG challenges can be addressed while protecting clients’ financial interests.

Voting rights in the securities portfolios are systematically exercised. A key element of this is the analysis of all voting items related to environmental or social issues such as climate change or human rights. In this regard, corporate dialogues have been conducted systematically with listed companies since 2020.

When exercising voting rights, Swiss Life makes use, for example, of analyses and services provided by the external voting rights consultant Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS) and other sources. In 2023, Swiss Life voted 5788 times at 295 annual general meetings. In 6% of cases it deviated from the recommendations made by ISS and in around 13% of cases it voted against the respective Board of Directors to fulfil its responsibilities.

In addition to exercising voting rights, engagement can also influence the business model of investee companies in the case of securities. Engagement with the selected companies in 2023 took the form of a personal exchange aimed at raising awareness of the companies’ sustainability challenges or at taking preventive measures and ultimately incorporating the results in investment decisions.

For infrastructure investments, engagement may include full management, the exercise of direct governance rights through board representation or direct dialogue with key decision makers.

Real estate investments engage with stakeholders such as tenants, suppliers, service providers and municipalities involved in specific projects. Particular emphasis is placed on ongoing dialogue with tenants, as they use the buildings and thus directly control their operational footprint.