Our commitments

We participate in initiatives that work to increase transparency, protect investors, and foster fair and efficient capital markets.

 

UN Principles for Responsible Investment

RBC GAM is a signatory to the UN Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI)1. The PRI is a global network for investors committed to incorporating ESG considerations into their investment practices and ownership policies. We are committed to putting the PRI’s six Principles of Responsible Investment into practice and believe that they are aligned with our existing approach to responsible investment.

* In 2023, RBC GAM consolidated the activities of two regulated legal entities in the United Kingdom (UK), RBC GAM-UK and BlueBay Asset Management LLP (BlueBay), into RBC GAM-UK. BlueBay was a signatory to the PRI until the consolidation and completed its own submission to the PRI during the last reporting cycle.

 

What are the UN PRI six Principles?

PRI signatories commit to implement the six Principles of Responsible Investment and report on their activities and progress in implementing them.

  1. We will incorporate ESG issues into investment analysis and decision-making processes.
  2. We will be active owners and incorporate ESG issues into our ownership policies and practices.
  3. We will seek appropriate disclosure on ESG issues by the entities in which we invest.
  4. We will promote acceptance and implementation of the Principles within the investment industry.
  5. We will work together to enhance our effectiveness in implementing the Principles.
  6. We will each report on our activities and progress towards implementing the Principles.

Evaluations

The PRI evaluates signatories' approaches to the Principles based on its assessment methodology. Please see below for the results of our most recent Assessment Report. The group to calculate module medians includes all PRI signatories who submitted and were eligible to report on the module:


2023 PRI assessment – summary scorecard

As part of the paid annual membership services, the PRI evaluates signatories' approaches to the Principles based on its assessment methodology. Once the responses are assessed, all indicator scores are aggregated and modules are assigned a numerical score, converted from a points-based system ranging from 0 to 100. Our firm’s full transparency report as one of over 2,000 signatories can be found here: RBC GAM PRI Transparency Report. Our firm’s full private Assessment Report from the PRI is available upon request.

RBC GAM has committed to publishing an annual climate report, guided by the recommendations of the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD).  The RBC GAM Climate Report is published in line with the regulatory requirements of the U.K. Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) Environmental, Social, and Governance Sourcebook (ESG Sourcebook)

RBC GAM Climate Report 2023
gam climate report 2022.jpg

Other responsible investment commitments

30% Club Canadian Investor Group

RBC GAM is a signatory to the 30% Club Canadian Investor Group. The 30% Club Canadian Investor Group is a coalition of Canada’s largest institutional investors, which calls on publicly-traded companies to take prompt and considered action to achieve and exceed the 30% gender diversity target and to enhance the presence of other underrepresented groups on their boards and at the executive management level. The coalition has instigated numerous engagements, for which RBC GAM may engage, provide inputs, and/or provide feedback.

Alternative Investment Management Association

RBC GAM is a member of the Alternative Investment Manager Association (AIMA), the global representative of the alternative investment industry. AIMA draws upon the expertise and diversity of its membership to provide leadership in industry initiatives such as advocacy, policy and regulatory engagement, educational programs and sound practice guides. A member of RBC GAM’s RI team is on the Global Responsible Investment Committee.

Canadian Coalition for Good Governance

RBC GAM is a founding member of the Canadian Coalition for Good Governance (CCGG). CCGG promotes good governance practices in Canadian public companies and works to improve the regulatory environment to best align the interests of boards and management with their shareholders. Members of RBC GAM’s RI team serve on the Public Policy and Environmental & Social committees.

CDP

RBC GAM is signatory to CDP, formerly known as the Carbon Disclosure Project. CDP runs the global disclosure system that enables entities to measure and manage their environmental impacts.

Climate Action 100+

RBC GAM is an investor participant and signatory to Climate Action 100+ (CA100+). CA100+ is an investor-led initiative to ensure the world’s largest corporate greenhouse gas emitters take appropriate action on climate change in order to mitigate financial risk and to maximize the long-term value of assets.

Climate Engagement Canada

RBC GAM is a founding participant of Climate Engagement Canada (CEC). CEC is a finance-led initiative that drives dialogue between the financial community and corporate issuers to promote a just transition to a net-zero economy. A member of RBC GAM’s RI team is Chair of the Technical Steering Committee.

Council of Institutional Investors

RBC GAM is an associate member of the Council of Institutional Investors (CII). CII aims to promote effective corporate governance, strong shareowner rights and vibrant, transparent and fair capital markets.

Emerging Markets Investors Alliance

RBC GAM a member of the Emerging Markets Investors Alliance (EMIA). EMIA aims to enable institutional emerging market investors to support good governance, promote sustainable development, and improve investment performance in the governments and companies in which they invest.

Farm Animal Investment Risk & Return

RBC GAM is a member of the Farm Animal Investment Risk & Return Initiative (FAIRR). FAIRR is a collaborative investor network that raises awareness of the ESG risks and opportunities brought about by intensive livestock production.

FX Global Code

RBC GAM is signatory to the FX Global Code July 2021 (FX Global Code). The FX Global Code is a set of global principles of good practice in the foreign exchange market, developed to provide a common set of guidelines to promote the integrity and effective functioning of the wholesale foreign exchange market. It was developed by a partnership between central banks and Market Participants from 20 jurisdictions around the globe. The Global Foreign Exchange Committee promotes, maintains and updates the Code regularly. RBC GAM’s Head of Global Fixed Income & Currencies is a member of the Canadian Foreign Exchange Committee.

Global Impact Investing Network

RBC GAM is a member of the Global Impact Investing Network (GIIN). The GIIN is the global champion of impact investing, dedicated to increasing the scale and effectiveness of impact investing around the world.

Green Bond Transparency Platform

RBC GAM is a supporter of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB)’s Green Bond Transparency Platform (GBTP). The GBTP is an innovative open access digital tool that brings greater transparency to the Latin American and Caribbean green bond market and aims to provide a benchmark for best practice disclosure and support to all market actors.

International Corporate Governance Network

RBC GAM is a member of the International Corporate Governance Network (ICGN). ICGN aims to promote effective standards of corporate governance and investor stewardship to advance efficient markets and sustainable economies worldwide.

IFRS Sustainability Alliance

RBC GAM is a member of the IFRS Sustainability Alliance, a global membership program for sustainability standards, integrated reporting, and integrated thinking. Upon the Value Reporting Foundation’s consolidation into the IFRS Foundation, the IFRS Foundation’s International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB) assumed responsibility for the SASB Standards. The ISSB has committed to build on the industry-based SASB Standards and leverage SASB’s industry-based approach to standards development. The ISSB encourages preparers and investors to continue to use SASB Standards. A member of RBC GAM’s RI team is on the ISSB Investor Advisory Group (IIAG).

RBC GAM is also a signatory to the COP28 Declaration of Support for the ISSB’s Climate Standard. As such, we support the establishment of market infrastructure to enable consistent, comparable climate-related disclosures at a global level. RBC GAM has published a climate-related report guided by the recommendations of the TCFD since 2020. The TCFD recommendations are now incorporated into the ISSB’s Standards (see more here).

Investment Association

RBC GAM is a member of the Investment Association (IA). The IA is the United Kingdom’s membership association for investment managers.

Investor Policy Dialogue on Deforestation

RBC GAM is a supporting investor of the Investor Policy Dialogue on Deforestation (IPDD). The IPDD aims to coordinate a public policy dialogue with authorities and monitor developments to assess exposure to financial risks arising from deforestation. One of our investment teams co-chairs the IPDD Management Committee and the IPDD Brazil workstream and is a participant in the IPDD Indonesia workstream.

Japan's Stewardship Code

RBC GAM is a signatory to Japan's Stewardship Code (The Code). The Code sets out the principles that institutional investors should adhere to in order to fulfil their stewardship responsibilities to clients, beneficiaries and investee companies.

Mission Investors Exchange

RBC GAM is a member of Mission Investors Exchange (MIE). MIE is the leading impact investing network for foundations dedicated to deploying capital for social and environmental change.

Responsible Investment Association

RBC GAM is a sustaining member of the Responsible Investment Association (RIA). The RIA is Canada’s membership association for responsible investment. A member of RBC GAM’s RI team is the Chair of the RIA board.

Transition Pathway Initiative

RBC GAM is a supporter of the Transition Pathway Initiative (TPI), focused on better understanding how companies are managing the transition to a low carbon economy.  TPI seeks to provide academically robust and independent assessments of how companies are transitioning in line with the Paris Agreement. TPI provides open access data that supports investors in understanding the climate transition, and works with Climate Action 100+ to provide data for the net zero benchmark.

UK Stewardship Code

RBC GAM is a signatory to the UK Stewardship Code 2020 (the Code). The code aims to enhance the quality of engagement between asset managers and companies to help improve long-term risk-adjusted returns to shareholders. RBC GAM’s 2023 Annual Stewardship Report met the expected standard of reporting of the Financial Reporting Council (FRC).2

UN Principles for Responsible Investment

RBC GAM is a signatory to the UN Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI). The PRI is a global network for investors committed to incorporating ESG considerations into their investment practices and ownership policies. We put the PRI’s six Principles of Responsible Investment into practice and believe that they are aligned with our existing approach to responsible investment. A member of RBC GAM’s RI team sits on the Policy Committee. We are also a signatory to the PRI Statement on ESG in Credit Ratings, which encourages credit rating agencies to proactively take ESG factors into consideration for relevant issuers.

US SIF - The Sustainable Investment Forum

RBC GAM is an institutional member of US SIF: The Sustainable Investment Forum (US SIF). US SIF states (source) it is the leading voice advancing sustainable, responsible and impact investing across all asset classes in the US.

Get in touch

Find contact names, phone numbers and email addresses for RBC BlueBay's regional sales teams and client directors.

Get in touch

1. In 2023, RBC GAM consolidated the activities of two regulated legal entities in the United Kingdom (UK), RBC GAM-UK and BlueBay Asset Management LLP (BlueBay), into RBC GAM-UK. Signatory status falls under the RBC Global Asset Management’s (RBC GAM) group membership as of April 2023 onwards and is not related to funds. Up until this period, both RBC GAM and its affiliate, BlueBay Asset Management LLP (BlueBay) were signatories (signatory year being 2015 for RBC GAM, and 2013 for BlueBay). Both entities separately filed annual transparency reports (where RBC GAM’s one included affiliates RBC Global Asset Management (UK) and BlueBay). With the merger of RBC Global Asset Management (UK) and BlueBay in April 2023, BlueBay’s separate PRI signatory status has lapsed (including its annual reporting obligations).

2 In 2023, RBC GAM consolidated the activities of two regulated legal entities in the United Kingdom (UK), RBC GAM-UK and BlueBay Asset Management LLP (BlueBay), into RBC GAM-UK. BlueBay’s stewardship activities are incorporated throughout RBC GAM’s 2022 and 2023 Annual Stewardship Reports.