Our approach to sustainable investing

We believe sustainable investing creates long-term value for our stakeholders while helping realize a sustainable trajectory for the global economy.

Integration

Across all asset classes², we're committed to continuing to integrate ESG analysis in investment and operating activities. We believe that identifying and assessing material sustainability factors help us protect and enhance the value of the assets we invest in, own, and operate. Our integration strategy extends to our efforts to engage with investee companies to gather information, mitigate ESG-related challenges, and enhance ESG-related opportunities.

  • A demonstrated commitment to sustainability

    As supported by our most recent PRI assessment 1

    See our 2023 Summary Scorecard
  • 90%+ of AUM integrated

    Percentage of public market equity and fixed-income assets that have achieved internal ESG integration thresholds2

  • 199 countries and territories covered

    By our proprietary sovereign credit ESG model that incorporates ESG factors

Important information

All information is as of December 31, 2021, unless otherwise indicated. Most current data shown. 

1 Manulife Investment Management is a signatory to the Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI) and pays an annual fee. It is compulsory for signatories to report on their responsible investment activities annually. 

2 Integration is based on Manulife IM’s Proprietary Integration Progression Levels (IPL), which measures investment teams progress in ESG integration. We look to incorporate material ESG considerations throughout the stages of our investment and asset ownership lifecycles, taking into account the characteristics of the asset class and investment process in question, as well as industry and geography, among other factors. Each investment team operates in different markets and with different nuances to its approach to investing. Accordingly, each team integrates ESG factors into its investment process in a manner that best aligns with its investment approach.

Stewardship

To us, being a good steward in the financial markets means focusing on the long term by prioritizing the sustainability of our investments and operations, and expanding the view of what matters beyond financial value. We believe active ownership practices are at the center of good stewardship, helping drive strong risk-adjusted investment return potential for our clients over time while we seek to make a positive impact on the environment and society.

Read our 2022 stewardship report
Important information

1 As of December 31, 2021. 100% of our forests were certified under either Sustainable Forestry Initiative® (SFI®) (3.6 million acres in the United States and Canada) or Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC®) (2.2 million acres in Australia, New Zealand, Brazil, and Chile). Most current data shown.

2 Rating is as of December 31, 2021. Based on square footage or building size of the gross floor area (GFA) of properties in the global portfolio. Totals from different certification standards do not sum, as properties with mutlitple certifications are only counted once. Certifications are provided by LEED, Energy Star Certification, BOMA BEST, GBCA Greenstar, BCA Green Mark, NABERS, Casbee, BOMA360, Fitwel.

3 Full report is not publicly available. More information is available upon request. Information as of 31 December 2021.

Collaborative engagement and affiliations

Collaborative engagements are a cornerstone of our sustainable investing program. Through this work, we seek to amplify our impact, helping steer industry-changing initiatives aligned with our business priorities across the global capital markets.

Download our stewardship report for a full list of our affiliations
  • Nature

     
     
    Selected affiliations
  • Climate

  • Transparency

The logos above are registered trademarks of the respective organizations/ firms represented. Manulife IM is prompting each of the ESG actions shown through becoming a member of respective programs or partner with the organizations on these endeavors. (i) Leading harvest: https://www.leadingharvest.org/. (ii) Task Force on Nature- Related Financial Disclosures: https://www.fsb-tcfd.org/. (iii) Climate Action 100+: https://www.climateaction100.org/. (iv) Asia Investor Group on Climate Change (AIGCC): https://www.aigcc.net/members/. (v) Investor Network on Climate Risk: https://www.ceres.org/networks/ceres-investor-network. (vi) World Benchmarking Alliance: https://www.worldbenchmarkingalliance.org/wba-allies/. (vii) SASB: https://www.sasb.org/investor-use/supporters/. (viii) PRI : https://www.unpri.org/.

Transparency

Our commitment to transparency includes reporting on the outcomes of our sustainable investing efforts. We support the adoption of industry-wide standards for disclosure, including the framework outlined by the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD).

Our sustainability policies and disclosures

We maintain sustainability policies and practices and regularly review them to reflect any changes in our investment and stewardship processes. We do this to help ensure that our clients and stakeholders have clear and relevant information about our sustainability strategy and activity.

Related viewpoints

Liability-driven investing and climate risk: facing reality one step at a time

Our LDI team explains the potential impact of climate change on corporate bonds in an LDI context, and how to mitigate climate risk.
Read more

Food scarcity, energy insecurity: assessing sovereign ESG risks from the Russia-Ukraine conflict

The central crisis of 2022 may not be found in inflation or interest rates, but in the conflict in Ukraine. We explore the commodity market impact and how this may up the ante on geopolitical and sovereign risks.
Read more