Asset owners launch SDG platform

Four asset owners have combined to launch the Sustainable Development Investments Asset Owner Platform.

APG, AustralianSuper, British Columbia Investment Management Corporation and PGGM have jointly established the platform which uses standard and artificial-intelligence driven data to enable investors to assess companies on their contribution to the UN Sustainable Development Goals. The product will be available via distribution partner Qontigo.

The group says the SDI AOP allows asset owners and their managers to connect around the shared objective of measuring and understanding their portfolio investments’ contributions to the SDGs. These goals, set by the United Nations in 2015, aim for a better, more prosperous world, by addressing urgent global issues such as water scarcity, healthcare access, and protecting the environment. Investments in companies whose products or services contribute to the realization of the SDGs are called Sustainable Development Investments (SDIs).

The SDI Asset Owner Platform provides a common definition, taxonomy, and data source for investments into the SDGs. Powered by AI-technology, data science company Entis generates SDI classifications for 8,000 companies to date. This enables investors to assess their global capital markets’ portfolios on their contribution to the SDGs and to report to their clients and external stakeholders transparently and consistently, using a common and auditable standard.