Huge increase in support for the Asset Owner Statement on Climate Stewardship

The asset owner coalition behind the groundbreaking Asset Owner (AO) Statement on Climate Stewardship¹ now represents more than USD$2 trillion in savings after eight (8) more leading organisations endorsed the statement.

Launched in February 2025, the AO Statement on Climate Stewardship² sets out clear and consistent expectations regarding climate stewardship for them. It aims to facilitate constructive conversations on climate stewardship and embed greater efficiencies into the stewardship chain, empowering asset manager stewardship teams to deliver on their asset owner climate objectives as part of their mandates. Ultimately, the group seeks to raise the bar on climate-stewardship across the investment sector.  More details on the AO statement can be found here.

The new signatories to the statement are: Caisse des Dépôts (CDC), IRCANTEC, Établissement de Retraite additionnelle de la Fonction publique (ERAPF), Fonds de Réserve pour les Retraites (FRR), Mutuelle assurance des instituteurs de France (MAIF), Malakoff Humanis, Sammelstiftung Vita, and the United Nations Joint Staff Pension Fund (UNJSPF)³. 

The statement lead, Leanne Clements, Head of Responsible Investment for People’s Partnership, provider of the People’s Pension, said: “It is fantastic news that the AO Statement on Climate Stewardship has garnered additional support over the past few months.  Increased support of the statement will help to raise the collective asset owner voice as owners of capital and strengthen the asset owner-fund manager relationship.  Asset owners continuing to set the bar on climate expectations, especially in this challenging external landscape, is extremely critical in the lead up to 2030, for the ultimate benefit of its members.”

Pierre Devichi, Head of Responsible Investment at ERAFP added: “ERAFP is convinced that climate change – together with nature loss – is a key risk for financial stability and financial returns in the long term. As such, and in accordance with its long-term investment horizon and its fiduciary duty, ERAFP is committed to fighting climate change. Studies and experience have shown that stewardship activities – namely voting and engagement – are essential tools to influence the real economy towards decarbonation. Yet, despite this clear alignment of interests, asset managers’ climate stewardship activities must be enhanced. With this statement, ERAFP wants to highlight best practices and clearly set its expectations, aligned with those of many peers, to prompt asset managers to significantly bolster their action in this critical component of sustainable investing in order to effectively serve asset owners’ needs – and ultimately, those of beneficiaries”. 

ENDS