Francesco Sola | Generali - Integrating ESG into investment decision Generali experience

Integrating ESG into investment decision: Generali Group experience

Francesco Sola

Trieste, October 16th 2018

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Three important numbers…….

 45  1.4.2014  ………………..(at the end of my presentation)

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ESG/ SRI Market – Global overview

Covering globally $23trl in AUM - over 26% global AUM - ESG/ SRI investments are a growing reality, with Europe at the forefront for dimension and innovation  Largest market (52% of global AUM)  Most developed on defining what constitutes “ESG/ SRI”  France as largest market in Europe ($3,4trl, c.29% of EU13 total)

2016 AuM SRI ($bln)

%

ESG AuM/ total country AuM

Growth

Canada Growth

USA

Growth

Growth

Europe

Growth

Asia exc. Japan

Japan

Growth

Australia/ NZ Sources: Global Sustainable Investment Alliance 2016 for aggregated data, Eurosif 2016 for European data. Data as of January 2016. Data n.a. in 2014 for Japan. Eurosif adopted a more restrictive definition of AuM SRI starting from 2015, which results in underestimation of CAGR and growth rate %.

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Why are companies and investors embracing ESG/ SRI? Companies embracing ESG perform better and mitigate risk – which means better results for investors Better operational and financial performance

 More effective management of human capital and innovation  Companies with high ESG rating generate above-average returns and distribute higher dividends compared to their peers with lower rating  High ESG rating imply lower volatility of returns over the long term  Companies with high ESG rating have better risk management and compliance frameworks:

Lower risk and volatility

 Reducing risk of negative events / business practice (e.g. bribery, corruption)  Reduced tail risk and stock volatility for their investors

Driver for improvement of financials

 Lower risk exposure and improvement of ESG rating translate into decreased beta, lower cost of capital and, as a consequence, higher multiples  Over the long period, companies with high ESG rating overperform their peers

Sources: MSCI – Foundations of ESG Investing Part I, 2017; BofA Merrill Lynch – ESG: good companies can make good stocks, December 2016.

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The layers of ESG integration

Weight of ESG in Investment decisions

Active Ownership Impact Investments

Active Selection

Negative Exclusion

Transversal voting and engagement activities – aimed at encouraging ESG practices in issuers

Achieving a specific societal impact, which is actively measured

Selecting the best investments opportunities using as inputs both financials and ESG

Banning sectors or issuers based on ESG criteria

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Our beliefs With approximately 500 billion Euro of asset under management, we believe Responsible Investment:  provides added value for our stakeholders and the society by:  Excluding companies with poor/negative ESG practices  Selecting companies which deliver more sustainable performances over the long term  reinforces our risk management approach (non-financial risks)  is the best way to improve companies’ ESG behaviors and practice by Engaging and discussing with them

Initiatives on Sustainability supported by Generali 2007

 UN Global Compact

2011

 UN PRI – Principles for Responsible Investing

2014

 UN PSI – Principles for Sustainable Insurance

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 Climate Risk Statement - Geneva Association

2015

 The Paris Pledge For Action  European Financial Services (EFR) Statement

2018

 Just Transition  Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures

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ESG / SRI Framework at Generali

We encourage investee companies to adopt/improve ESG practices through: • Voting activities • Dialogue (Engagement)

• We promote positive social impact by sponsoring/ financing initiatives tackling global key social and demographic issues © Generali

Active Ownership

Exclusions

We exclude from our “investable Universe” companies presenting poor ESG practices not meeting Generali Ethical Principles

FRAMEWORK

Impact Investing

Selection

We select and invest in Companies which show best effort in implementing good ESG practices

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Exclusion EXCLUSION CRITERIA

Sectors

ESG Controversies

 Controversial Weapons  Coal

DECISION

✔

Group Chief Investment Officer

…advised by…

RESTRICTED LIST OUTCOME

ACTIONS

Internal

 Environmental damage  Human Rights violations  Corruption

Responsible Investment Committee

Investments Finance Risk Management Sustainability

WATCH LIST

Restricted

Watch List

Companies not meeting Group Ethical principles

Potentially exposing the Group to higher risk

 NO NEW INVESTMENTS  Existing exposure (if any):  (Fixed Income) hold to maturity  Sell

 ESG risks as an additional risk

factor for investment decisions  Existing exposure (if any):  Strict

monitoring for possible downgrading to Restricted  (based on materiality) Engagement

Selection

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“Best effort” approach: ESG rating to companies based on their effort to comply with ESG criteria

 Companies are assigned an ESG rating based on 34 ESG criteria  Companies with rating above the specific sector’s average are included in the SRI approved list – below the average rating companies are excluded

Active Ownership

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 Group Voting Guidelines to address voting in Annual General Meeting (AGM) of investee companies

 Guidelines embed Generali principles for good ESG practices

Voting

 Through voting, Generali encourages ESG behavior in invested companies  2017 voting season: 1,129 AGM attended in 32 countries (mostly in Europe, but also in the Americas and in Asia), and across different industries  More than 15,000 resolutions, with more than 46,000 votes casted

 Engagement with invested companies allows Generali to gather information and push for integration of ESG in their business model

Engagement

 Some examples of Engagement:

 Exclusion: to discuss ESG allegations and remediation  Selection: dialogue for better understanding ESG risk/opportunities  For Voting purpose: engage before AGM to address resolution

Generali Climate Change Strategy - Investments

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On February 21st 2018, the Board of Directors of Generali approved the Group Climate Change Strategy, setting Generali’s commitment for a transition to a more sustainable economy

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Green and Sustainable Investments

 Commitment by 2020:  €3.5 bln of new investments (Green Bond, Green and Sustainable Infrastructures) 3

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Positioning on coal-related businesses/companies

 No new investment  Divest € 2 bln:  Sell equity (6/12 months)  Run-off Bond Portfolio

Engage (Countries strongly dependent on coal)

 Instead of simply excluding coal-related companies, Generali can support the sustainable transition to a low-carbon economy by:  Engaging with issuers and stakeholders to guide and monitor the transition process  Investing in green sectors to drive the economic transformation Internal

ESG/SRI – relevant figures by type of invest. portfolios Ref. date: 31/12/2017

Exclusion

General Account Investments

Third Party risk Investments

(own/shared risk investments)

(Mutual funds, unit linked)

€ 345 bln Euro

€ 325 mln Euro

(worldwide companies – about n. 5.000 monitored)

Selection

€ 36,8 bln Euro (MSCI Europe companies – about n. 500)

Active Ownership

✔

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2 SRI-labelled equity funds: - SRI European Equity - SRI Ageing Population (thematic fund)

(+ € 8 bln Euro fully ESGintegrated funds form the potential acquisition of the majority of Sycomore AM - final agreement to be finalized – of which € 2.5 bln SRI-labelled)

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Our challenges  General Account Investment: implement more “ESG Selection” in decision making  Full scale ESG-integration in real assets (i.e. Private Equity, Private Debt, Real Estate)  ESG Integration as operational and cultural effort  Further developments in impact investing  Regulatory developments:  EU Action Plan on financing sustainable Growth  Shareholders Rights Directive  IVASS Reg. 38

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Three important numbers…….

 45  1.4.2014

 21.02.2018

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Thank You.

Francesco Sola Head of Investment Governance & Stewardship Group Investment, Asset & Wealth Management Assicurazioni Generali S.p.A.

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