Net Zero Asset Managers Initiative

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What is the relationship between NZAM and public pension plans?

All 50 states use at least one asset management company (AMC) that is a signatory of NZAM. States use an average of 12 of these AMCs. State pension plans invest with 101 of the AMCs of the 332 NZAM signatories, as of July 2024.[1]


Net Zero Asset Managers Initiative
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Basic facts
Type:Initiative
Founder(s):Asia Investor Group on Climate Change, CDP, Ceres, Investor Group on Climate Change, Institutional Investors Group on Climate Change, and Principles for Responsible Investment
Year founded:2020
Website:Official website

The Net Zero Asset Managers Initiative (NZAM) is an international group of asset management companies (AMCs) that, according to its website, is "committed to supporting the goal of net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 or sooner."

There were 330 signatories in NZAM with $57.5 trillion in assets under management as of October 2024.[2] Since April 2024, 26 AMCs have left NZAM and 31 have joined.[1]

NZAM signatories commit to using environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) investing approaches to influence high-emission companies to reduce their carbon output. ESG refers to an investment or corporate governance approach that involves considering the extent to which corporations conform to certain standards related to environmental, social, and corporate governance issues (such as net carbon emission goals) and making business and investment decisions that promote those standards. Asset mangers that partner with NZAM have to publish disclosures about their commitments.[2]

To see which state public pension plans are partnering with NZAM, click here.

There are other climate-related initiatives, including Climate Action 100+.

Mission

The Net Zero Asset Managers Initiative has the following commitments, according to its website:[3]

“ a. Work in partnership with asset owner clients on decarbonisation goals, consistent with an ambition to reach net zero emissions by 2050 or sooner across all assets under management (‘AUM’)


b. Set an interim target for the proportion of assets to be managed in line with the attainment of net zero emissions by 2050 or sooner

c. Review our interim target at least every five years, with a view to ratcheting up the proportion of AUM covered until 100% of assets are included[4]

”


The full text of the commitment can be read here.

Background

Environmental, social, and corporate governance
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• What is ESG?
• Enacted ESG legislation
• Arguments for and against ESG
• Opposition to ESG
• Federal ESG rules
• Economy and Society: Ballotpedia's weekly ESG newsletter
See also: Environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG)

The Net Zero Asset Managers Initiative (NZAM) is an international initiative established in 2020 that aims to align signatory investment decisions with the goal of achieving net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Signatories of NZAM commit to transitioning their investment portfolios to net-zero greenhouse gas emissions and to implementing an environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) approach, in alignment with the Paris Agreement. There were 332 NZAM signatories with $57 trillion in assets under management as of July 2024.[2][3][5]

NZAM is an accredited partner of the United Nations Race to Zero Campaign, which collaborates with initiatives and networks involved in climate action. Race to Zero also recognized the UN-Convened Net Zero Asset Owner Alliance and the Paris Aligned Investment Initiative as official financial initiatives focused on net zero commitments. These financial initiatives have similar goals and commitments, but are governed separately.[6][2]

Leadership

Six investor networks govern the Net Zero Asset Managers Initiative. The network partners included the following as of July 2024:[7]

  • Asia Investment Group on Climate Change
  • CDP
  • Ceres
  • The Institutional Investors Group on Climate Change (IIGCC)
  • Investor Group on Climate Change
  • Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI)

A steering committee and an advisory group oversee the management of NZAM. The steering committee comprises the CEOs from each of the network partners. The advisory group is made up of signatory investors who each serve two-year terms. The following people served in the advisory group as of July 2024:[7][2]

  • Jean-Jacque Barberis, Amundi
  • Fatima Hadj, HSBC
  • Stephen Beer, Legal & General Investment Management
  • Daniel Goldman, Clean Energy Ventures
  • Angus Whiteley, Stafford Capital Partners
  • Lilian Wang, Arisaig Partners
  • Robyn Parkin, Ethical Partners
  • Kate Turner, First Sentier
  • Wendy Cromwell, Wellington Management
  • Edward Mason, Generation Investment Management
  • Charles Nguyen, Neuberger Berman
  • Takeshi Wada, Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Asset Management

Responses

The following sections provide a selection of responses to the Net Zero Asset Managers Initiative.

Support for Net Zero Asset Managers Initiative

See also: Arguments in support of ESG

David Blood, senior partner of Generation Investment Management, announced his support for the initiative in a 2020 news release. Blood argued that NZAM was necessary to promote a faster economic transition to net-zero carbon emissions and that "there is simply no more time to waste."[8]

“ The Net Zero Asset Managers initiative represents a significant moment on the road to addressing the climate crisis. The transition to net zero will be the biggest transformation in economic history and we want to send a clear signal that there is simply no more time to waste. The opportunities to allocate capital to this transition over the coming years cannot be underestimated. Without the asset management industry on board, the goals set out in the Paris Agreement will be difficult to meet.[4] ”


Stephanie Pfeifer, CEO and one of the founding partners of the Institutional Investors Group on Climate Change, announced her support for NZAM in a 2020 news release. Pfeifer argued that it is good for asset managers to unite in promoting reduced carbon emissions and that the initiative was necessary for what she called a resilient future.[8]

“ The scale and significance of the asset managers joining the Net Zero Asset Managers initiative sends a clear signal to the wider sector that the financial firepower of institutional investors will be committed to making real progress towards a net zero and resilient future. As we reach the fifth anniversary of the Paris agreement, we extend an open invitation to all asset managers to join us in the commitment, collaboration and cohesion that will drive forward this initiative and the net zero transition.[4] ”

Opposition to Net Zero Asset Managers Initiative

See also: Arguments in opposition to ESG

Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich (R) and 18 other state attorneys general sent a letter on August 4, 2022, to BlackRock, the largest asset manager in the world, opposing the firm's commitments to net-zero alliances including NZAM. The letter argued that BlackRock's involvement with the initiative was political and prevented the firm from focusing on financial returns, as required under state laws.[9]

“ Regarding BlackRock’s commitments to climate change advocacy organizations, you state that you have joined them 'to participate in dialogue with governments, companies, and financial institutions on sustainability issues important to our clients.' Under our state laws, the desired 'dialogue' regarding any potential energy transition would be how to maximize financial returns, which would potentially include the opportunistic purchasing of fossil fuel assets discarded by companies seeking to meet net zero commitments. However, any discussion of purchasing such assets to maximize returns is conspicuously absent from GFANZ or Climate Action 100+. Rather, these public commitments display a purpose of activism rather than 'dialogue.'[4] ”


Tom Gosling, an executive fellow of finance at the London Business School, argued in a 2023 article for Forbes that the net zero commitments made by asset managers will not achieve the impacts they outline and that they need to be transparent about those limitations:[10]

“ [I]nvestors should be honest with clients and modest about the limited impact they can have on climate change. They should resist using climate change as a marketing tool to increase assets under management and increase fund fees, because the biggest legal risk of all probably does not relate to fiduciary duty or anti-trust. Rather it relates to greenwashing: the inconsistency between claims made by asset managers and the real-world climate impact of the investment strategies they adopt. This gap is easy to demonstrate and courts are unlikely to be sympathetic to the asset management industry.[4] ”

Noteworthy events

Vanguard quits Net Zero Asset Managers Initiative (2022)

The Financial Times reported on December 7, 2022, that Vanguard, the second-largest asset manager in the world and the world’s largest passive asset manager, announced that it had decided to leave the Net Zero Asset Managers Initiative.

The move came after 13 Republican state attorneys general filed a motion in November 2022 asking the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to hold a hearing on Vanguard’s plans to purchase a large number of shares in public utility stocks. Stephen Soukup, a market analyst, an opponent of ESG, and the author of The Dictatorship of Woke Capital, wrote that “to the best of my knowledge, this is the first time that a coalition of state officials has taken action against a single ESG-committed asset management firm that isn’t BlackRock.”[11]

Vanguard said in its statement that "the move [to leave the climate alliance] had been in the works for several months."[12]

List of Net Zero Asset Managers Initiative signatories

The Net-Zero Asset Managers Initiative had 330 signatories as of October 2024:[13]

  • 2Xideas
  • a.s.r. Asset Management
  • abrdn
  • Acadian Asset Management
  • Achmea Investment Management
  • Actis LLP
  • Addenda Capital Inc.
  • Aegon Asset Management
  • Affirmative Investment Management
  • Agilitas Partners LLP
  • AiiM Partners
  • Aikya Investment Management
  • AIP Management
  • Aktia Bank
  • Aktie-Ansvar AB
  • Algebris Investments
  • AllianceBernstein
  • Allianz Global Investors
  • ALPHA TRUST
  • AlphaFixe Capital
  • Alphinity Investment Management
  • Alquity Investment Management
  • AMP Wealth Management New Zealand
  • Amundi
  • Anaxis Asset Management
  • Angel Oak Capital
  • APG Asset Management
  • Apostle Funds Management
  • Arbevel
  • Arisaig Partners (Asia) Pte Ltd
  • Arjuna Capital
  • Artemis Investment Management LLP
  • Ashmore Group Plc
  • Asset Management One Co. Ltd.
  • Astorg
  • ATLAS Infrastructure
  • Atrato Capital
  • Atrato Partners
  • Aviva Investors
  • AXA Investment Managers
  • Axium Infrastructure Inc.
  • Baillie Gifford
  • BankInvest Asset Management Fondsmæglerselskab A/S
  • BBGI Global Infrastructure S.A.
  • BBVA Asset Management
  • Berkeley Capital Group (BCG)
  • BGO
  • Bin Yuan Capital
  • BlackRock
  • BMO Global Asset Management
  • BNP Paribas Asset Management
  • Border to Coast Pensions Partnership Limited
  • Boston Common Asset Management
  • Boston Trust Walden
  • Brandywine Global Investment Management
  • Brawn Capital
  • Breckinridge Capital Advisors
  • Bregal Investments
  • Bridges Fund Management
  • Brookfield Asset Management
  • Brown Advisory
  • BT Funds Management Limited NZ
  • C WorldWide Asset Management
  • Caixa Gestão de Ativos & CGD Pensões – Sociedade Gestora de Fundos de Pensões
  • Calvert Research and Management
  • Candriam
  • Capital + SAFI S.A.
  • Capital Four
  • Capital Group
  • Capricorn Investment Group
  • Cardano
  • Castleforge Partners
  • CBRE Investment Management
  • CCLA Investment Management
  • CIM Group
  • Clean Energy Ventures Management, LLC
  • Clean Growth Investment Management
  • ClearBridge Investments LLC
  • Close Brothers Asset Management
  • Coeli Asset Management
  • Colesco Capital Collective
  • Columbia Threadneedle Investments
  • Comgest
  • Community Capital Management, LLC
  • Coutts & Co.
  • CQS
  • Credit Suisse Asset Management
  • Daiwa Asset Management Co.Ltd.
  • Danske Bank
  • Deka Investment GmbH Deka Vermögensmanagement GmbH
  • Desjardins Global Asset Management
  • Desjardins Investments
  • Developing World Markets
  • DIF Capital Partners
  • DNCA Investments
  • Downing LLP
  • DPAM
  • Dream Unlimited
  • DSC Meridian Capital
  • DWS Group
  • eB Capital Gestão de Recursos
  • Ecofin Investments
  • Edmond de Rothschild (Suisse) S.A.
  • EMCORE Asset Management AG
  • EMZ Partners
  • EQT AB
  • Equitix
  • Espiria Asset Management
  • Ethical Partners Funds Management
  • Ethos Services SA
  • Eurizon Capital SGR S.p.A.
  • EV Private Equity
  • Evenlode Investment
  • Evli Plc
  • FAMA Investimentos
  • Federated Hermes Limited
  • Fidelity International (FIL)
  • Fideuram Asset Management Ireland DAC
  • FIDEURAM Intesa Sanpaolo Private Banking Asset Management SGR S.p.A.
  • Fiera Capital Corporation
  • Findlay Park Partners
  • First Sentier Investors
  • Fondita Fund Management Company
  • Franklin Templeton Investments
  • Frontier Investment Management
  • FSN Capital Partners
  • Fulcrum Asset Management
  • GAM Investments
  • GAWA Capital
  • Generation Investment Management
  • GIB Asset Management
  • Global Delta Capital
  • GMO
  • Gramercy Funds Management LLC
  • Great Lakes Advisors
  • Green Investment Partners
  • Grupo Bancolombia
  • Handelsbanken Fonder AB
  • HASI
  • Hg
  • HitecVision
  • HSBC Asset Management
  • IBERCAJA AM
  • ICG
  • IFM Investors Pty Ltd
  • IG4CAPITAL
  • ILX Management B.V.
  • Impax Asset Management
  • Independent Franchise Partners, LLP
  • Infranity S.A.
  • InfraRed Capital Partners
  • INOKS Capital
  • Insight Investment
  • Invesco
  • Investible
  • Investindustrial
  • Irish Life Investment Managers
  • J. Safra Sarasin Sustainable Asset Management
  • J.P. Morgan Asset Management
  • JGP
  • Jupiter Asset Management
  • Jyske Capital
  • KBI Global Investors
  • Kerogen Capital
  • Kieger AG
  • Knight Frank Investment Management
  • La Banque Postale Asset Management
  • La Financière de l’Echiquier
  • La Française Asset Management
  • LaSalle Investment Management
  • Lazard Asset Management
  • LeanVal Asset Management AG
  • Legal & General Investment Management
  • Lennox Capital Partners
  • LGT Capital Partners
  • Lindsell Train Limited
  • Linzor Capital Partners
  • Liontrust Asset Management
  • Local Pensions Partnership Investments
  • LocalTapiola Asset Management Ltd
  • Logistics Property Company, LLC
  • Lombard Odier Investment Managers
  • M&G Investments
  • Mackenzie Investments
  • Macquarie Asset Management
  • Magellan Financial Group
  • Maitri Asset Management
  • Man Group plc
  • Mandarine Gestion
  • Mandatum plc
  • Maple-Brown Abbott Limited
  • Marguerite Investment Management
  • Martin Currie Investment Management
  • Massachusetts Financial Services
  • Matreco Pty Ltd
  • Meiji Yasuda Asset Management Company Ltd.
  • Meridiam SAS
  • Meridiem Investment Management Limited
  • Metrics Credit Partners
  • Metzler Asset Management
  • MidOcean Partners
  • Mirabaud Asset Management
  • Mirae Asset Global Investments (Hong Kong) Limited
  • Mirova
  • Monetalis
  • Montanaro Asset Management
  • MUFG Asset Management
  • Munich Re Investment Partners
  • Muzinich & Co. Inc
  • NEI Investments
  • Neuberger Berman
  • New Forests Pty Ltd
  • Newton Investment Management
  • Nia Impact Capital
  • Nikko Asset Management Co. Ltd.
  • Ninety One
  • Nissay Asset Management
  • Nomura Asset Management Co. Ltd.
  • Nomura Real Estate Asset Management
  • Nordea Asset Management
  • Norinchukin Zenkyoren Asset Management
  • Northern Gritstone Limited
  • Northern Trust AM
  • Northtree Investment Management Ltd
  • Nutshell Asset Management
  • Nykredit Asset Management
  • Oakham Wealth Management
  • Old Mutual Investment Group
  • Oldfield Partners
  • OP Asset Management Ltd
  • OP Real Estate Asset Management Ltd
  • Orchard Street Investment Management LLP
  • Ownership Capital
  • PATRIZIA Infrastructure
  • PATRIZIA SE
  • Payden & Rygel
  • Pemberton Asset Management S.A.
  • Pictet Group
  • PineBridge Investments
  • Premier Miton Group plc
  • Propreal Capital Partners
  • Pyrford International
  • Pzena Investment Management
  • QIC Limited
  • Quaero Capital
  • Quinbrook Infrastructure Partners
  • Quoniam Asset Management GmbH
  • Raiffeisen KAG
  • RAM Active Investments SA
  • Rathbone Greenbank Investments
  • Rathbones Group plc
  • Redwood Grove Capital
  • Ridgewood Infrastructure
  • River Global
  • RiverRock Europe SAS
  • Robeco
  • Rockefeller Asset Management
  • Rothschild & Co Asset Management Europe
  • Royal London Asset Management
  • Ruffer LLP
  • Russell Investments
  • Ruth Asset Management
  • S-Bank plc
  • Sage Advisory
  • Santander Asset Management
  • Sarasin & Partners LLP
  • Savills Investment Management
  • Schroders Greencoat
  • Schroders plc
  • SEB Investment Management
  • SG29 Haussmann
  • Shinhan Asset Management
  • SKY Harbor Capital Management
  • SLC Fixed Income
  • SLGI Asset Management Inc
  • Societe Generale Private Wealth Management
  • Sompo Asset Management
  • Spire Partners
  • Sprucegrove Investment Management
  • Stafford Capital Partners
  • Starlight Investments
  • State Street Global Advisors
  • Stewart Investors
  • Stone Harbor Investment Partners
  • Stonepeak
  • Storebrand Asset Management
  • Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management Company
  • Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Asset Management
  • Summa Equity AB
  • Sustainable Development Capital LLP
  • Swedbank Robur Fonder AB
  • SWEN Capital Partners
  • Swiss Life Asset Managers
  • Swisscanto by Zürcher Kantonalbank
  • Syncona Investment Management Limited
  • T. Rowe Price Group, Inc.
  • Taaleri Plc
  • Terra Alpha Investments LLC
  • The Rock Creek Group, LP
  • Tikehau Capital
  • Tokio Marine Asset Management
  • Trill Impact
  • Trillium Asset Management
  • Triple Eight Capital
  • Triple Point
  • Troy Asset Management
  • TT International
  • UBP Asset Management (Europe)
  • UBS Asset Management
  • UBS SDIC Fund Management Co
  • Unicorn Asset Management
  • Union Investment
  • V-Square Quantitative Management LLC
  • Valo Ventures
  • VALUES. Real Estate Holding GmbH
  • Van Lanschot Kempen
  • Vancity IM
  • Vantage Infrastructure
  • Veridien Global Investors LLC
  • Veritas Asset Management LLP
  • Vert Asset Management
  • Victory Hill Capital Partners LLP
  • Vista Equity Partners Management, LLC
  • Wellington Management
  • WHEB Asset Management
  • Witan Investment Trust plc
  • WTW
  • Wydler Asset Management AG
  • zCapital
  • Zencap Asset Management

NZAM in state public pension plans

To see which state public pension plans are partnering with NZAM, click on the specific pension plan and then scroll down to the "Assets and asset management" section. These public pension pages are under construction and more pages are being added as of July 2024. Since April 2024, 19 AMCs have left NZAM and 19 have joined.[1]

See also

External links

Footnotes

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Ballotpedia, "Ballotpedia: Asset management data for state-administered pension funds across the 50 states," March 2023 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name "BP" defined multiple times with different content Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name "BP" defined multiple times with different content
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 The Net Zero Asset Managers Initiative, "The Net Zero Asset Managers Initiative," accessed July 1, 2024
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 The Net Zero Asset Managers Initiative, "Commitment," accessed January 26, 2023
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
  5. ↑ The Net Zero Asset Managers Initiative, "FAQ," accessed January 26, 2023
  6. ↑ United Nations Climate Change, "Race to Zero Campaign," accessed January 26, 2023
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 The Net Zero Asset Managers Initiative, "Partners," accessed January 26, 2024
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 The Net Zero Asset Managers Initiative, "Leading Asset Managers Commit to Net Zero Emissions Goal with Launch of Global Initiative," December 11, 2020
  9. ↑ Texas Attorney General, "BlackRock Letter," August 4, 2022
  10. ↑ Forbes, "Net Zero Asset Management And The Fiduciary Duty Dilemma," January 10, 2023
  11. ↑ Ballotpedia News, "Vanguard announces exit from net zero climate investment alliance," December 13, 2022
  12. ↑ Financial Times, "Vanguard quits climate alliance in blow to net zero project," December 7, 2022
  13. ↑ The Net Zero Asset Managers Initiative, "Signatories," accessed July 1, 2024
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