Mercer awarded top accolade for investment strategy and governance 

New Zealand, 19 November 2020 – Mercer has been awarded a top accolade for responsible investment strategy and governance by the PRI. Already a recognised responsible investment (RI) consultant pioneer, Mercer secured an A+ and six As for its $306bn* of assets under management in investment solutions across public and private markets. The PRI reporting is the largest global reporting project on RI, developed with investors, for investors. All signatories are required to report on their RI activities annually. 

“Earning this high rating from a globally recognised third party validates Mercer’s years of research and commitment to promoting best practices around RI as an adviser to more than USD 15tn** of assets around the world,” said Hooman Kaveh, Mercer’s Global Chief Investment Officer. “The RI integration across our investment solutions has evolved with varying approaches and priorities by region, recognising the different client and regulatory expectations. The A+ rating for strategy and governance and A ratings for all six asset classes, should give all of our clients confidence in the consistently high standards we have set for all regions.

“To receive these results in our first year of accreditation reflects the efforts of many team members across the regions committed to continually improving on this result. In the rapidly moving world of responsible investment, no leader can afford to stand still.”

Mercer New Zealand Chief Executive Officer Martin Lewington added, “Responsible investing is a key value we stand for, and believe it is paramount for creating sustainable futures for all Kiwis. The recognition compliments our recent SuperRatings Platinum rating, where we were the only KiwiSaver provider to be awarded the top rating for a seventh consecutive year. All our decisions are focused on delivering best member outcomes, both now, and into the future, and it’s rewarding to see our focus get recognised by some of the world’s leading ratings houses.”

Mercer draws on its intellectual capital to implement advice and allocate institutional portfolios, helping clients take advantage of opportunities and stay ahead of regulatory and public policy decisions around responsible investment. Mercer has become a global leader of ‘whole of market’ solutions, working with a growing number of pension, insurance, endowment and financial intermediary clients across Europe, Asia, Pacific, Canada and the US. Mercer’s investment solutions platform implements clients’ tailored investment strategies across a range of highly rated managers that have been selected by an in-house, expert team. Through this framework, Mercer helps clients avoid the investment and reputational risks associated with poor environmental, social and governance (ESG) practices, while seeking opportunities that emerge from new trends and regulatory changes that are taking place around the world.

The PRI, which is supported by the United Nations, works to understand the investment implications of ESG factors and help investors incorporate these factors into investment and ownership decisions. As a consultant, Mercer helped shape the PRI’s original principles and was a founding signatory in 2006.  For more information on the details of the score and methodology, Mercer’s PRI Assessment Report can be accessed here.

Notes to Editors

*As at June 2020

**As at June 2019

Mercer advises USD 15 trillion in assets globally (Mercer, 30 June 2019) and has USD 305.9 billion of assets under management in investment solutions (Mercer, 30 June 2020). These solutions, including discretionary management services, reflect Mercer’s best investment ideas from both a research and implementation perspective. Mercer’s range of solutions, covering traditional and alternative asset classes, including private markets, represent a market-leading solution across the full spectrum of the institutional market.