Interview with Nest
Interview with Ulla Enne, Head Operations & Responsible Investing
How did you hear about Inrate and what convinced you to choose Inrate?
As a pioneer in sustainable investing, Nest wanted to consider sustainability in its investments from the very beginning. Compared to today, the market looked very different, there were no sustainable solutions for sustainable equities or bond portfolios. In other words, the entrepreneurial spirit was required. Nest co-founded Inrate together with INFRAS which continues to translate our understanding of sustainability into an investable, sustainable investment universe. This is how the cooperation with Inrate as sustainability analyst, Vontobel as asset manager and Raiffeisen as fund manager came out: It was the birth of the Raiffeisen Futura funds, and Nest acted as the initiator (seed investor) for the launch.
What services do you use today and has it evolved over time?
We use Inrate’s ESG Impact Ratings and have developed a tailor-made universe based on the best-in-service approach. Inrate also supports us with reporting solutions, e.g. on climate or SDGs, and to determine the results after years of implementation. Thanks to Inrate’s climate data and report, we are able to assess the climate impact of our portfolio. The data allows comparison with benchmarks and sector assessments. Most importantly, we need to see the impact of each part of the value chain (upstream and downstream) to fully understand climate-related risks. In fact, their model makes it possible to identify indirect emissions, which in our view are crucial when it comes to contributing to sustainable development. The same applies to SDGs. Thanks to inrate’s SDG portfolio analysis, we are able to report on the contribution of our portfolios to the Sustainable Development Goals and to what extent. It provides full transparency for each SDG. We use it to report top and bottom companies in the portfolio and compare the SDG contribution to the benchmark. The data makes it possible to address specific SDGs and highlight the most positive and negative companies.
Can you highlight how Inrate has helped you?
Today, we are still convinced by Inrate’s ESG Impact Rating and Best-in-Service approach. It is aligned with our understanding of sustainability: A company rating should assess the impact of business activities on the environment and society, along the entire value chain. If you only look at CSR criteria, i.e. at companies’ operations and management, it is not enough from a sustainability perspective.
What did you appreciate the most in working with us?
We have always appreciated cooperative partnership and access to the analysts’ team. Plus the passion for sustainability like at Nest.
Portrait:Â Since its foundation in 1983, Nest has remained true to its guiding principle as the first ecological-ethical pension fund in Switzerland: the optimal provision of our affiliated companies and their employees. This is ensured by our transparent and sustainable investment policy and professional client service. We invest the capital entrusted to us responsibly according to ecological and ethical criteria.