A number of Japanese pension funds and asset managers have endorsed the Principles for
Responsible Investment introduced at the New York stock exchange in May.
Institutional investors controlling more than $2trillion
(£1.1tn) have committed themselves to applying responsible investment
principles to their portfolios. Among Japanese signatories are Kikkoman
Corporation Pension Scheme, Daiwa Asset Management, Mitsubishi
UFJ Trust and Banking Corporation, Sompo Japan, and Sumitomo
Trust.
Companies will be pressed to disclose information on their ethical
performance and other investors will be actively encouraged to follow
suit.
The principles say, for example, that investors should request
‘standardized reporting, using tools such as the Global Reporting
Initiative’ and that SRI issues should be covered in annual financial
reports.
