Responsible investment

Responsible investment at HSBC Global Asset Management

We believe that good management of environmental and social risks and opportunities contributes to long-term business success. We encourage companies to work towards best practice by having constructive dialogue with them on how they currently manage environmental and social impacts.

United Nations Principles for Responsible Investment

HSBC Global Asset Management are committed to being responsible investors and in June 2006 became a signatory of the United Nations Principles for Responsible Investment. The Principles provide a voluntary and aspirational framework to help institutional investors integrate environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues into investment decision making and ownership practices. We will report progress towards implementing the Principles across our investment businesses in the future.

United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative

HSBC is an active member of the United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative (UNEP FI) which is a global partnership between UNEP and the financial sector. Over 160 institutions, including banks, insurers and fund managers, work with UNEP to understand the impacts of environmental and social considerations on financial performance. The UNEP FI Asset Management Working Group explores the association between environmental, social, and governance considerations and investment decision making.

Institutional Investors Group on Climate Change

HSBC believes climate change represents the biggest single environmental challenge this century, and therefore will impact the companies in which we invest. To help us explore the investment implications of climate change we are members of the Institutional Investors Group on Climate Change (IIGCC). This is a forum for collaboration between pension funds and other institutional investors on issues related to investment and climate change.

In addition to our activities outlined above, we offer Sustainable & Responsible Investment funds for clients who wish to invest according to specific environmental, social or ethical criteria. More information about these funds can be found at www.assetmanagement.hsbc.com/fr.

Policy on investment in cluster munitions and anti personnel mines

HSBC Global Asset Management excludes cluster munitions and anti personnel mines across its full actively managed investment range, effective from late 2010. The policy regarding passive investments is under constant review.

To ensure all cluster munitions and anti personnel mine-related companies are excluded, HSBC uses the services of the research organisation Ethix, in addition to conducting its own due diligence.