Directing investments through ESG criteria

Sustainability is becoming an increasingly common consideration for companies. It is a challenge for the present and future. At the asset management and sustainability event entitled Gestión Patrimonial y Sostenibilidad, organized by the IEAF (Instituto Español de Analistas Financieros — Spanish institute of financial analysts) together with the Fundación San Pablo Andalucía CEU, José Luis Jiménez, MAPFRE Group Chief Investment Officer, emphasized that to enable sustainable growth in companies, investments had to focus on ESG criteria.

The Group has been incorporating this philosophy into its work since 1965, resulting in long-term profit and enabling it to give back to society. He stressed that environmental, social and governance criteria "are part of MAPFRE's DNA." However, current debates tend to focus on environmental issues without considering social aspects. He countered this saying: "We cannot just ignore our society. People with disabilities in particular need our support."

To demonstrate its support for this community, MAPFRE created the Inclusión Responsable fund under the banner of Socially Responsible Investment. This fund invests in companies committed to including people with disabilities in the workplace. The Group also set itself the challenge of ensuring that at least "3 percent of its workforce is made up of people with disabilities."

According to José Luis, properly analyzing a company fundamentally requires study and training. This is acknowledged in the Certified ESG Analyst qualification awarded to the MAPFRE AM analyst team. This certification recognizes the competences necessary for efficient integration of ESG criteria in investment analyses.

The Group Chief Investment Officer went further and argued that this challenge "must be extended to the rest of the world." However, he recognized that there was still a long way to go: "We are at an early stage, but eventually this approach will be applied to all areas of life."