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Press Release: Tuesday September 12, 2006
New Eurosif SRI Study reveals a European SRI Market
valued at €1 trillion
PARIS, FRANCE - September 12, 2006: Eurosif, the European Social
Investment Forum,
has just published the « European SRI Study – 2006 ». This unique study
highlights the scale
and progress of European Socially Responsible Investment (SRI) across
nine countries
(Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain,
Switzerland and the
United Kingdom).
Based on a survey of funds under management, the report reveals that
the Broad European
SRI market is now estimated to be up to €1 trillion and representing as
much as 10-15% of
the total European funds under management. This represents a 36% growth
since December
31, 20021. SRI is growing in many countries and is particularly booming
in Spain and Austria. Eurosif's Executive Director Matt Christensen states: “Readers of the
Study will find a
European SRI market that has considerably changed since 2003, when we
last published our
report. Across Europe, there are signs of robust SRI strategies,
increased mandates from
institutional players and the growing involvement of more traditional
financial services
providers. The one constant in the field is that European SRI continues
to be an area of
diversity and innovation.”
The research shows that the three key drivers of the growth in SRI
are the increased
credibility of the business case in the financial community, business
and financial services
regulation that requires more transparency and incorporation of
Social/Environmental/Ethical
(SEE) issues, and a growing use by the fund management community of
strategies such as
Engagement and Integration which may be used across all assets,
regardless of whether they
are specifically subjected to SRI mandates.
European SRI remains driven by institutional investors, with pension
funds increasingly
demanding that their asset managers incorporate SEE and Governance
issues into the
management of their assets. This is both due to the strong pull provided
by some leading
institutional investors as well as the high quality of services provided
by SRI managers.
Finally, the study highlights greater diversification in SRI. This
includes asset allocation,
where bonds are making progress, as well as a foray towards newer asset
classes such as
structured products or real estate. The diversification also points to a
growing trend for
innovation in SRI strategies; combining screens with engagement and/or
integration are
increasingly used as investors further refine their SRI approaches to
fit the interests and
needs of their clientele.
To view the European SRI study, please go to
www.eurosif.org
1 To account for a change in methodology, the 36% figure is derived
from comparing assets under management that were measured by Eurosif in
both its 2003 and 2006 studies.
Notes to Editors
Eurosif
11 avenue de l’Opéra / 75001 Paris, France
Tel/Fax: +33 1 40 20 43 38
contact@eurosif.org / www.eurosif.org
Press Contact: Marion de Marcillac
Eurosif (the European Social Investment Forum) is a pan-European
group whose mission is
to Address Sustainability through Financial Markets. Recognized across
Europe as the
premier multi-stakeholder forum for SRI, Eurosif is a not-for-profit
association, with
membership drawn from leading pension funds, asset managers, NGOs, trade
unions,
academic institutes and research providers that together represent
assets totaling over
€600bn. The key benefits that Eurosif members receive include EU
lobbying, SRI information
and European wide initiatives that integrate SRI and Corporate
Governance issues into the
financial services sector. |
