Sustainable and socially responsible investment

Pensioenfonds Horeca & Catering is a firm believer in sustainable and socially responsible investment

The issue of sustainable and socially responsible investments began to attract strong media interest in March 2007. Attention focused on organisations investing – often unconsciously and unintentionally – in companies using child labour or producing armaments and munitions like cluster bombs, or in suppliers of such companies.

Good performance and responsible investment

Pensioenfonds Horeca & Catering gives priority to a good performance, but at the same time firmly believes in a socially responsible approach. PH&C has set constraints on asset managers in the area of socially responsible investments. They are supplied with a regularly updated list of companies that must be excluded from their investment portfolios, see list of excluded companies. The Fund continues to aim for the best possible return on investments within a predetermined risk profile.

Every two years the investment portfolio is analysed to determine the extent to which it (still) complies with specific sustainability criteria. The outcome is used to review Pensioenfonds Horeca & Catering’s policy on a regular basis.

Sustainability study

In light of the importance Pensioenfonds Horeca & Catering attaches to socially responsible investments, the governing board reconsidered in October 2007 whether more stringent measures should be introduced in that area. The decision to exclude certain companies from the investment portfolio was based on the outcome of a study conducted summer 2007. This study included a survey covering fund members, pension recipients and employers. It also addressed the issue of criteria to be used for socially responsible investments.