German asset manager DWS has been awarded a top A+ rating for strategy and governance from the Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI).
The company, which has EUR 719bn of assets under management, improved its score in three of the nine key categories assessed by the PRI for 2019.
Last year, the firm received an ‘E’ for responsible investment in securitized fixed income, the lowest score given by the PRI – but has scraped back to receive a ‘B’ this year.
It has also been awarded an A+ rating for active ownership (individual engagement) and active ownership (collaborative engagement).
As an early signatory to the PRI, DWS is required to report on responsible investment activities and progress on an annual basis.
DWS has stepped up its efforts to improve the breadth and depth of its ESG data, recently announcing the acquisition of a minority stake in Frankfurt-based ESG-scoring provider Arabesque S-Ray.
The firm said it has developed a new climate transition management system which will be added to its research and portfolio management system. The system can also be implemented in bespoke client solutions, the company added.
Asoka Woehrmann, CEO at DWS said its latest PRI assessment underlines the asset manager’s ambition to be a leader in the ESG market.
“We are very proud to maintain our top rating from the PRI, which is a key metric for our clients. This result gives testimony to the great effort DWS has made to put sustainability at the core of what we do. But, there is still more we can all do,” Woehrmann commented.
