Investment company Sanlam Investments has partnered with international asset manager Robeco to enhance and cement its commitment to sustainable investment practices and, in turn, revitalise its purpose and create fresh impact, the company says in a statement.

Robeco boasts sustainable investing expertise, Sanlam notes.

“Together, our mission is to enable clients to achieve their financial and sustainability goals by providing superior investment returns and solutions,” comments Sanlam Investments CE Nersan Naidoo.

He says Sanlam Investments’ purpose as a business has evolved significantly over the last few years, with factors such as climate change and Covid-19 proving to be strong catalysts.

“The pandemic has concretised what we’ve known for some time; that as an asset management business, we are in a strong position to make a tangible, measurable difference.

"At the heart of our purpose is our journey towards long-term sustainability, for South African investors, our economy and communities. The world is changing rapidly, and our purpose has evolved well beyond just wealth creation,” he notes.

Sanlam Investments previously entered into a joint venture with Climate Fund Managers in 2017 and, more recently launched the Investors’ Legacy Range as a response to the economic impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The objective of the three funds in the Investors’ Legacy Range is to preserve jobs in small, medium-sized and large companies across South Africa.

Sanlam Investments made a R2.25-billion capital investment into the funds, with additional external capital also raised. Capital is being deployed where it is needed most.

“Robeco is the perfect world-class partner to help us fast-track the integration of sustainable investing practices into every facet of our business,” Naidoo says.

He explains that, rather than outsourcing sustainability mandates to Robeco, the partnership was designed to develop and enhance its skills in sustainable investing best practices.

“It will see us having access to Robeco’s platform, research and experience, which will allow us to rapidly upskill our people and help embed sustainable investing practices into our investment processes and into everything we do as a business.”

Robeco has 17 offices worldwide and has $174-billion in assets under management, of which $161-billion is committed to environmental. social and governance integration.