Why engagement matters

As global investors, we believe that responsible investing business practices lower risk, improve financial performance and drive positive social and environmental outcomes, providing enduring benefits to our clients and communities.

Nuveen implements its responsible investing commitment through activities underlying a set of core principles across the firm including: (1) engagement, (2) ESG integration and (3) driving positive impact across our portfolios. This foundational approach is applied to all asset classes and will continue to be assessed with evolving market trends and business needs.

To learn more about Nuveen’s key engagement activities across portfolios, including proxy voting, issuer dialogues, targeted and market initiatives and policy influence, read our latest insights below.

Environmental and social practices reach a tipping point: 2020 proxy season preview

Over the last several years, environmental, social and governance (ESG) practices have become a priority at both the corporate and investor level, with a growing demand from clients and the marketplace for corporations to show conviction on ESG-related issues. While companies recognize the importance of environmental and social factors (E&S), new regulations bring uncertainty to the future of environmental, social and governance (ESG) proposals.

The rapid spread of the coronavirus is roiling global markets and testing companies’ abilities to handle such a significant crisis. While many aspects of the current outbreak are certainly beyond issuer control, strong company ESG management plays an important role in mitigating downside risk and preserving long-term value. Conversely, poor ESG management could lead to greater negative impacts and a longer road to market recovery.

Across industries, strong corporate governance is a fundamental factor in ensuring business continuity and resiliency in the face of any major event. Board independence, oversight accountability and diversity, in addition to executive compensation that is aligned with long-term value creation, drive better operational strategies, risk-mitigation frameworks and problem-solving.

Policy statement on responsible investing

The purpose of this Policy Statement on Responsible Investing (“Policy Statement”) is to publicly express Nuveen’s commitment to responsible investing (RI), highlight the potential benefits RI approaches may bring to our clients and outline the key activities we use to put our aspiration into action. Nuveen is the investment management arm of Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association of America (TIAA).

While this Policy Statement is applicable to Nuveen and all of its investment affiliates, each affiliate takes a unique investment approach to pursuing competitive risk-adjusted returns on behalf of its clients and may differ depending on company type, underlying asset or applicable regulation, including fiduciary duties and obligations. As the market evolves, the ways in which we implement this Policy Statement will continue to advance and take new forms.