Nuveen knows: 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.

Shareholder votes signal rising demand for stronger board oversight of ESG issues: 2019 proxy season review

The 2019 proxy season was marked by an increased willingness among shareholders to hold boards accountable on director elections, stay-on-pay, and environmental, social and governance (ESG) shareholder proposals. For example, almost 5 percent of directors received less than 80 percent support for her/his election, which is the highest proportion since the aftermath of the financial crisis.¹ This suggests that investors are beginning to hold boards accountable for failing to improve governance practices and integrate ESG considerations into their overall strategy and oversight responsibilities.
 
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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.

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