Socially responsible investments (SRI) are part of our investment policy. At the end of last year, we asked you to give your opinion on our investment policy. What do you consider important? And do you have confidence in the pension fund as an investor of your pension?

The response rate to our survey was high. Almost 20% of the pension fund's participants filled in the online questionnaire, which posed questions such as:

• Are you interested in investments?
• How engaged are you with ‘socially responsible investments’?
• Do you think socially responsible investments will yield higher pensions in the long run?
• Are you familiar with the pension fund’s exclusion lists?
• Do you feel it is important for the fund to add a voting policy to its current policy? 

Knowledge and interest
More than 40% of the respondents replied that they are interested in investments. The survey also showed that socially responsible investments are relevant to the pension fund's participants, as more than 60% of the respondents said they feel engaged with this topic and 40% think socially responsible investments will yield higher pensions in the long run. More than 70% of the respondents said they are familiar with the pension fund’s exclusion lists, which name the countries and companies that the pension fund doesn’t invest in. Click here to see the exclusion lists.

Confidence
The survey also revealed that participants have confidence in the pension fund as the administrator of their pension plan (76% in 2020 versus 75% in 2019) and the way the pension fund invests the assets (75% in 2020 versus 71% in 2018). All of the target groups also support the pension fund’s current SRI policy. 

What are the policy principles?

In executing its pension and investment policies, ING CDC Pensioenfonds pursues a healthy balance between risk and return, in line with regulatory requirements. The pension fund invests only in socially responsible investments if these contribute to the fund's return and/or risk profile. After all, the fund’s main task is to provide good pensions. 

Voting policy
Alongside confidence in the fund’s current SRI policy, respondents are also in favour of adding a voting policy (57%). What does this entail? As a shareholder of the companies it invests in, the pension fund is allowed to vote at shareholders’ meetings. By doing so, the fund can exert influence on governance issues, such as corporate social responsibility, remuneration policies and the composition of the management team. A voting policy means we allow our external asset manager to vote as a holder of equity in developed countries. 

Further information
Would you like to know more about our SRI policy? Visit our website for up-to-date information.