UOB will work with Dutch investment company Robeco to tap its expertise in environmental, social and governance (ESG) matters and integrate sustainable thinking across its business and investment processes.
The bank's asset management arm is launching its Sustainability Academy in the fourth quarter of 2020, which offer development programs to deepen its employees' understanding of sustainability principles and nurture an ESG mindset, UOB announced on Friday.
The Robeco program comprises two modules, namely Sustainable Investing and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Investing, and will cover key topics such as ESG integration, active ownership and measuring the contribution of companies to the UN SDGs. Over 400 staff in both investment and non-investment roles across the region are expected to benefit from the training.
The academy will launch a second training program in November 2020, to be offered by KPMG and supported by the Institute of Banking and Finance Singapore, covering topics such as sustainability reporting and regulatory expectations on ESG matters.
Sustainability Goals
«The global emphasis on sustainable investing has grown tremendously in recent years, with ESG considerations now core to the investment philosophy of major asset managers around the world,» Thio Boon Kiat, CEO of UOB Asset Management, said in the announcement.
Earlier this week, UOB announced that it would integrate ESG considerations into its full suite of retail investment solutions as part of the bank’s commitment to driving growth sustainably.
UOBAM previously worked with Robeco to launch the first bond fund focused on the UN SDGs – the United Sustainable Credit Income Fund (USCIF) – for retail investors in Singapore in March 2020. The two sides also jointly launched a sustainable global equity fund to retail investors in Thailand in August 2020.
