Pictet Clinches Top Spot, Surpassing UBS Asset Management

The latest Responsible Investment Brand Index sets the focus on identity as opposed to pure marketing.

In the current climate of skepticism toward ESG investing, the 2025 edition of the Responsible Investment Brand Index (RIBI) offers a different kind of benchmark: not what asset managers claim to do, but how consistently they incorporate responsible investment into their brand identity.

The index evaluates 623 firms globally based on two dimensions — «Commitment» to responsible investing, and how clearly this is reflected in their brand and communications. Firms scoring above average in both are classified as «Avant-Gardists.» The global Top 10 are:

  1. DPAM
  2. CANDRIAM
  3. Pictet Asset Management
  4. UBS Asset Management
  5. Nordea Asset Management
  6. Nuveen
  7. Mirova
  8. Robeco
  9. Triodos Asset Management
  10. WHEB Asset Management

ESG Debate in the Background

According to the authors, Jean-François Hirschel and Markus Kramer, competition among leading firms is tight: small differences in brand positioning and expression can lead to significant shifts in the ranking. In Mirabaud's case, a stable commitment profile and stronger brand development drove the improvement.

The index’s release comes at a time of intensified scrutiny around ESG. Political pushback, lack of standardisation, and performance concerns have prompted some asset managers to distance themselves from earlier pledges.

The authors argue that this exposes a divide between those with embedded values and those who treat ESG more as a communications exercise. RIBI explicitly moves beyond ESG labels. Instead, it focuses on whether firms articulate a consistent purpose and whether this is visible in their brand and corporate culture.

Regional Dynamics

Europe remains the leading region in the global ranking. Japan stands out as the top-performing country, with no companies in the lowest category («Laggards»). The US, by contrast, has the highest concentration of lagging firms despite representing the largest asset management market globally. China, while still catching up, continues to improve and now scores better overall than the US.

Only 45 percent of the firms evaluated expressed a value system that clearly distinguishes them. While more than half of firms now claim to have a purpose statement, many fall short of integrating this into a coherent identity.