Aegon has a 30-year heritage of responsible investment with responsible investment strategies which look to exclusion-based approaches, best-in-class ESG strategies, sustainability-themed strategies, and impact investing.

In 2020 it launched its Global Sustainable Sovereign Bond strategy for insurance clients and in 2021 received an award from the United Nations for its Global Sustainable Equity Fund.

The company's three-pillar approach to responsible investing, embraces ESG integration, active ownership and specialist investment solutions.

Its focus on responsible investing has seen it grow its investment team to 14 people with a remit for an all-encompassing responsible strategy. Currently Aegon AM manages £180bn ($244bn) of client portfolios with ESG-related exclusions.

Its best-in-class ESG emphasises positive screening of companies or issuers with stronger or improving ESG practices. It currently manages £2.5bn in this. Meanwhile, the sustainability-themed focus has grown to £1.1bn.

Highlighting its success, the UN PRI rewarded the company, which has been a signatory to the initiative since 2011, with its top rating of A+ for strategy and governance of responsible investment activities.

Judges praised it for its strong evidence of market leading RI capability both via innovative targeted funds, strategies, ESG integration and stewardship and the strong endorsement from the UN PRI.