Socially Responsible Investing (SRI)
EVN places great value on simultaneous, open and comprehensive communication with all capital market participants, a high level of transparency and active reporting. Numerous opportunities were used in the last financial year, too, to inform about the business development and strategy of EVN, like the information afternoon for private shareholders.
Over the years, EVN has systematically positioned its share as an investment in sustainability, thus gaining access to the steadily growing number of investors in this segment.
Alongside traditional financial criteria, social, ethical and environmental aspects are also taken into account with regard to sustainable investments – so-called ”socially responsible investments“ (SRI). Companies meeting these strict conditions are recommended by independent rating agencies and included in sustainably-oriented investment funds.
At the end of June 2009, over 300 sustainable funds in Germany, Austria and Switzerland were licensed to sell to the public according to information from the ”Sustainable Business I nstitute“; their number is growing. Demand is strengthened through the trend across Europe to require pension funds by law to include sustainability aspects in their investment decisions. Sustainably acting companies also perform better in the financial markets, something that has been shown by various studies.
Acceptance into sustainability indices
EVN AG was included in several sustainability indices in recent years:
EVN has been part of the
FTSE4Good Index since 2002 and is thus also listed on the FTSE4Good Europe and FTSE4Good Global indices. The FTSE4Good offers sustainability oriented investors the possibility for targeted investments in companies, which meet globally recognised standards in connection with responsibilities towards the environment and stakeholders.
Since 2005 the EVN share is also represented in the
Ethibel Sustainability Index Group (ESI), which is formed by the ESI Global and ESI Europe.
In 2005 EVN was also included into the Austrian
VÖNIX sustainability index and confirmed again. This index unites those listed companies in Austria, which lead the way with regard to their social and ecological performance.
Since December 2010, the EVN share has also been rated in the
ECPI Index and is listed in the ECPI Ethical Index EMU. This index comprises the 150 highest-capitalised companies of the Economic and Monetary Union of the European Union, which present suitable, sustainable investments according to ECPI screening methodologies.
The companies listed in the indices are subjected to regular comprehensive audits.