Skip to main content
The Actuary: The magazine of the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries - return to the homepage Logo of The Actuary website
  • Search
  • Visit The Actuary Magazine on Facebook
  • Visit The Actuary Magazine on LinkedIn
  • Visit @TheActuaryMag on Twitter
Visit the website of the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries Logo of the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries

Main navigation

  • News
  • Features
    • General Features
    • Interviews
    • Students
    • Opinion
  • Topics
  • Knowledge
    • Business Skills
    • Careers
    • Events
    • Predictions by The Actuary
    • Whitepapers
    • Moody's - Climate Risk Insurers series
    • Webinars
    • Podcasts
  • Jobs
  • IFoA
    • CEO Comment
    • IFoA News
    • People & Social News
    • President Comment
  • Archive
Quick links:
  • Home
  • The Actuary Issues
  • April 2019
04

Financial firms win most praise from NGOs this year

Open-access content Friday 26th April 2019 — updated 5.50pm, Wednesday 29th April 2020

Eight of the 10 brands most praised by activist groups so far this year have been insurance and investment companies, a quarterly ranking by consultancy firm SIGWATCH has revealed.

2


The findings are based on the tracking of more than 1,500 campaigns by non-profit organisations (NGOs) using various online tools over the last three months, with German multinational Allianz topping the ranking.

The firm was recognised for its decision to end insurance coverage for coal projects, and for its efforts combating pirate fishing and protecting world heritage sites.

Meanwhile, investment managers Aegon, Trillium Asset Management and Boston Common entered the top ten for the first time after winning praise for their fossil fuel divestment and efforts to tackle deforestation.

"Activists are operating a 'follow the money' strategy, leaning on influential financial institutions to toughen up acceptable investment screens and divest," SIGWATCH managing director, Robert Blood, said.

"They rightly believe that losing key investors, or the threat of this happening, sends a far stronger signal to industry than any amount of road blockades and abseiling down their headquarters."

SIGWATCH has been compiling quarterly rankings of the companies most praised by activist groups by monitoring more than 9,000 NGOs and their campaign actions over the last three years.

The top 10 most praised brands in the first quarter of 2019 are shown below:


TOP 10


Although Unilever and Nestlé feature in the top 10, the researchers said fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) brands, which normally dominate the ranking, were "conspicuous by their absence" in the latest quarter.

Unilever scored highly due to its policies on issues around plastic and animal welfare, while Nestlé was applauded for policies on deforestation and efforts towards full supply chain transparency.

This comes after SIGWATCH found that re/insurers Allianz, AXA and Swiss Re had received more praise from NGOs than global brands like McDonald's, Aldi and H&M last year.

"It is unsurprising that consumer-facing companies are responsive to activists' concerns, however,  it is new to see financial institutions joining them," Blood said.

"Undoubtedly this is because they are facing up to the reality of climate change and believe they cannot avoid their responsibility to use their market power to make a difference."


Sign up to our free newsletter here and receive a weekly roundup of news concerning the actuarial profession


This article appeared in our April 2019 issue of The Actuary.
Click here to view this issue
Filed in
04

You might also like...

Share
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Linked in
  • Mail
  • Print

Latest Jobs

Risk Actuary - General Insurance

London (Greater)
£60,000 - £85,000
Reference
145934

Project Actuary - Life Insurance

Midlands
£60,000 - £110,000
Reference
145933

Model Validation Actuary

London (Greater)
£60k - £80k
Reference
145932
See all jobs »
 
 

Today's top reads

 
 

Sign up to our newsletter

News, jobs and updates

Sign up

Subscribe to The Actuary

Receive the print edition straight to your door

Subscribe
Spread-iPad-slantB-june.png

Topics

  • Data Science
  • Investment
  • Risk & ERM
  • Pensions
  • Environment
  • Soft skills
  • General Insurance
  • Regulation Standards
  • Health care
  • Technology
  • Reinsurance
  • Global
  • Life insurance
​
FOLLOW US
The Actuary on LinkedIn
@TheActuaryMag on Twitter
Facebook: The Actuary Magazine
CONTACT US
The Actuary
Tel: (+44) 020 7880 6200
​

IFoA

About IFoA
Become an actuary
IFoA Events
About membership

Information

Privacy Policy
Terms & Conditions
Cookie Policy
Think Green

Get in touch

Contact us
Advertise with us
Subscribe to The Actuary Magazine
Contribute

The Actuary Jobs

Actuarial job search
Pensions jobs
General insurance jobs
Solvency II jobs

© 2023 The Actuary. The Actuary is published on behalf of the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries by Redactive Publishing Limited. All rights reserved. Reproduction of any part is not allowed without written permission.

Redactive Media Group Ltd, 71-75 Shelton Street, London WC2H 9JQ