The ethical foundations of responsible investment
Jean-Michel Bonvin, Paul H. Dembinski,
Edouard Dommen, François-Marie Monnet
This document is a point of access, offering a base from which any person or institution can begin their own reflection concerning the ethical stakes involved in any particular responsible investment process. It is thus intended, on the one hand, for fund-holders (individuals and pension funds) endeavouring to give meaning to their savings and, on the other hand, suppliers of financial services (finance and asset management companies, financial intermediaries, company evaluators, rating agencies, non-governmental organisations) which accompany, in one capacity or another, the process of responsible investment. This document should also interest industrial concerns, particularly those which are the target of responsible investment, and international circles – public and private – where « best practice » codes or examples are prepared. It therefore completes other works recently published by the Observatoire de la Finance.
The following text is the result of discussions within a group of a dozen people concerned or involved in various capacities with the area of responsible investment. The group met on the initiative of the Observatoire de la Finance with the aim of structuring ethical questioning as it arises in relation to the responsible investment process. The Observatoire de la Finance – a foundation established under Swiss law, based in Geneva – acted as the group’s secretariat by preparing intermediate documents. The group, of an informal nature, met four times between the months of November 2001 and February 2002; those taking part did so in a personal capacity, and this document is thus the sole responsibility of its authors.
