I'm so glad you're taking the time to learn more about sustainability, or what I often refer to as "ESG," or environmental, social, and governance.
For some, being sustainable equals actions to benefit the environment.
But when companies talk about sustainability, they're referring to the choices they make to support people, the planet, and their business, now and into the future.
The term "ESG" is an acknowledgment that sustainability is inclusive of, but how much more than behaviors like recycling.
At Principal, we are working to help more people access financial security and achieve their goals by doing the right things in the right way.
This supports our purpose: to foster a world where financial security is accessible to more people and businesses around the globe.
But that world remains far from reach if we aren't all aligned on our ESG strategy and the actions we need to take to build a more sustainable future.
We bring our ESG strategy to life by building an inclusive workplace, accessible and equitable financial products and services, and sustainable business practices.
These strategies drive our decision making as an organization and how we set long-term goals.
Our multi-year corporate responsibility commitments demonstrate our dedication to these goals and help measure progress towards long-term responsible actions.
As an asset manager, our commitment to responsible investing and ESG revolve around one key factor-- our fiduciary responsibility to our clients.
Acting in their best interest comes first and foremost.
As the ESG landscape continues to evolve, our flexible approach allows us to offer options that follow a repeatable investment process while supporting client values and helping them reach their financial goals.
I strongly believe that our industry has the power to create products and services that allow people to better weather financial challenges -- from macroeconomic shocks to personal crisis.
But to do this, we must make tools and resources more accessible to the people who need it the most.
We've been in business for over 140 years because we understand the success of a company goes beyond a strong bottom line.
It's about building our proven business fundamentals to deliver strong results to our stakeholders, while finding innovative ways to make a meaningful difference in the world.
As a global financial services company, we have a unique opportunity to accomplish both.
We recognize and lean into the understanding that our sustainability journey is one that's focused on progress over perfection, and we will continue to adapt our ESG efforts to the changing needs of the world around us.