Robeco, The Investments Engineers
185461635.jpg

Sustainable investing

Sustainable Development Goals

Ever since the United Nations adopted the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), investors have become increasingly interested in investments that can contribute to realizing these goals while also providing financial returns. Robeco was among the first investment managers to construct a framework for mapping and measuring SDG alignment that can be applied across investment portfolios.


A blueprint for the future of sustainable investing

The SDGs are 17 goals for improving human wellbeing, ecological sustainability and quality of life adopted by the United Nations in 2015. They cover a broad spectrum of sustainability-related topics, ranging from eliminating hunger and combating climate change to promoting responsible consumption and making cities more sustainable.

The ‘call to action’ that lies at the heart of the SDGs is that, unlike most UN initiatives, the 17 goals are not just aimed at governments or NGOs but the whole of society. It presents both a challenge and an opportunity for businesses and investors, who are seen as key to achieving the goals.

Mapping, measuring and monitoring

Robeco is proud of its reputation as an early pioneer in developing and advancing research and analysis in sustainable investing. We were an early mover in creating a proprietary framework for evaluating the intersection between SDGs and business. Combining top-down, industry-specific criteria with bottom-up, company-specific data allows us to rate companies’ contributions to the SDGs. SDG scores can be used to develop investment products across a range of asset classes that align with the SDGs.

Robeco’s long history of innovation and enhancing sustainable products and services is the result of close cooperation between our investment teams, Active Ownership team and our sustainability research analysts. This allowed us to become one of the first asset managers to launch an SDG-focused credit strategy in 2018.

Research & analysis

Research & analysis

Robeco is proud of its reputation as an early pioneer in developing and advancing research and analysis in sustainable investing.

Measuring sustainability performance: comparing an SDG score with ESG ratings


SDGs and business

SDGs and business

We were an early mover in creating a proprietary framework for evaluating the intersection between SDGs and business.

Read more


Company score

Company score

Combining top-down, industry-specific criteria with bottom-up, company-specific data allow us to rate companies’ positive and negative contributions to the SDGs.
Read about our collaborative effort to optimize the impact of SDG Investing:

Sustainable Investing Open Access Initiative


SDG strategies

SDG strategies

SDG scores can be used to develop investment strategies across a range of asset classes.

SDG Investing


How do companies and countries score on sustainability?

Explore the contributions companies make to the Sustainable Development Goals and how countries rank on ESG criteria.

Find out more
loader

Six things you need to know about SDG investing

Learn more

Select an SDG:

number 1

No poverty

number 2

Zero hunger

number 3

Good health and well-being

number 4

Quality education

number 5

Gender equality

number 6

Clean water and sanitation

number 7

Affordable & clean energy

number 8

Decent work and economic growth

number 9

Industry, innovation and infrastructure

number 10

Reduced inequalities

number 11

Sustainable cities and communities

number 12

Responsible consumption and production

number 13

Climate action

number 14

Life below water

number 15

Life on land

number 16

Peace, justice and strong institutions

number 17

Partnerships for the goals

SDG investing strategies

The Sustainable Development Goals are the blueprint for sustainable investing

Learn more
loader

The scoring methodology

With 17 goals and 169 targets, the SDGs address a very broad range of issues, some of which have conflicting effects on each other. Robeco’s proprietary SDG measurement framework provides clear, objective and consistent guidelines for dealing with these challenges, using a three-step approach. The framework allows analysts to investigate to what extent a company positively and/or negatively impacts one or more of the SDGs.

The outcome of this three-step analysis is quantified with a proprietary SDG scoring methodology. All companies obtain an SDG score based on their contribution to the SDGs (positive, neutral or negative) and the extent of this contribution (high, medium or low). As a result, they will be given a score ranging from -3 (highly negative) through 0 (neutral) to +3 (highly positive).

Read more


Full disclosure

The benefit of SDG investing is that thanks to the scoring methodology, we can actually show the contribution a portfolio makes to the SDGs.

Not withstanding the complexities around full impact measurement, Robeco’s SDG scores provide a solid base to assess companies’ positive and negative contributions to societies and the environment. This facilitates the construction of investment portfolios aligned with SI outcomes and enables us to report on that at the end of our investment cycle.

Let's keep the conversation going

Keep track of fast-moving events in sustainable and quantitative investing, trends and credits with our newsletters.

Stay updated
Robeco

Robeco aims to enable its clients to achieve their financial and sustainability goals by providing superior investment returns and solutions.

Important information
The Robeco Capital Growth Funds have not been registered under the United States Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, nor or the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended. None of the shares may be offered or sold, directly or indirectly in the United States or to any U.S. Person (within the meaning of Regulation S promulgated under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”)). Furthermore, Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. (Robeco) does not provide investment advisory services, or hold itself out as providing investment advisory services, in the United States or to any U.S. Person (within the meaning of Regulation S promulgated under the Securities Act).
This website is intended for use only by non-U.S. Persons outside of the United States (within the meaning of Regulation S promulgated under the Securities Act who are professional investors, or professional fiduciaries representing such non-U.S. Person investors. By clicking “I Agree” on our website disclaimer and accessing the information on this website, including any subdomain thereof, you are certifying and agreeing to the following: (i) you have read, understood and agree to this disclaimer, (ii) you have informed yourself of any applicable legal restrictions and represent that by accessing the information contained on this website, you are not in violation of, and will not be causing Robeco or any of its affiliated entities or issuers to violate, any applicable laws and, as a result, you are legally authorized to access such information on behalf of yourself and any underlying investment advisory client, (iii) you understand and acknowledge that certain information presented herein relates to securities that have not been registered under the Securities Act, and may be offered or sold only outside the United States and only to, or for the account or benefit of, non-U.S. Persons (within the meaning of Regulation S under the Securities Act), (iv) you are, or are a discretionary investment adviser representing, a non-U.S. Person (within the meaning of Regulation S under the Securities Act) located outside of the United States and (v) you are, or are a discretionary investment adviser representing, a professional non-retail investor.


Access to this website has been limited so that it shall not constitute directed selling efforts (as defined in Regulation S under the Securities Act) in the United States and so that it shall not be deemed to constitute Robeco holding itself out generally to the public in the U.S. as an investment adviser. Nothing contained herein constitutes an offer to sell securities or solicitation of an offer to purchase any securities in any jurisdiction. We reserve the right to deny access to any visitor, including, but not limited to, those visitors with IP addresses residing in the United States. This website has been carefully prepared by Robeco. The information contained in this publication is based upon sources of information believed to be reliable. Robeco is not answerable for the accuracy or completeness of the facts, opinions, expectations and results referred to therein. Whilst every care has been taken in the preparation of this website, we do not accept any responsibility for damage of any kind resulting from incorrect or incomplete information. This website is subject to change without notice. The value of the investments may fluctuate. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. If the currency in which the past performance is displayed differs from the currency of the country in which you reside, then you should be aware that due to exchange rate fluctuations the performance shown may increase or decrease if converted into your local currency. For investment professional use only. Not for use by the general public.