Boston Trust/Walden Awarded Top PRI Scores

BOSTON, Aug. 1, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Boston Trust & Investment Management Company, including its sustainable, responsible, and impact investing practice Walden Asset Management, has been awarded top scores in the most recent Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI) assessment report as of year-end 2018. PRI, the leading global proponent of responsible investment, rated the firm above the peer median in every category, and awarded it the highest score for "Strategy and Governance" and "Listed Equity Incorporation" for the 6^th year in a row. Since 2016 Boston Trust/Walden has received an A+ score for "Listed Equity Active Ownership," a recognition of its commitment to encourage more sustainable business practices through dialogue, shareholder proposals, and proxy voting.

"Environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors are an appropriate and material part of a comprehensive analysis of long-term investment prospects. We have long believed it is important to consider a company's ESG performance as part of our fiduciary duty to all of our clients," said William Apfel, Executive Managing Director and Chief Investment Officer at Boston Trust/Walden.

Amy Augustine, Director of ESG Investing at Boston Trust/Walden, said: "We believe well managed companies value input from investors and other stakeholders that aims to improve the sustainability of their business by limiting risk and protecting or enhancing shareowner value. Active ownership is a tool we use to further that aim."

Boston Trust/Walden has been at the vanguard of sustainable, responsible, and impact investing since 1975. A strong proponent of PRI since becoming a signatory in 2007, and a leader in advancing complete transparency in reporting, we have provided comprehensive responses to PRI since the questionnaire was introduced in 2012 and have completed pilot questionnaires to help PRI test new approaches beginning in 2009.

The firm's comprehensive approach to encourage more sustainable business policies and practices includes:

• Active ownership through effective engagement with portfolio companies (over 500 resolutions filed since 1987 with over 40% withdrawn based on negotiated agreements)
• Active ownership through proxy voting, coupled with outreach and guidance to PRI asset manager signatories with proxy voting records that need improvement
• Integration of ESG factors in investment decisions across all investment strategies since inception
• Meaningful public policy advocacy
• Transparent reporting
• Industry thought leadership, including membership on PRI's Sustainable Development Goals ("SDGs") Advisory Committee and SDGs in Active Ownership Working Group, Listed Equity Sub-Committee, and Investor Reference Group on Corporate Reporting

Convened by the United Nations Secretary-General and launched in 2006, PRI was developed by an international group of investors committed to integrating corporate ESG assessments into investment decision-making and ownership practices. Today PRI represents investors with US$80 trillion in assets, including many of the world's largest asset owners and managers.

Read about PRI's assessment methodology at https://www.unpri.org/signatories/about-pri-assessment. Boston Trust's transparency report can be found at http://bit.ly/2Nfkerq.

About Boston Trust and Walden
Boston Trust & Investment Management Company is a private, employee-owned firm providing investment management services to institutional investors and private wealth clients. Walden Asset Management, a nationally recognized leader in providing environmental, social, and governance (ESG) investment solutions, is the fully integrated sustainable, responsible, and impact (SRI) investing practice of Boston Trust.

Media Contact: Amy Augustine, 617-726-7289, [email protected]

SOURCE Boston Trust & Investment Management Company; Walden Asset Management

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