The jury awards the Asset Management prize to APG for the iSTOXX APG World Responsible Investment indices launched in September 2021. With this way of index investing, APG, together with index provider Qontigo and asset manager BlackRock, is responding to the growing demand for sustainable customized index products. This is not only a sustainable solution, it also contains passive elements. As a result, the costs are lower, which makes it attractive for smaller funds in particular to invest responsibly. A special feature of the index series is that the return-risk effects can be tracked on a daily basis. “It's good that APG is doing this. An important development for a sustainable world”, the jury believes.
Unique product
Maarten is proud of the employees of APG Asset Management who have won this award. “The indices respond to the demand of pension funds to have part of their investments managed cost-effectively according to an index strategy. At the same time, they want to see conscious policy choices with regard to responsible investment reflected in the full investment portfolio. Standard index products do not offer this capability.”
BpfBOUW
BpfBOUW, one of the funds for which APG manages the assets, took home the prices for responsible investment/esg as well as for the long-term investment of the year. The fund received the latter award because of its long-term focus on social real estate, with investments in, for example, mid-rental rent and lhbtiq+-friendly care apartments. “Social real estate for a good old age helps society as a whole: better living, but also mobility in the housing market”, concludes the jury.
Photography: Sander Nieuwenhuys