Schroders PLC

Our public policy engagement is underpinned by ethical behaviour, integrity and transparency. In this context, we comply with legal and regulatory obligations. We are registered under the EU Transparency Register and adhere to the EU Transparency Register's Code of Conduct. While engagement includes regulators, our public policy exchanges are kept separate from day-to-day supervisory contacts. [...] We do not make political contributions, nor do we employ the services of serving politicians for lobbying purposes. We do not fund All Party Groups in the UK or similar elsewhere (including the European Parliament). Any political activity by employees must be kept separate from duties as an employee. We make use of public affairs agencies but they do not make representations on our behalf. [...] We are the Public Policy Team. We coordinate public policy work from London and Brussels. The team works closely with colleagues across the business around the world, making best use of their knowledge, network and expertise in local markets.

Describe the process(es) your organization has in place to ensure that your engagement activities are consistent with your overall climate change strategy[…]The public policy team is a member of Schroders' ESG Steering Committee and the ESG Regulatory Steering Committee (see the climate governance structure in our TCFD Report 2021), two leading internal committees on Schroders' ESG initiatives, investment policies and product strategy:
- The ESG Steering Committee is responsible for overseeing the delivery of Schroders' overall firm-wide sustainability strategy and stewardship programme priorities. This includes the coordination, alignment, and monitoring of progress on the implementation of sustainable regulatory developments. The committee is chaired by our Global Head of Investment and comprises a wide range of members of the firm's senior management teams, including several members of the Group Management Committee.
– The ESG Regulatory Steering Committee monitors emergent ESG regulations and determines their high-level impact on our ESG strategy and supporting operations. The ESG Regulatory SteerCo receives input on forthcoming sustainability-related regulation from our in-house Public Policy team, which actively engages with relevant regulators, industry trade associations and other sustainability initiative bodies, in addition to our in-house ongoing monitoring of the regulatory horizon, including climate regulations.
(Note that in 2022 we are refocusing some of the groups mentioned above, ensuring a consistent or more complete oversight and governance)

Additionally, there are monthly meetings between the ESG team and the public policy team. These touchpoints ensure coherent messaging and activities, so that our contributions to formal and informal policy consultations are aligned with Schroders' overall perspective on climate change.