Oekom Research – Development of Criteria and Indicators for Country Ratings for Sustainable Investment

oekom research AG is one of the world's leading providers of information on the social and environmental performance of companies, sectors and countries. The scientifically based rating system for the assessment of countries and their public policies is being constantly updated with the support of an independent advisory board, co-chaired by R. Andreas Kraemer of Ecologic.

The comparatively greater security that bonds offer is making them a popular form of investment, especially among risk-conscious investors. Where bond issuers are also rated as progressive in terms of sustainability, the securities present an even lower risk, since issuers who deal with the environment, the social system and society in a forward-looking way demonstrate greater creditworthiness than their conventional counterparts.

Within the framework of the Corporate Responsibility and the Country Research we analyse the following bonds:

• Public-sector bonds: government bonds and bonds issued by public companies and supranational organisations
• Private-sector bonds: corporate bonds issued by listed companies
• Mortgage bonds and miscellaneous other bonds: from a variety of issuers in Germany and abroad

In all, ten pension and mixed funds with a total volume of 400 million euros work with our bond research and made it a leading approach on the sustainable bond market. Our customers include renowned names like BNP Paribas Asset Mnagement, Morgan Stanley Private Wealth Management and SEB Invest.