Rethinking Investing from the Ground Up: How PFZW and PGGM are Meeting this Challenge

Abstract

In 2013, Pensioenfonds voor Zorg en Welzijn (PFZW), the second-largest pension fund in the Netherlands, adopted an ambitious set of investment principles – formally titled the Investment Framework – following an 18-month process that began by asking, “What if we could start investing from scratch?” and during which PFZW’s Board members interviewed more than 30 industry experts from around the world. The project produced three important results. First, the PFZW Board has taken full ownership of the resulting investment principles. Second, the project created a powerful common language, both inside PFZW and with the investment organization PGGM. Third, it produced a fresh set of investment principles that combines lessons from the global financial crisis with a desire for strong integration of sustainability factors in investment decisions.

Keywords: Investment Beliefs, Investment Strategy, Pension Fund, Social Responsibility, Sustainable