| Organisational Overview | ||||||
| Organisational Overview This section captures information that helps determine if some of the subsequent questions are required and also plays a role in benchmarking. Please make sure you provide accurate answers. This is also one of the more challenging sections as it may require gathering information from multiple sources. We suggest you collect all this information before progressing to other parts of the questionnaire. | ||||||
| 1. What were your organisation's total assets under management as of the most recent count (in millions)? (Estimating to the nearest hundred million as of December 31 2008 would be preferable - although the most recent available count would be sufficient. If your currency is not listed, please select 'other' and indicate your currency or convert to United States dollars.) | 183300 | |||||
| Please select currency | United States dollar (USD) | |||||
| 1a. If 'other' was selected, please specify the other currency here | No Answer | |||||
2. Please pick the one category and level of complexity that best describes your organisation (if your organisation is a pension fund, please also select your pension type). This information may be used to provide you with the best possible benchmarking. Complexity
| ||||||
| Corporate pension or superannuation or retirement or provident fund or plan | Moderately complex | Primarily defined benefit | ||||
| 2a. If 'other' was selected, please specify the other category here | No answer | |||||
| 3. Please provide an approximation of your average asset mix for 2008 or your asset mix as of the most recent count (in percent):(+/- 5% is sufficient. The sum of all the fields must be 100%) | ||||||
Active | Passive | Active | Passive | |||
| Listed equity (developed markets) | 3 | 25 | 7 | 0 | ||
| Listed equity (emerging markets) | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | ||
| Fixed income (not including corporate issuers) | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Fixed income (corporate issuers) | 7 | 0 | 2 | 0 | ||
| Private equity | 0 | 0 | 13 | 0 | ||
| Listed real estate or property | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Non-listed real estate or property | 0 | 0 | 11 | 0 | ||
| Hedge funds | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | ||
| Commodities | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Infrastructure | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Cash | 0 | 8 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||
| Governance, Policy and Strategy | ||||||
| Governance, Policy and StrategyQuestions 5 through 15 are about the governance and oversight of your organisation's responsible investment activities and the associated policies and strategy. This section will be scored separately from the six Principles."Policy" in this section may refer to one overall RI policy or multiple policies that address various elements of RI. | ||||||
| 5. Do you have a policy that makes specific reference to responsible investment (RI) or environmental, social, and governance (ESG) issues? | Yes | |||||
| 6. If you have a policy that makes specific reference to RI/ESG issues, which of the following Principles does it address?(Please check all that apply.) | Principle 1: We will incorporate ESG issues into investment analysis and decision-making processes.,Principle 2: We will be active owners and incorporate ESG issues into our ownership policies and practices.,Principle 3: We will seek appropriate disclosure on ESG issues by the entities in which we invest.,Principle 4: We will promote acceptance and implementation of the Principles within the investment industry.,Principle 5: We will work together to enhance our effectiveness in implementing the Principles.,Principle 6: We will each report on our activities and progress towards implementing the Principles. | |||||
| 7. If you have a policy that makes specific reference to RI/ESG issues, which of the following asset classes does it apply to?(Please check all that apply.) | Listed equity (developed markets),Listed equity (emerging markets),Fixed income (not including corporate issuers),Fixed income (corporate issuers),Private equity,Non-listed real estate or property,Hedge funds,Cash (not included in scoring),Forestland (not included in scoring) | |||||
| 8. If you have a policy that makes specific reference to RI/ESG issues, when was your policy last reviewed? | Within the last 3 years | |||||
| 9. If you have a policy that makes specific reference to RI/ESG issues, has it been disclosed publicly?(If answering yes, please indicate how this statement can be obtained - a URL would be sufficient. If answering no, please explain why not.) | Yes: 'www.calpers-governance.org/principles/default.asp or http://www.calpers.ca.gov/index.jsp?bc=/investments/policies/home.xml' | |||||
10. To what extent has your approach to responsible investment been translated into a plan of action as reflected in business planning, strategic planning, or similar internal management processes?
| To a moderate extent | |||||
| 11. Who within your organisation has responsibilities related to RI implementation?(Please check all that apply.) | Board of trustees or board of directors,Committee of the board of trustees or board of directors,Chief Executive Officer or Chief Investment Officer or equivalent,Other senior management,Middle management | |||||
| 12. Do you have a policy or approach/process that requires screening out or excluding stocks or sectors from your investment universe? | Both stocks and sectors | |||||
| 13. What are your reasons for screening out or excluding stocks or sectors from your investment universe?(Please check all that apply.) | We (and/or our clients) wish to avoid supporting the companies/sectors in question based on ethical considerations and we regard buying/holding their stock as providing such support,We believe that it is possible to exclude companies/sectors which will prove to be long term chronic underperformers in terms of their ability to maintain and grow earnings i.e. our exclusion is based on a high level integration | |||||
| 14. Please describe how your organisation assesses if there is a link between your RI activities and the performance (risk and return) of your investments: | CalPERS assesses if there is a link between our RI activities and the performance (risk and return) of the System's investments by first and foremost, at the Total Fund level, managing the risk and volatility of assets and liabilities to ensure sufficient funds are available, first, to pay benefits and second, to minimize and stabilize contributions. Examples of how CalPERS assesses this link include the Fund's Statement of Investment Policy for Emerging Equity Markets Principles, KLD Screen, excess investment return and positive governance changes related to CalPERS Focus List Program, and the individual benchmarking performance comparison analysis for all of CalPERS individual investment portfolios. | |||||
| 15. Please add any overall comments and clarifications related to Governance, Policy, and Strategy here. | Re:Q5 - several of our policies reference RI and/ or ESG. Re: Q13 - We also wish to avoid supporting the companies/ sectors in question based on our fiduciary responsibility. | |||||
| Principle 1 | ||||||
Principle 1: We will incorporate ESG issues into investment analysis and decision-making processes.For the purposes of this questionnaire, integration is the consideration of ESG issues alongside traditional financial measures, based on the belief that ESG issues can affect the performance (risk and/or return) of investment portfolios (to varying degrees across companies, sectors, regions, asset classes and through time). Please note that the view that ESG issues can influence investment returns may be based either on
| ||||||
| 16. Please provide a one to two paragraph description of your approach to this Principle.This question and similar questions relating to each of the other Principles are being asked for three reasons. The first reason is to gather details regarding signatory implementation for inclusion in the PRI annual report on progress. The second reason is to capture activities not captured directly by questions in the Reporting and Assessment Tool. The third reason is to provide context and details to support verification calls. | CalPERS incorporates ESG issues into investment analysis and decision-making processes through a multi-aset class approach. | |||||
| Integration of ESG issues into investment analysis and decision-making processes of internally managed assets | ||||||
| 17. For what percentage of your internal assets under active management do you integrate RI/ESG issues into your internal investment decision-making processes (in percent)?(+/- 5% is sufficient.) | ||||||
| Listed equity (developed markets) | 100 | |||||
| Listed equity (emerging markets) | 100 | |||||
| Fixed income (not including corporate issuers) | 0 | |||||
| Fixed income (corporate issuers) | 0 | |||||
18. To what extent have you integrated RI/ESG issues into your internal active investment decision-making processes?(Applies only to investments that include integration of RI/ESG issues as indicated in Q17.)
| ||||||
| Listed equity (developed markets) | To a moderate extent | |||||
| Listed equity (emerging markets) | To a moderate extent | |||||
| Fixed income (not including corporate issuers) | Not applicable | |||||
| Fixed income (corporate issuers) | Not applicable | |||||
19. When forming investment views, to what extent does your organisation gather and analyse ESG information, including, where applicable, information obtained from engagement activities?(Applies only to investments that include integration of RI/ESG issues as indicated in Q17.)
| To a moderate extent | |||||
20. To what extent do portfolio managers or others making investment decisions in your organisation apply the ESG information and analysis available to them when constructing and managing portfolios?(Applies only to investments that include integration of RI/ESG issues as indicated in Q17.)
| To a moderate extent | |||||
21. To what extent do you have a process for improving the effectiveness of research and portfolio management processes with regards to ESG factors?(Applies only to investments that include integration of RI/ESG issues as indicated in Q17.)
| To a moderate extent | |||||
22. To what extent do you have a process for assessing and improving internal investment staff competency to incorporate RI/ESG issues into investment analysis and decision-making processes?(Applies only to investments that include integration of RI/ESG issues as indicated in Q17.)
| To a moderate extent | |||||
| Integration of ESG issues into investment analysis and decision-making processes of externally managed assets | ||||||
| 23. For what percentage of your external assets under management are RI/ESG issues integrated into the investment decision-making processes of your external investment managers (in percent, +/- 5% is sufficient)? | ||||||
| Listed equity (developed markets) | 67 | |||||
| Listed equity (emerging markets) | 100 | |||||
| Fixed income (corporate issuers) | 0 | |||||
| Private equity | 100 | |||||
| Non-listed real estate or property | 100 | |||||
| Hedge funds | 0 | |||||
24. To what extent have RI/ESG issues been integrated into the investment decision-making processes of your external investment managers?(Applies only to investments that include integration of RI/ESG issues as indicated in Q23.)
| ||||||
| Listed equity (developed markets) | To a moderate extent | |||||
| Listed equity (emerging markets) | To a large extent | |||||
| Fixed income (corporate issuers) | Not applicable | |||||
| Private equity | To a moderate extent | |||||
| Non-listed real estate or property | To a moderate extent | |||||
| Hedge funds | Not applicable | |||||
25. To what extent do you consider the capabilities of external investment managers to incorporate RI/ESG issues when searching for, selecting and retaining your external investment managers?(Applies only to investments that include integration of RI/ESG issues as indicated in Q23.)
| To a moderate extent | |||||
| Integration - final comments | ||||||
| 26. Please add any overall comments and clarifications related to Principle 1 here. Please also describe any significant activities relating to Principle 1 that have not been captured by the questions above. | CalPERS has participated in and developed many programs and initiatives addressing the incorporation of ESG issues into investment decision-making and review. Units including corporate governance, Real Estate, and Alternative Investments Management each have specific programs taking RI/ ESG issues into account and incorporating them into the process. | |||||
| Principle 2 | ||||||
| Principle 2: We will be active owners and incorporate ESG issues into our ownership policies and practices. | ||||||
| 27. Please provide a one to two paragraph description of your approach to this Principle. | " Proxy Voting: CalPERS votes over 7,000 global proxies each year in accordance with its Statement of Investment Policy for Global Proxy Voting and the Global Principles for Accountable Corporate Governance, which incorporates ESG issues. " Company Engagement: Staff conducts company engagement on ESG issues both privately and publicly, as well as individually and collaboratively. " File Shareowner Resolutions: Staff routinely files shareowner resolutions at portfolio companies on ESG issues. | |||||
| (Proxy) voting - applies only to listed equity (developed markets), listed equity (emerging markets) and listed real estate or property. | ||||||
| 28. Do you have a (proxy) voting policy?(If 'Yes - disclosed publicly', please indicate how your (proxy) voting policy can be obtained- a URL would be sufficient. If answering no, please explain why not.) | Yes - disclosed publicly: 'www.calpers.governance.org/forumhome.asp' | |||||
| 29. Does your (proxy) voting policy address environmental, social, and governance issues? | ||||||
| Environmental | Yes | |||||
| Social | Yes | |||||
| Governance | Yes | |||||
| 30. Who decided how to vote on ballot items on behalf of your organisation in 2008?(Please check all that apply.) | Internal investment manager,Internal voting or governance group | |||||
31. To what extent is information related to ballot items gathered and analysed before voting decisions are made?
| To a large extent | |||||
| 32. Do you ensure that voting is done in accordance with your voting instructions? | Yes for all | |||||
| 33. Do you inform companies of your rationale when you abstain or vote against management recommendations? | Yes for some | |||||
| 34. Please indicate how many resolutions you could have voted on and how many resolutions you did vote on in 2008:(include abstentions as votes where votes against are not possible, use the last available one year period if information for 2008 is not available or too difficult to gather, approximate numbers are acceptable. If you are unable to provide the exact number please provide an approximation of the percentage by entering 10 in the 'Resolutions could have voted on' column and your estimate in the 'Resolutions voted on' column. So if you voted on about 70% of the possible resolutions you would enter 7 in the 'Resolutions voted on' column. If you are not sure, please enter a 1 in all four fields.) | ||||||
| Domestic | 10 | 10 | ||||
| Foreign | 10 | 10 | ||||
| 35. You are classified as an Asset Owner and should not answer this question. For the listed equities that you manage, do you provide (proxy) voting services for your clients if they request them? | No Answer | |||||
| 36. How does your securities lending program address voting? | We recall some securities for voting on some ballot items on an ad hoc basis | |||||
| 37. How many shareholder resolutions related to ESG issues did you file or co-file during 2008? | ||||||
| As lead filer | 27 | |||||
| As co-filer | 0 | |||||
| Planning to be lead filer in 2009 | 40 | |||||
| Planning to be co-filer in 2009 | 1 | |||||
| 38. Please explain why you did or did not file or co-file any shareholder resolutions related to RI/ESG issues during 2008: | No Answer | |||||
| Engagement - general | ||||||
| 39. Who engaged with companies to seek ESG improvements in 2008?Please rank who engaged with companies according to their importance within your overall active ownership activities. You can only select Most, Second, Third and Fourth most important once each. Only the method you rank as 'Most important' will be scored for benchmarking purposes. If you wish to request that your other methods of engagement also be scored, please complete all the relevant sections and email the PRI at assessment@unpri.org when you submit your response. | ||||||
| Internal staff | Most important | |||||
| External investment manager(s) | Second most important | |||||
| External engagement service provider(s) | Did not engage with companies in 2008 | |||||
| No Answer | |||||
| 40. Do you have a written engagement policy or other documents that direct engagement?(If 'Yes - disclosed publicly', please indicate how your policy can be obtained- a URL would be sufficient.) | Yes - disclosed publicly: 'http://www.calpers-governance.org/forumhome.asp' | |||||
| 41. If you have an engagement policy or other documents that direct engagement, what do they include?(Please check all that apply.) | General high level policy to support direction of agents to engage with companies,Indication of what markets it applies to,Expectations of companies with regards to environmental issues,Expectations of companies with regards to social issues,Expectations of companies with regards to governance issues,Approach to selecting companies for engagement,Approach to measuring engagement success | |||||
| 42. How many companies are you invested in? | 13980 | |||||
| Engagement - internal staff | ||||||
43. To what extent do you have a process for identifying and prioritising ESG related engagement opportunities?
| To a moderate extent | |||||
44. How many portfolio companies did you engage with on ESG issues in 2008?
| ||||||
| Extensive engagement | 209 | |||||
| Moderate engagement | 17 | |||||
| Basic engagement | 0 | |||||
| 45. What proportion of your engagements addressed environmental, social or governance issues (in percent)?(One engagement may address more than one issue, so the three percentages need not add to 100%. For example, if you only had one engagement and it addressed environmental and governance issues then the answer would be 100% for environmental and 100% for governance.) | ||||||
| Environmental | 100 | |||||
| Social | 100 | |||||
| Governance | 100 | |||||
46. To what extent do you set ESG engagement objectives and attempt to evaluate your engagement success?
| To a large extent | |||||
| 47. What percentage of engagements that ended in 2008 were deemed successful (in percent)?(Engagement success: a considerable part of objectives or milestones that were set when the engagement commenced were achieved.) | 80 | |||||
48. To what extent do you have a process for assessing and improving staff competency to act as active owners and incorporate ESG issues into ownership practices?
| To a moderate extent | |||||
| Engagement - external engagement service provider(s) | ||||||
49. This question is not applicable to you due to your response to Q39 regarding who engages with companies. How many portfolio companies did your external engagement service provider(s) engage with on ESG issues on your behalf in 2008?
| ||||||
| Extensive engagement | ||||||
| Moderate engagement | ||||||
| Basic engagement | ||||||
| 50. This question is not applicable to you due to your response to Q39 regarding who engages with companies. What proportion of your external engagement service provider(s)'s engagements on your behalf addressed environmental, social or governance issues (in percent)?(One engagement may address more than one issue, so the three percentages need not add to 100%. For example, if you only had one engagement and it addressed environmental and governance issues then the answer would be 100% for environmental and 100% for governance.) | ||||||
| Environmental | ||||||
| Social | ||||||
| Governance | ||||||
51. This question is not applicable to you due to your response to Q39 regarding who engages with companies. To what extent do you contribute to and assess the ESG engagement activities of your external engagement service provider(s)?
| No Answer | |||||
| Engagement - external investment manager(s) | ||||||
52. How many portfolio companies did your external investment manager(s)'s engage with on ESG issues on your behalf in 2008?
| ||||||
| Extensive engagement | 0 | |||||
| Moderate engagement | 0 | |||||
| Basic engagement | 0 | |||||
| 53. What proportion of your external investment manager(s)'s engagements on your behalf addressed environmental, social or governance issues (in percent)? (One engagement may address more than one issue, so the three percentages need not add to 100%. For example, if you only had one engagement and it addressed environmental and governance issues then the answer would be 100% for environmental and 100% for governance.) | ||||||
| Environmental | 0 | |||||
| Social | 0 | |||||
| Governance | 0 | |||||
54. To what extent do you contribute to and assess the ESG engagement activities of your external investment manager(s)?
| Planning to in 2009 | |||||
| 55. Did you consider the capabilities of external investment managers to engage with companies on ESG issues on your behalf when searching for, selecting and retaining your investment managers? | No, planning to in 2009 | |||||
| Engagement - final comments | ||||||
| 56. What ESG issues were addressed in your or your service providers'engagement initiatives? (Please check all that apply.) | Activities in conflict zones,Benefits and compensation,Climate change,Environment,Governance,Human rights,Labour issues | |||||
| 57. What measures do you or your external service provider(s) use to assess the impact and success of engagement? | The annual Wilshire study, which measures the effectes of the Focus List Program and Shareowner voting levels, such as majority vote, and board adoption | |||||
| 58. Please add any overall comments and clarifications related to Principle 2 here. Please also describe any significant activities relating to Principle 2 that have not been captured by the questions above. | Re:Q34 - voted on 100% of resolutions we could have (77,912); ESTIMATE ONLY of 45,189 foreign & 32,723 domestic. Re: Q52 our emerging markets mgrs. engage w/ cos. & rpt. to the Board in public item (see http://www.calpers.ca.gov/index.jsp?bc=/about/board-cal-agenda/archives/invest/200805.xml - most recent rpt.). Re: Q52 & Q53: CalPERS doesn't track info. in such a way to rpt. these #s in true representation; therefore, we selected zero in response to each of these areas. Addtl. notes - CalPERS participates in the following Boards or Committees which reflect our commitment to RI/ ESG issues: " NY Stock Exchange " Pension Mgrs. Adv. Cmte. " Financial Acct. Standards " User Advisory Council Pub. Co. Acct. O/ sight Board " Intl. Corp. Gov. Network " Acct. & Auditing Practices Cmte. " Council of Institutional Investors, Board of Directors " Ceres, Board of Directors " Stanford Institutional Investors Forum " Global Warming Shareowner Campaign Committees " INCR Initiatives " PRI, Board of Directors | |||||
| Principle 3 | ||||||
| Principle 3: We will seek appropriate disclosure on ESG issues by the entities in which we invest. | ||||||
| 59. Please provide a one to two paragraph description of your approach to this Principle. | CalPERS routinely encourages its portfolio companies to disclose on ESG issues. Some examples of reporting standards encouraged include: 1 Global Framework for Climate Risk Disclosure: CalPERS helped draft; encourages standardized climate risk disclosure to make it easy for companies to provide and for investors to analyze and compare companies. 2 Global Reporting Initiative Sustainability Reporting Guidelines: Reporting mechanism by which companies can disclose their ESG performance. 3 The Carbon Disclosure Project: CalPERS is a member and signatory; annual questionnaire is sent to companies on behalf of institutional investors requesting information on the business implications of climate change and the companies' greenhouse gas emissions. 4 Also, CalPERS Global Principles of Accountable Corporate Governance urge companies to advance corporate governance dialogue while also providing an educational forum by representing a foundation for accountability between a corporation's management and its owners. | |||||
| 60. Who asked investee companies (or other investment entities) to provide information about their ESG policies, practices or performance in 2008?(Please check all that apply.) | Internal staff,Internal staff collaboratively with other investors,External investment manager(s) | |||||
61. {ERR} To what extent did you or your external engagement service provider(s) or your external investment manager(s) have a dialogue with investee companies (or other investment entities) regarding the production of standardized reporting about their ESG policies, practices or performance in 2008?('Standardized' could also include systematic reporting in areas where standardized reporting has not yet emerged.)
| ||||||
| Listed equity (developed market) | To a moderate extent | |||||
| Listed equity (emerging markets) | To a large extent | |||||
| Fixed income (not including corporate issuers) | Not at all | |||||
| Fixed income (corporate issuers) | Not at all | |||||
| Private equity | To a moderate extent | |||||
| Non-listed real estate or property | To a moderate extent | |||||
| Hedge funds | Not at all | |||||
| 62. What formats of reporting on ESG issue policies, practices or performance have been requested? Please check all that apply. | Integrated with regular financial reports,Standalone corporate social responsibility or sustainability reporting,Global Reporting Initiative (GRI),Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP),Global Framework for Climate Risk Disclosure | |||||
63. To what extent did you or your external engagement service provider(s) or your external investment manager(s) seek information from companies regarding their practices related to norms, standards, codes of conduct or international initiatives related to ESG issues in 2008?
| To a large extent | |||||
| 64. Please add any overall comments and clarifications related to Principle 3 here. Please also describe any significant activities relating to Principle 3 that have not been captured by the questions above. | No Answer | |||||
| Principle 4 | ||||||
| Principle 4: We will promote acceptance and implementation of the Principles within the investment industry. | ||||||
| 65. Please provide a one to two paragraph description of your approach to this Principle. | " Corporate Governance Investment Funds: CalPERS will seek membership on Advisory Boards whenever available and will make every effort to apply the Principles. " CalPERS routinely engages the SEC and other regulatory bodies, federal and state legislators and standards boards such as PCAOB and FASB on ESG issues. Examples of issues include proxy access, executive pay, environmental disclosure, auditor independence and internal controls. 1. Written and verbal testimony to US Treasury Department Advisory Committee on the Auditing Profession (ACAP) CalPERS provided testimony on February 4, 2008 on the sustainability of the auditing profession. 2. Written and verbal testimony to SEC Advisory Committee on Improvements to Financial Reporting (CIFR) CalPERS testified on March 13, 2008 reporting its perspective on the Audit Process and Compliance, Financial Restatements, Materiality of Errors and Professional Judgment. | |||||
| 66. Did you consider RI/ESG requirements when searching for and selecting service providers in 2008 when applicable? | ||||||
| Investment consultant | Yes, some of the time | |||||
| Proxy voting service provider | Yes, all of the time | |||||
| External overlay service provider | Not applicable | |||||
| Investment research provider | Yes, some of the time | |||||
| 67. Have you included RI/ESG elements in the following? | ||||||
| Investment monitoring | Yes, some of the time | |||||
| Incentive structure (internally managed) | Yes, some of the time | |||||
| Incentive structure (externally managed) | Not applicable | |||||
| Contractual relationships with external investment managers | Yes, some of the time | |||||
| Contractual relationships with other investment related service providers | Not applicable | |||||
68. To what extent did you encourage your eligible service providers to become PRI signatories or consider RI/ESG factors in 2008?(Service providers include but are not limited to: external investment managers, investment consultants, proxy voting service providers, external engagement service providers, and investment research providers.)
| To a small extent | |||||
69. You are classified as an Asset Owner and should not answer this question. To what extent did you encourage your institutional clients to become PRI signatories or consider RI/ESG factors in 2008?
| No Answer | |||||
70. To what extent did you encourage peer organisations to become PRI signatories or consider RI/ESG factors in 2008?
| To a moderate extent | |||||
| 71. Have you revisited any relationships with service providers in light of RI/ESG issue-related capabilities? | No | |||||
| 72. Does your broker evaluation process (which determines how you allocate commissions to brokers) include an ESG component and/or do you have a budget to pay for ESG broker research? | Yes | |||||
| 73A. What is your total investment research budget (including brokerage commissions intended to recognize research, in the same currency used in Q1) | 0 | |||||
| 73B. what proportion of your total investment research budget is allocated to ESG research (in percent)? | 0 | |||||
74. To what extent do you identify ESG issues and suggest them to brokers or other investment research providers for research?
| To a moderate extent | |||||
75. To what extent did you engage in dialogue, lobbying or initiatives pertaining to government policy and/or industry regulations (for example, stock exchanges or accounting standards) related to RI/ESG issues in 2008?
| To a large extent | |||||
| 76. Please add any overall comments and clarifications related to Principle 4 here. Please also describe any significant activities relating to Principle 4 that have not been captured by the questions above. | Re: Q73 - CalPERS does not allocate a specific line item and amount for investment research; however, various research efforts do take place within the responsibilities of various staff members. | |||||
| Principle 5 | ||||||
| Principle 5: We will work together to enhance our effectiveness in implementing the Principles. | ||||||
| 77. Please provide a one to two paragraph description of your approach to this Principle. | " Staff utilizes the PRI clearinghouse to post issues of importance for CalPERS for which we are seeking support, and to review postings from other signatories to determine our interest in collaborating on the proposed issues. For example, CalPERS has made available translated versions of our Global Principles in Chinese, Spanish, and Portuguese through the Clearinghouse. " CalPERS is also involved with Industry associations and collaborative engagement initiatives | |||||
78. To what extent did you collaborate with other investors to improve your effectiveness in implementing each of the following Principles?
| ||||||
| Principle 1 | To a large extent | |||||
| Principle 2 | To a large extent | |||||
| Principle 3 | To a large extent | |||||
| Principle 4 | To a large extent | |||||
| 79. How did you use the PRI Engagement Clearinghouse in 2008?(Please check all that apply.) | Logged in during 2008 to use the Clearinghouse as a learning tool or to keep up to date on ongoing engagements,Joined a collaborative engagement led by another signatory that was posted to the Clearinghouse,Led a collaborative engagement and posted it to the Clearinghouse,Planning to log in in 2009 | |||||
| 80. Did you participate in any of the following RI/ESG issue-related collaborations and/or associations? For those not listed, please use the "other" field:(Please check all that apply.) | Carbon Disclosure Project,Council of Institutional Investors (CII),CFA Institute Centre for Financial Market Integrity,Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI),International Corporate Governance Network (ICGN),Investor Network on Climate Risk (INCR),United Nations Environmental Program Finance Initiative (UNEP FI),Other (please specify): 'Asian Corporate Governance Association (ACGA)',Other (please specify): 'Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB): User Advisory Group Member',Other (please specify): 'Global International Governance Network (GIGN)',Other (please specify): 'Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB): Standing Advisory Group Member',Other (please specify): 'Principles for Responsible Investment' | |||||
81. Please indicate the three RI/ESG issue-related collaborative engagement initiatives and/or industry associations that you participated in most extensively and indicate how you did so:
| ||||||
| 5th Other specify from Q80 | To a large extent | Seoul Initiative and Sudan Task Force | ||||
| Investor Network on Climate Risk (INCR) | To a large extent | Engagement of SEC and Congress | ||||
| Carbon Disclosure Project | To a large extent | Follow-up engagement with non-responders in CalPERS four target sectors | ||||
| 82. Please add any overall comments and clarifications related to Principle 5 here. Please also describe any significant activities relating to Principle 5 that have not been captured by the questions above. | CalPERS is significantly involved in CII, ICGN, and other groups noted in Q 80 and 81 | |||||
| Principle 6 | ||||||
| Principle 6: We will each report on our activities and progress towards implementing the Principles. | ||||||
| 83. Please provide a one to two paragraph description of your approach to this Principle. | " CalPERS regularly reports on activities/ progress to implement ESG issues. Often, info. is presented to the CalPERS Board via agenda items (see www.calpers.ca.gov), or it may be posted to CalPERS On-Line website or Shareowner Forum webpage (http://www.calpers-governance.org/forumhome.asp). A Nov. '08 agenda item that discussed our involvement with UN PRI can be found at: http://www.calpers.ca.gov/eip-docs/about/board-cal-agenda/agendas/invest/200811/item04b-00.pdf " CalPERS also speaks at numerous conferences and events on ESG issues. For example, on May 14, 2008, CalPERS presented on the pension system's investment/corporate governance practices in emerging markets at the PRI Signatory Workshop An Evening with Principles for Responsible Investment. Dennis Johnson, Senior Portfolio Manager, Corporate Governance, was on a panel entitled, Are so-called best practices' in responsible investment relevant and applicable to companies operating in Asia? at the PRI Annual Event in Seoul, Korea in June, 2008. | |||||
84. To what extent did you disclose (privately and/or publicly) your approach to incorporating ESG issues into investment analysis and decision-making processes in 2008?(If you disclose publicly, please indicate how this disclosure can be obtained - a URL would be sufficient. If answering not at all, please explain why not.)
| To a large extent: 'http://www.calpers-governance.org/forumhome.asp' | |||||
| 85. How did you disclose your (proxy) voting record in 2008?(Please select all that apply. If you disclose publicly, please indicate how this disclosure can be obtained - a URL would be sufficient. If answering not at all, please explain why not.) | Disclosed to clients or beneficiaries,Disclosed publicly: 'http://www.calpers-governance.org/forumhome.asp',All votes | |||||
86. To what extent did you disclose (privately and/or publicly) your RI/ESG issue-related engagement activities, results and progress in 2008?(If you disclose publicly, please indicate how this disclosure can be obtained - a URL would be sufficient. If answering not at all, please explain why not.)
| To a large extent: 'http://www.calpers-governance.org/forumhome.asp' | |||||
| 87. Did you disclose (privately and/or publicly) RI/ESG activities, results and progress related to Principle 3, Principle 4 or Principle 5 in 2008?(If you disclose publicly, please indicate how this disclosure can be obtained - a URL would be sufficient. If answering not at all, please explain why not.) | ||||||
| Principle 3 | Yes - to clients or beneficiaries | http://www.calpers-governance.org/forumhome.asp | ||||
| Principle 4 | Yes - to clients or beneficiaries | http://www.calpers-governance.org/forumhome.asp | ||||
| Principle 5 | Yes - to clients or beneficiaries | http://www.calpers-governance.org/forumhome.asp | ||||
| 88. How would you like to publish your responses to this PRI Reporting and Assessment tool?(Please check all that apply.) | Please automatically publish our responses to the reporting and assessment tool in full on the PRI website,We will send a URL to the PRI Secretariat which will link to the responsible investment section of our website (which will include a partial response to this reporting and assessment tool) | |||||
| 89. Please add any overall comments and clarifications related to Principle 6 here. Please also describe any significant activities relating to Principle 6 that have not been captured by the questions above. | Re: Qs 83-84 and 86-87, the following link is to a November 2008 agenda item when CalPERS PRI involvement was presented to the Board: http://www.calpers.ca.gov/eip-docs/about/board-cal-agenda/agendas/invest/200811/item04b-00.pdf | |||||
| Closing Comments | ||||||
| 90. Please describe the benefits you have enjoyed as a result of signing the PRI: | Educational, collaborative, and networking benefits have resulted in CalPERS signing the PRI | |||||
| 91. What has your organisation changed as a direct result of becoming a PRI signatory? | Growing cross-asset class collaboration in addressing ESG issues | |||||
| 92. Did the financial market turmoil of 2008 cause you to change your approach to the consideration of ESG factors or active ownership? If it did, please explain how. | No, CalPERS continues to support active ownership. | |||||
| 93. What are the top three activities the PRI Secretariat could undertake to enhance and encourage further implementation of the PRI by current and prospective signatories? | ||||||
| 1. | ||||||
| 2. | ||||||
| 3. | ||||||
| 94. What are your top three PRI-related goals/priorities for 2009? | ||||||
| 1. | Proxy Access for Shareowner Director Nomination | |||||
| 2. | Improving executive compensation disclosure and aligning pay for performance practices | |||||
| 3. | Holding Directors accountable for shareowner issues and value creation, such as thru majority voting standards and Director elections. | |||||
| 95. What were your most significant achievements in 2008 in relation to your implementation of Principles? | ||||||
| Principle 1: We will incorporate ESG issues into investment analysis and decision-making processes. | ||||||
| Principle 2: We will be active owners and incorporate ESG issues into our ownership policies and practices. | Significant achievements include: 1) Responsibly voting all of CalPERS 7,000+ global portfolio companies consistent with the System's Global Principles of Accountable Corporate Governance; 2) With regard to CalPERS Focus List Program, and as indicated in an independent external study conducted by Wilshire Associates, generating excess return of 15.7 percent above respective benchmark returns on a cumulative basis, or 3.0 percent per year on an annualized basis for the five years following engagement of Focus List company by CalPERS internal staff; and 3) Achieving concessions from a significant majority of the 100+ companies CalPERS internal staff engaged for the purpose of implementing majority vote standards in director elections and implementing executive compensation recoupment policies. | |||||
| Principle 3: We will seek appropriate disclosure on ESG issues by the entities in which we invest. | ||||||
| Principle 4: We will promote acceptance and implementation of the Principles within the investment industry. | ||||||
| Principle 5: We will work together to enhance our effectiveness in implementing the Principles. | ||||||
| Principle 6: We will each report on our activities and progress towards implementing the Principles. | ||||||
| 96. What were your biggest barriers in 2008 with relation to your implementation of the Principles? | ||||||
| Principle 1: We will incorporate ESG issues into investment analysis and decision-making processes. | No barriers | |||||
| Principle 2: We will be active owners and incorporate ESG issues into our ownership policies and practices. | No barriers | |||||
| Principle 3: We will seek appropriate disclosure on ESG issues by the entities in which we invest. | 1. Resource constraints 2. Market crisis 3. Language barriers with international companies | |||||
| Principle 4: We will promote acceptance and implementation of the Principles within the investment industry. | 1. Resource constraints | |||||
| Principle 5: We will work together to enhance our effectiveness in implementing the Principles. | No barriers | |||||
| Principle 6: We will each report on our activities and progress towards implementing the Principles. | No barriers | |||||
| 97. Please indicate which principle you find the most difficult to implement and the principle you find the least difficult to implement: | ||||||
| Most difficult | Principle 4 | |||||
| Least difficult | Principle 2 | |||||