For SNS Asset Management responsible investing implies finding the right combination between stable financial returns, acceptable risks and a clear profile on social, societal, and environmental areas. The recent development of responsible investing offers investors not only the possibility to invest actively in European or American equity, but responsible investing also extends to other product categories. One of these product categories is investing passively in regular benchmarks, taking social, ethical and environmental criteria into account. To help investors in this area SNS Asset Management has decided to launch the responsible index funds.

The SNS Responsible Index Fund is a fund for institutional investors and invests in equity of exchange traded companies. The fund does not invest in companies that are not compliant with internationally accepted standards as expressed in the fundamental principles of SNS Asset Management. When there is doubt whether a company fully complies with the minimum responsibility criteria, a dialogue (engagement) will be started.

In 2008 the SNS Responsible Index Fund – Equity Europe was established. This fund invests in equity of exchange traded European companies. In the beginning of 2009 the US version of this fund was launched, the SNS Responsible Index Fund – Equity United States and later in 2009 we expect to launch the SNS Responsible Index Fund – Equity Pacific.