Global asset management firm AllianceBernstein (AB) announced today that it has established a set of sustainability policies relating to climate change, forced labor and vendor conduct. The policies aim to guide AB’s activities both within its own operations, as well as in the firm’s investments. The firm has published policy statements regarding each of these topics.

AB’s Climate Change Statement also serves as the firm’s first report in response to disclosures recommended by the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD), designed to improve and increase reporting of climate-related financial information. In the policy, the company stated that in its own operations, AB is working towards establishing systematic climate metrics and benchmarks that align with best practices, in order to measure and manage its own climate impact and sustain its business through adverse climate events. On the investment side, AB outlined its ongoing efforts and strategies to integrate climate-change risks and opportunities in investment analysis, decision-making and solutions. The policy points out that climate change investment strategy is not only a practice of risk avoidance, but also presents opportunities across multiple areas including energy transition-related sectors.

AB’s Global Slavery and Human Trafficking statement addresses issues of forced labor across the firm’s investment processes, business operations and supply chain. The company stated that in order to improve the identification and assessment of forced labor through its investment processes, AB has created a proprietary research framework and trained investment professionals on how to apply it. According to the statement, AB’s investment teams have already engaged several companies to explicitly discuss their modern slavery practices and policies.

The firm’s Vendor Code of Conduct also addresses forced labor topics in the firm’s supply chain, among other topics including managing conflicts of interest, gifts and entertainment, information privacy, diversity & inclusion and environmental sustainability, among others.

AB President and CEO Seth Bernstein said:

“In order to succeed, we must lead in corporate responsibility. AB will be relentless in ensuring that the path of responsibility leads upward. These documents are critical steps in our responsibility journey.”