Aviva has today launched its Sustainable Capital Markets Union [http://www.aviva.com/futureofcapital] (SCMU) manifesto, in response to the European Commission’s Capital Markets Union initiative [http://ec.europa.eu/priorities/docs/pg_en.pdf].
Aviva has today launched its Sustainable Capital Markets Union (SCMU) manifesto, in response to the European Commission’s Capital Markets Union initiative.
Aviva believes that the Capital Markets Union should include, from the very start, a long term, sustainable vision on investment and working practices in business to ensure that the lessons of the financial, economic and social crisis have been learnt, both in the EU and globally. This is why Aviva has also recently backed President Juncker’s investment plan.
Aviva’s manifesto offers four principles:
- Better information, better companies, better growth
- Reward for long term success not failure
- Capital for sustainable growth
- Increasing responsible ownership
Aviva has been around for over 300 years and prides itself on creating a legacy for its customers and stakeholders, and developing for itself a sustainable future for the next 300 years. It is a strong supporter of the UN sustainable development goals.
Mark Wilson, Group Chief Executive Officer of Aviva plc, said
“We must continue to learn from the recent financial crisis, and one big lesson is that short-termism is dangerous. One of our values at Aviva is to create legacy – we want decisions made today to stand up to scrutiny in 10, 20 and 30 years’ time. I call it being a good ancestor.
A bad ancestor chases short term growth and risks long term prosperity. A good ancestor makes sustainable choices and enables economic growth for future generations. What we want for ourselves, we also want for our economy and the businesses we invest in and partner with. In essence we want to see business today leave a great legacy. Since unsustainable activity has a habit of disrupting the present, sustainability is not anti-business; it is good business.
Our goal must be to build a financial and regulatory system that looks to the long term and creates and supports stability. That’s why Aviva has published this manifesto in response to the European Commission’s Capital Markets Union initiative. We call on the Commission and European policymakers to have the long term sustainable development of financial services and markets at the forefront of their mind as they take forward this important initiative.”
Mark Wilson spoke recently at the UN on the subject of sustainable capital markets.
Please see link to Aviva’s Sustainable Capital Markets Union Manifesto.
-ENDS-
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Notes to editors:
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