The PRI Awards 2025

This award will recognise leading practices and innovation in how asset managers or asset owners have been integrating environmental, social and / or governance factors into asset selection, portfolio construction and/or strategic asset allocation.

Submissions

This award will recognise leading practices and innovation in how asset managers or asset owners have been integrating environmental, social and / or governance factors into asset selection, portfolio construction and/or strategic asset allocation.

• Should showcase innovative approaches to integrating environmental, social or governance factors into strategic asset selection, portfolio construction and / or asset selection that leads to improved risk-adjusted returns

• May cover:

  • Investment analysis including ongoing analysis conducted both prior and post investment decisions, due diligence, pricing / valuation, financial analysis, credit analysis, issuer analysis, industry analysis, scenario analysis and other quantitative analysis. 

  • Investment decision making including decisions made during the lifecycle of an investment including asset allocation, capital allocation/ (re)financing, security selection, deal (re)structuring, ongoing value creation, portfolio construction and portfolio management including exit decisions. 

• Could be based on public, private market asset classes or multi asset strategies.  

• Could be applied on individual funds, mandates, organisation wide or an investment strategy.  

Things to consider

• Submissions will be favoured if they are able to combine improved risk adjusted returns and high levels of transparency. 

This award will spotlight achievements in the field of stewardship in 2024 and 2025. Submissions could cover a range of approaches to stewardship such as use of sustainability KPIs, DDQs, collaborative engagement initiatives, shareholder resolutions, portfolio company board influence, policy engagements or projects using other stewardship tools or activities.   

Submissions 

• Should describe a meaningful milestone, event or development in 2024 or 2025 and might be the result of a longer term or ongoing programme.  

• Should articulate a clear rationale for pursuing sustainability outcomes and describe how the initiative or engagement (using selected tools and activities) intends to drive sustainability outcomes (theory of change).   

• Should include evidence of progress towards achieving sustainability outcomes, high levels of transparency and innovative or different approaches.   

• Could be across any asset classes and include engagement with investment managers by asset owners.   

• May cover: 

  • Participation in collaboratives initiatives including formal/structured or informal collaboration between investors, with their service providers, and/or with other stakeholders 

  • Stewardship with policy makers and other stakeholders including direct and indirect investor engagement with policy makers and other market and non-market stakeholders. These may include standard setters, service providers, industry forums, NGOs, affected stakeholders, think tanks, research institutes, or academia. 

Things to consider

• Judges will inform their judging decisions on the alignment of the project with PRI’s framework for leadership in stewardship (Active Ownership 2.0) 

• Collaborative initiatives in any form must be submitted for the initiative overall, rather than for the contributions from one (or a subset of) participant(s).  

• Submissions must either have the sign off from all signatories participating in the initiative or a suitable governance body for the initiative (e.g. a steering committee). See T&Cs for more information.  

• Collaborative engagements that are coordinated solely by the PRI are not eligible for this award.   

This award will be given to those who have demonstrated innovative, impactful and transparent action in responding to investment-related challenges and opportunities posed by climate change. It is intended to be open to asset managers, service providers, and asset owners.  

Submissions

• Should primarily focus on climate-related actions, but the content can cover other related sustainability issues or themes as such as transition risks, mitigation, adaptation and / or resilience 

• May cover: 

  • Relevant goals or commitments related to real-world outcomes, with which the investor progressively aligns their investment activities over time, backed by specific interim targets covering a growing portion of assets. 

• For asset owners or asset managers, this could be solely, or a combination of, an investment strategy, strategic asset allocation, stewardship or collaborative initiative and /or impact reporting.  

• Could be based on public, private market asset classes or multi asset strategies.  

• Could relate to an approach based on a fund, mandate or investment strategy.  

• For service providers, this could be an innovative service to provide a solution to problems faced by, or opportunities available to, asset owners or asset managers in relation to climate change such as transition risks, mitigation, adaptation and / or resilience. Examples of submissions from service providers might include research, rankings, data collection & analysis, advice on asset manager selection.  

This award will be given to those who have demonstrated innovation in responding to the challenges that the investment industry has been facing in respecting, promoting and defending human rights. Open to asset managers, service providers, and asset owners.  

This award recognises excellence in taking action on human rights in line with the United Nations Guiding Principles (UNGPs) and OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises across investment and / or stewardship practices. It will be given to those who have developed and implemented innovative, impactful and transparent practices. This category is intended for submissions that significantly advance the protection and promotion of human rights in - and by - the investment community.  

Submissions

• Should primarily focus on human rights-related actions, but the content can cover other related sustainability issues 

• May cover relevant: 

  • Goals or commitments related to real-world outcomes, with which the investor progressively aligns their investment activities over time, backed by specific interim targets covering a growing portion of assets. 

• For asset owners or asset managers, this could relate to commitment, investment strategy, asset allocation, stewardship or collaborative initiative and / or impact reporting  

• Could be based on public, private market asset classes or multi asset strategies.  

• Could relate to an approach based on a fund, mandate or investment strategy.  

• For service providers, this could be an innovative service to provide a solution to problems faced by asset owners or asset managers in relation to human rights. Examples of submissions might include research, rankings, data collection & analysis, advice on asset manager selection.  

Things to consider 

• The judges will welcome submissions which include practices or initiatives across three pillars of the UN Guiding Principles especially access to remedy.  

This award will be given to those who have demonstrated innovative, impactful and transparent action in responding to investment-related challenges and opportunities posed by nature (or specifically biodiversity). This category seeks to spotlight actions that significantly contribute to the preservation of natural ecosystems and biodiversity.  

Submissions 

• Should primarily focus on nature-related actions, but the content can cover other related sustainability issues 

• This might cover relevant: 

  • Goals or commitments related to real-world outcomes, with which the investor progressively aligns their investment activities over time, backed by specific interim targets covering a growing portion of assets. 

• For asset owners or asset managers, this could be solely, or a combination of, an investment strategy, strategic asset allocation, stewardship or collaborative initiative and/or impact reporting.  

• Could be based on public, private market asset classes or multi asset strategies.  

• Could relate to an approach based on a fund, mandate or investment strategy. 

• For service providers, this could be an innovative service to provide a solution to problems faced by, or opportunities available to, asset owners or asset managers in relation to nature. Examples of submissions from service providers might include research, rankings, data collection & analysis, advice on asset manager selection.  

This new award will highlight leadership in delivering effective, impactful, and transparent communication around responsible investment (RI) practices. Open to asset managers, service providers, and asset owners, this category celebrates projects, campaigns and initiatives which have demonstrated leadership in marketing and communications materials, successfully translating complex ESG topics and relevant information into engaging, accessible and actionable content for target audiences. 

Submissions

• Show clear and accessible communications, covering any type of marketing campaign or individual communication on the topic of ESG and responsible investment.  

• Include evidence of where communications have taken complex data, ideas or information and turned it into something more intelligible for the intended audience.  

• Demonstrate transparent communications and language that is honest with consumers about the effects of responsible investing, without veering into greenwashing.  

• Show that ESG statements are presented logically, with sufficient context and an appropriate conclusion about the effects of responsible investing.  

• Encourage the reader to find out more about their responsible investments and be engaged in the themes presented in the piece of communication.  

• Submissions might include - a digital campaign (social, web, blog or video content) podcast content, press coverage (including Op Eds); Investor comms (factsheets & KIIDs); investment dashboards; other written communication to end investors