Responsible Investing

Churchill is committed to investing responsibly and supporting sustainable development. We recognize that environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors contribute to the long-term performance of companies and are critical to well-functioning securities markets. Our commitment to responsible investment is reflected in our integration of ESG factors across the investment lifecycle.

Churchill is an affiliate of Nuveen, the asset management division of TIAA. TIAA has a long history of responsible investing leadership and was an early signatory to the UNPRI.

 

ESG Integration at Churchill

We believe that addressing material ESG risk and opportunity factors in the investment decision-making process helps to reduce investment risk, may enhance long-term value and ensures that investor capital is used effectively and ethically.

Our Beliefs

Demand from institutional investors is driving rapid growth across private debt segments, and the increasingly competitive landscape is adding another layer of complexity when sourcing and closing deals. We believe that addressing material ESG risk and opportunity factors in the investment decision-making process helps to reduce investment risk, may enhance long-term value and ensures that investor capital is used effectively and ethically.

Core elements of our approach include:

ESG screening
ESG due diligence
ESG monitoring
ESG screening

An initial analysis is conducted to help to identify ESG-related risks related to specific industries that have the potential to damage a company’s operations or Churchill’s reputation.

ESG due diligence

A proprietary ESG ratings tool is used to further prioritize and understand material industry specific ESG issues against a set of common criteria, the result of which are included the  Investment Committee memo and inform the credit decision.

ESG monitoring

Our investment teams monitor material ESG risks throughout the life of an investment and conduct frequent reviews with management teams and investment partners to address any issues or incidents that may arise.

Our Approach

We seek to partner with like-minded and reputable long-term oriented companies and operators with strong ESG practices. Our commitment and approach to responsible investing is set out in our Sustainability Policy and reflects evolving industry best practices for integrating ESG factors throughout the investment lifecycle.

We integrate ESG factors throughout the investment lifecycle and seek to partner with like-minded companies with strong ESG practices.

Sharing Our Experience

We are committed to sharing our experience and perspectives on ESG integration in private debt with the broader responsible investing community, to encourage others to adopt these practices. In 2019, we collaborated with the UN backed Principles for Responsible Investment (UNPRI) on the launch of the report “Spotlight on responsible investment in private debt,” the first industry guidance on responsible lending in private credit. Related resources are included below:

1 UNPRI Case Study
2 UNPRI Webinar
3 UNPRI Report

Case Examples

hand and glass

Reducing Investment Risk

ESG due diligence helps identify environmental liabilities, legal liabilities or reputational risks.

management

Monitoring ESG Risks

ESG due diligence helps to uncover material issues that should be monitored throughout the lifetime of an investment.

Screening

Screening to Ensure Ethics

Using ESG screens helps us to ensure that we invest in an ethical manner and exclude companies not aligned with our core values.

Churchill Asset Management
Location
430 Park Avenue, 14th Floor
New York, NY 10022
Phone
(212) 478-9200
Email
info@churchillam.com

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The material is for informational purposes only and should not be regarded as a recommendation or an offer to buy or sell any product or service to which this information may relate. Certain products and services may not be available to all entities or persons. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Please note investments in middle market loans are subject to various risk factors, including credit risk, liquidity risk and interest rate risk. Churchill Asset Management LLC is a majority-owned subsidiary and member of the TIAA group of companies.