CSR Report Outlines Achievements and Expands Sustainability Disclosures
Published 05-05-22
Submitted by Franklin Templeton
May 5, 2022 /CSRwire/ - Franklin Templeton has released its annual Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Report that addresses its commitment to responsible corporate citizenship and outlines its efforts to build a better future for clients, shareholders and employees as well as the communities it serves around the world.
In addition to announcing that the firm met its 2021 commitments, the 2022 report details Franklin Templeton’s progress on the firm’s six dimensions of CSR – stewardship and sustainable investing; diversity and inclusion (D&I); environment and climate; employee experience; community engagement; and responsible corporate practices – and outlines new priorities for the 2022 fiscal year. The firm also reported sustainability results using two widely used disclosure frameworks, the Sustainable Accounting Standards Board (SASB) and the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI). Franklin Templeton reported using SASB standards previously and has expanded its reporting to include the GRI Index in this latest report.
“Our CSR accomplishments are a testament to our commitment to progress, which is at the heart of everything we do at Franklin Templeton. As the firm celebrates its 75th anniversary in 2022, we will continue to build upon our CSR achievements while employing the highest standards in the way we operate our firm and invest on behalf of our clients,” said Jenny Johnson, President and CEO of Franklin Templeton. “Looking forward, our CSR commitments and expanded reporting affirm our promise to our stakeholders to continually improve and evolve.”
“Franklin Templeton’s CSR goals outline the firm’s commitment to sustainability, which addresses our responsibilities for taking care of people, the planet and prosperity. For investors, these are the key factors that foster long-term risk-adjusted returns: financial, human and natural. The tremendous challenges and opportunities these bring through issues like climate change, diversity, equity and inclusion, drive the strategic priorities for our organization and investment teams going forward,” said Anne Simpson, Global Head of Sustainability for Franklin Templeton. “We will be focused not only on our corporate sustainability efforts, which include reducing the organization’s greenhouse gas emissions and enhancing our reporting infrastructure, but also expanding our stewardship and sustainable investing practices across our global investment portfolios.”
Major 2021 CSR Achievements
“At Franklin Templeton, we understand that CSR is not only good for our communities and our world, but it is also good business practice,” said Kristin Kosmides, Head of Global Citizenship. “Our firm made exceptional progress on our CSR goals in 2021, despite the challenging pandemic environment, and we have identified opportunities for making further strides in 2022. Going forward, we will execute on our expanded goals while continuing to closely engage with our key stakeholders to inform and evolve our work.”
Franklin Templeton established goals and key priorities for fiscal year 2022 within the following focus areas:
Key 2022 CSR Commitments
To access the report and see all of Franklin Templeton’s CSR commitments, visit the Global Citizenship page on the Franklin Resources website.
About Franklin Templeton
Franklin Resources, Inc. [NYSE:BEN] is a global investment management organization with subsidiaries operating as Franklin Templeton and serving clients in over 155 countries. Franklin Templeton’s mission is to help clients achieve better outcomes through investment management expertise, wealth management and technology solutions. Through its specialist investment managers, the company offers boutique specialization on a global scale, bringing extensive capabilities in equity, fixed income, multi-asset solutions and alternatives. With offices in more than 30 countries and approximately 1,300 investment professionals, the California-based company has 75 years of investment experience and approximately $1.5 trillion in assets under management as of March 31, 2022. For more information, please visit franklinresources.com and follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook.
At Franklin Templeton, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is a key component of our strategy to deliver better outcomes. CSR at Franklin Templeton is grounded in our corporate values of putting clients first, building relationships, achieving quality results and working with integrity. Through materiality assessments with key stakeholders, we outlined our six dimensions of CSR, which are interconnected and mutually supportive: Stewardship and Sustainable Investing; Diversity, Equity and Inclusion; Environment; Employee Experience; Community Engagement, and Responsible Corporate Practices.
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