NASHVILLE, Tenn., and LONDON, August 12, 2022 /CSRwire/ - AllianceBernstein L.P. (“AB”) (NYSE: AB), a leading global investment and research management firm, has announced its commitment to achieve netzero emissions, working to align its business operations and a range of investment strategies with a 1.5-degree Celsius pathway by 2050, in support of the Paris Agreement.

The commitment advances AB’s longstanding efforts to act and invest responsibly. AB believes that climate risk is an investment risk, and it’s essential to consider the material, physical, and transition risks and opportunities of issuers the firm invests in. This approach ensures that the firm accurately forecasts cash flows and valuations, and that climate-risk considerations are incorporated when optimizing risk and return for the firm’s clients.

“AB has been intentional in its approach to responsible investing and in helping achieve a more sustainable future,” said Seth Bernstein, President and CEO of AllianceBernstein. “Our net zero strategy addresses both the corporate and investment levels. It reemphasizes our commitment to ensuring that our people and portfolios all work together to achieve critical climate goals.”

As part of its net zero strategy for business operations, AB will continue its initiative to locate 85% of employees in green buildings by 2025 and will explore renewable energy options.

On the investment side, the firm is building on its longstanding commitment to climate action and advocacy. AB signed on to the Principles for Responsible Investment in 2011 and has collaborated with the Columbia Climate School on climate-policy work in addition to training programs to shape the next generation of professionals striving to address the impact of climate change and develop solutions. AB engages with issuers systematically on climate-change risks and opportunities: in 2021, the firm held more than 900 discussions on climate risks, opportunities and other environmental issues.

As part of its net-zero transition plan, AB has joined the Net Zero Asset Managers Initiative, a body of over 270 signatories managing more than $61 trillion of assets under management that’s committed to supporting the goal of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 or sooner.

“Our net zero strategy is a result of years of collaboration with peers, clients, issuers and industry leaders,” said Michelle Dunstan, Chief Responsibility Officer at AllianceBernstein. “Research has continually informed our approach, while policy has helped shape our strategy and how we engage on behalf of our clients. AB’s net zero journey is well under way, and we’re excited for its next stage—translating our strategy into a systematic approach to fulfilling our commitment.”

The firm’s near-term actions will include determining which strategies among fundamental equity strategies, credit strategies and select other strategies will be the initial focus. This work will include defining appropriate metrics and strategy-specific approaches, while drawing on the following net zero building blocks:

• Leading with Engagement: Investment teams will build on their already extensive engagement with issuers for insight and action, through proprietary resources like ESIGHT and the ongoing partnership with the Columbia Climate School. Investors will push issuers to commit to climate action, report greenhouse-gas emissions, set emissions-reduction goals, and make net-zero commitments, which AB believes will prepare them for success in a lower-carbon economy.
• Data-Driven Research and Monitoring: The firm will continue to analyze carbon emissions, carbon intensities, decarbonization metrics and targets, capital expenditure and transition plans, and track the rolling carbon footprints of its committed portfolios while also monitoring other relevant climate-related metrics.
• Increasing Climate-Finance Exposures: With climate opportunities and green revenues already pursued by many of AB’s strategies, AB will maintain its focus on equity and fixedincome climate-finance investments as appropriate opportunities present themselves. The firm currently invests approximately $6 billion in green bonds, KPI-linked securities and ESG structures as part of this effort.

The firm views its net zero approach and these building blocks as consistent with its current investment processes and will continue to conform to all portfolio and client guidelines.

AB will also continue to enhance and expand its Portfolios with Purpose platform, which currently features seven climate-conscious investment solutions. The firm will also implement strategies to increase investment in climate opportunities while enhancing net zero stewardship and policyadvocacy activities. More details on our approach can be found on our website.

To provide ongoing transparency, AB will disclose progress on its net zero-transition plan and continue to report publicly on its climate governance, strategy, risk management, metrics, and targets, in line with Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) recommendations. AB publishes its annual Climate Change Statement & TCFD Report on our website. Read more details on our website on how we are engaging for action and insight through partnerships with organizations like Climate Action 100+ and the Columbia Climate School.

About AllianceBernstein (AB)

AllianceBernstein is a leading global investment management firm that offers high-quality research and diversified investment services to institutional investors, individuals, and private wealth clients in major world markets. As of June 30, 2022, AllianceBernstein had $647B in assets under management. Additional information about AB may be found on our website, www.alliancebernstein.com.

About the Net Zero Asset Managers Initiative

The Net Zero Asset Managers initiative is an international group of asset managers committed to supporting the goal of net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 or sooner, in line with global efforts to limit warming to 1.5-degrees Celsius; and to supporting investing aligned with net zero emissions by 2050 or sooner. It currently includes 273 signatories managing $61.3 trillion of assets under management.

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AllianceBernstein

AllianceBernstein

AllianceBernstein (AB) is a leading global investment management firm that offers diversified investment services to institutional investors, individuals, and private wealth clients in major world markets.

To be effective stewards of our clients’ assets, we strive to invest responsibly—assessing, engaging on and integrating material issues, including environmental, social and governance (ESG) considerations into most of our actively managed strategies (approximately 79% of AB’s actively managed assets under management as of December 31, 2024).

Our purpose—to pursue insight that unlocks opportunity—describes the ethos of our firm. Because we are an active investment manager, differentiated insights drive our ability to design innovative investment solutions and help our clients achieve their investment goals. We became a signatory to the Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI) in 2011. This began our journey to formalize our approach to identifying responsible ways to unlock opportunities for our clients through integrating material ESG factors throughout most of our actively managed equity and fixed-income client accounts, funds and strategies. Material ESG factors are important elements in forming insights and in presenting potential risks and opportunities that can affect the performance of the companies and issuers that we invest in and the portfolios that we build. AB also engages issuers when it believes the engagement is in the best financial interest of its clients.

Our values illustrate the behaviors and actions that create our strong culture and enable us to meet our clients' needs. Each value inspires us to be better: 

• Invest in One Another: At AB, there’s no “one size fits all” and no mold to break. We celebrate idiosyncrasy and make sure everyone’s voice is heard. We seek and include talented people with diverse skills, abilities and backgrounds, who expand our thinking. A mosaic of perspectives makes us stronger, helping us to nurture enduring relationships and build actionable solutions.
• Strive for Distinctive Knowledge: Intellectual curiosity is in our DNA. We embrace challenging problems and ask tough questions. We don’t settle for easy answers when we seek to understand the world around us—and that’s what makes us better investors and partners to our colleagues and clients. We are independent thinkers who go where the research and data take us. And knowing more isn’t the end of the journey, it’s the start of a deeper conversation.
• Speak with Courage and Conviction: Collegial debate yields conviction, so we challenge one another to think differently. Working together enables us to see all sides of an issue. We stand firmly behind our ideas, and we recognize that the world is dynamic. To keep pace with an ever changing world and industry, we constantly reassess our views and share them with intellectual honesty. Above all, we strive to seek and speak truth to our colleagues, clients and others as a trusted voice of reason.
• Act with Integrity—Always: Although our firm is comprised of multiple businesses, disciplines and individuals, we’re united by our commitment to be strong stewards for our people and our clients. Our fiduciary duty and an ethical mind-set are fundamental to the decisions we make. 

As of December 31, 2024, AB had $792B in assets under management, $555B of which were ESG-integrated. Additional information about AB may be found on our website, www.alliancebernstein.com.

Learn more about AB’s approach to responsibility here.

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