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Public Disclosure Authorized Sustainable Investment in China 2009 September 1, 2009 Public Disclosure Authorized Public Disclosure Authorized Public Disclosure Authorized www.bsr.org About this Report Sustainable Investment in China 2009 is the third in a series of reports which investigates and provides recommendations for the development of sustainable investment (SI) in emerging economies. This report, which focuses on the SI market in China, has been commissioned by the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and prepared by BSR. The first two reports in the series covered Brazil and India, and were prepared by TERI-Europe. As with the previous reports, this report focuses on “sustainable investment,” defined as domestic and foreign investment in the country’s publicly listed companies using strategies that take environmental, social, and governance (ESG) issues into consideration. The report also briefly covers sustainable investment by private equity investors. The report is based on literature review as well as interviews with individuals. The authors would like to thank the interviewees for their review of this report for accuracy. Any errors that remain are those of the authors. Please direct comments or questions to Adam Lane at [email protected]. DISCLAIMER BSR maintains a policy of not acting as a representative of its membership, nor does it endorse specific policies or standards. The views expressed in this publication are those of its authors and do not reflect those of BSR members. In addition, investment products and organizations referenced in this report are for illustrative purposes only and should not be construed as investment advice. Investors should perform their own due diligence on any potential investments. ABOUT IFC IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, creates opportunity for people to escape poverty and improve their lives. We foster sustainable economic growth in developing countries by supporting private sector development, mobilizing private capital, and providing advisory and risk mitigation services to businesses and governments. Our new investments totalled US$16.2 billion in fiscal 2008, a 34 percent increase over the previous year. For more information, visit www.ifc.org. IFC’s Sustainable Investing Team. For the past four years, IFC's Sustainable Investing team has delivered technical and financial support for projects that aim to mobilize sustainable capital flows into emerging markets. The goal is to increase the volume of mainstream investment that uses ESG analysis as a standard practice in their investment decision. IFC’s approach is twofold: » To catalyze capital market flows into sustainable investment, IFC works to (a) promote the business case for sustainable investment by drawing lessons from IFC’s own portfolio, (b) establish frameworks to identify and assess new sustainable investment opportunities, and (c) develop new financial products (e.g. Sustainability indices); and » To support fund managers investing in sustainable companies, IFC works (a) with private equity funds in IFC’s portfolio to assist them to establish ESG analytical processes, and (b) with capital market actors to improve the enabling environment for the market to recognize and value sustainability in corporate valuation. BSR | Sustainable Investment in China 2009 2 IFC is committed to continue its work in partnership with key market actors to improve the enabling environment and address barriers to sustainable investment in emerging markets. In order to do this, IFC’s work is centered in three areas: policies and standards, knowledge management and investment vehicles. The Sustainable Investing team is part of IFC’s Environment and Social Development Department, and benefits from the generous financial support of IFC and the Governments of Japan, the Netherlands, Norway, Canada, South Africa and Switzerland. For more information, please visit the Sustainable Investing website at www.ifc.org/sustainableinvesting. ABOUT BSR A leader in corporate responsibility since 1992, BSR works with its global network of more than 250 member companies to develop sustainable business strategies and solutions through consulting, research, and cross-sector collaboration. With six offices in Asia, Europe, and North America, BSR uses its expertise in the environment, human rights, economic development, and governance and accountability to guide global companies toward creating a just and sustainable world. Visit www.bsr.org for more information. BSR | Sustainable Investment in China 2009 3 Table of Contents Acknowledgments 6 Glossary of Abbreviations 7 Executive Summary 9 1 Introduction 11 Objectives 11 Scope 11 Structure of the Report 13 2 Country Overview 14 Economy 14 Securities Market 22 Regulatory and Policy Frameworks 25 3 Key ESG Issues 32 A Challenge for Business: A World of ESG Indicators 32 ESG Issues and their Impact on Chinese Development 33 Common ESG Themes in China 33 ESG Impact on Specific Industries 36 4 Sustainable Investment Activities 39 Mutual Funds 40 Pension Funds 48 Life and Property Insurance 54 Foreign Investment in Listed Equity 56 Private Equity & Venture Capital 61 Distressed Asset Management Companies 72 5 Supporting Infrastructure 73 Government Policy 73 Non-Financial Information Disclosure 74 Sustainability Indices 77 Independent Sustainability Research Institutions 81 BSR | Sustainable Investment in China 2009 4 Networks and Associations 84 Development Finance Institutions 87 Civil Society 88 6 Challenges and Opportunities for Development of the Sustainable Investment Market 93 Challenges in Sustainable Investment 93 Recommendations 97 Formation of China Sustainable Investment Working Group 98 ESG Disclosure and Research Enhancement 101 Increasing ESG Education 103 Appendix 1: China’s ESG Profile 106 Appendix 2: Estimated Stock of Sustainable Investment in China 112 Appendix 3: List of Mutual Funds 113 Appendix 4: List of Life Insurance and Property Insurance 116 Appendix 5: List of Qualified Foreign Institutional Investors 119 Appendix 6: Review of Major Reforms in China 122 Appendix 7: Portfolio Composition of Shanghai Stock Exchange Corporate Governance Index and Social Responsibility Index 125 BSR | Sustainable Investment in China 2009 5 Acknowledgments All Pensions Group Asset Management Y. K. Park Asia Asian Corporate Governance Jamie Allen Association Association for Sustainable & Wai-Shin Chan Responsible Investment in Asia Bank of China Investment Management Daixi Yu CCB-Principal Asset Management Jun Xu Carbon Disclosure Project Sue Howells Changjiang Pension Insurance Co., Ltd Weisha Li China Banking Regulatory Commission Yanfei Ye China Center for Market Value Guofang Liu Management F&C Management Ltd Alexis Krajeski Fortis Investments Florian Sommer Generation Investment Management David Y Yeh LLP Global Reporting Initiative Sean Gilbert Gold Stone Investment Limited Jianguo Cui Guosen Securities Co., Ltd Ping Wang IDFC Global Alternatives (Hong Kong) Melissa Brown Ltd Industrial Fund Management Co., Ltd Zhao Xin, Zhaoyang Liu Mercer Helga Birgden Japan Research Institute Eiichiro Adachi Ministry of Environmental Protection of Dongfang Feng China National Council for Social Security Fund Weihua Wang, Zhongxin Liu, Yuyin Zhan New Horizon Capital Cher Teck Quek, Hao Song Principles for Responsible Investment Narina Mnatsakanian Robeco Min Lu Shanghai Stock Exchange Danian Situ Shenzhen Stock Exchange Jiahang Fei Sumitomo Trust & Banking Akira Inoue Tsing Capital Don Ye, Yan Zhu UNEP Finance Initiative Susan Steinhagen BSR | Sustainable Investment in China 2009 6 Glossary of Abbreviations ADB Asian Development Bank ADRs American Depository Receipts AGM Annual General Meeting AMC Asset Management Company ASrIA Association for Sustainable & Responsible Investment in Asia AUM Assets under Management Cap Capitalization CBA China Banking Association CBRC China Banking Regulatory Committee CDP Carbon Disclosure Project CFA Chartered Financial Analyst CIRC China Insurance Regulatory Commission COP Communication on Progress CSI China Securities Index Co. Ltd. CSR Corporate Social Responsibility CSRC China Securities Regulatory Commission DFI Development Finance Institutions DJSI Dow Jones Stock Index EA Enterprise Annuity EGM Extraordinary General Meeting EIA Environmental Impact Assessment ESG Environmental, Social and Governance ETF Exchange Traded Fund FDI Foreign Direct Investment GAC General Administration of Customs GDP Gross Domestic Product GEM Growth Enterprise Market GHG Greenhouse Gas GRI Global Reporting Initiative ICBC Industrial and Commercial Bank of China IFC International Finance Corporation ILPA Institutional Limited Partners Association IPE Institute of Public and Environmental Affairs IPO Initial Public Offering JRI Japan Research Institute BSR | Sustainable Investment in China 2009 7 LPs Limited Partners MEP Ministry of Environmental Protection MOFCOM Ministry of Commerce NaCSSeF National Council for the Social Security Fund NDRC National Development and Reform Commission NPI Non-Profit Incubator NPL Non-Performing Loan NSSF National Social Security Fund OFDI Outward Foreign Direct Investment PBOC People’s Bank of China PE Private Equity PRI Principles for Responsible Investment QFII Qualified Foreign Institutional Investors SAFE State Administration of Foreign Exchange SAM Sustainable Asset Management SASAC State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission SEPA State Environmental Protection Administration SI Sustainable Investment SME Small and Medium Enterprises