Dialogue

As a sustainable investor, Triodos Bank seeks to invest in companies that are not in fundamental conflict with our values and that deliver long-term value in harmony with society and the environment. Dialogue with companies is an important part of the process and is outlined in detail in our Investment Strategy. We also engage with non-governmental organisations and are members of various organisations – it’s one of the ways we differentiate our research activities from other investment funds. We see our role as one that can help stimulate companies to actively contribute to a sustainable society through business conduct and the products or services they offer. In order to encourage companies to optimise their processes and improve the sustainability of their products and services, we undertake a number of activities. These include:

• Dialogue throughout the research process – we often approach companies to obtain specific information relating to key issues. In addition to assisting the investigation process, this dialogue helps to strengthen a company's insight into the issues that motivate shareholders.
• Sustainability performance feedback – Results of sustainability performances within a sector are shared with the companies. This includes a full overview of individual performance on key sustainability themes. In addition, companies are informed whether or not they are eligible for investment by Triodos Bank. Many companies seek further dialogue based on assessments.
• Participation at AGMs & other meetings – we take part in annual general meetings and other meetings in various ways:
  o Voting – we vote at Annual General Meetings (AGMs) whenever possible. For this reason, we have voting guidelines that describe the way we use our voting rights. We also publish a detailed summary of our voting activities, and how we voted company by company, in 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009.
  o Active participation – by speaking out, we actively participate in a constructive way at the AGMs of companies in which we invests. Comments focus on weak aspects of the sustainability performance and are intended to be a starting point for future dialogue.