Marubeni Corporation (hereinafter, “Marubeni”) hereby announces that Japan REIT Advisors Co., Ltd (hereinafter, “JRA”), which is the asset management company of Marubeni wholly owned subsidiary United Urban Investment Corporation (hereinafter, “UUR”), has signed up the Principles for Responsible Investment (hereinafter, “PRI”)*, thereby becoming a PRI signatory company.

Both UUR and JRA actively pursue improved sustainability practices, while taking into account Environment, Society, and Governance (hereinafter, “ESG”), in order to run a healthy business that achieves co-inhabitance and coexistence with society and the environment. When JRA is considering investing in a piece of real estate, in addition to considering the profitability of targeted properties, they also factor in the effects of the environment (asbestos, soil contamination/pollution etc.), tenants (anti-social groups/individuals, working environment etc.), and surrounding area (relationship with the community, impact of traffic congestion on the area etc.) before making a final determination. Furthermore, all property management companies who receive work consigned from UUR begin managing various properties only after agreeing to the “Environment Policy” and “Supply Chain ESG Basic Policy” established by JRA.

Marubeni established the Sustainability Management Committee, under the direct control of the CEO, in April of this year in pursuit of its goal to strengthen its ESG activities. The Marubeni Group, through ESG adherent asset management companies like UUR and JRA, will continue to contribute to the realization of a sustainable society.

*About Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI):
Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI) are guidelines for investment for the financial industry which were proposed by the then UN Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, in 2005. The PRI enumerates the following 6 principles which, through investment, are deemed necessary in order to fulfil ESG related responsibilities. JRA is in agreement with the PRI’s basic way of thinking, and has been recognized as a signatory as of November 2018.
PRI signatories strive to apply the ESG perspective to their investment decision making process, improve the long term investment performance of their beneficiaries, and fulfil their fiduciary responsibility to a greater extent than before. Moreover, according to PRI information, over 2,000 companies have become PRI signatories as of the end of October 2018.

The Principles
1. We will incorporate ESG issues into investment analysis and decision-making processes.
2. We will be active owners and incorporate ESG issues into our ownership policies and practices.
3. We will seek appropriate disclosure on ESG issues by the entities in which we invest.
4. We will promote acceptance and implementation of the Principles within the investment industry.
5. We will work together to enhance our effectiveness in implementing the Principles.
6. We will each report on our activities and progress towards implementing the Principles.

＜JRA overview＞
Corporate Name	:	Japan REIT Advisors Co., Ltd.
Address	:	Shiroyama Trust Tower 18F, 4-3-1 Toranomon, Minato-ku, Tokyo 105-6018, Japan
Representative	:	Norimasa Gaun, President and CEO
Capital	:	425 million yen (Marubeni 100% owned subsidiary
Date of Foundation	:	December 4, 2001
Description of Business	:	Investment management
HP	:	http://www.j-reitad.co.jp/en/

 

＜UUR overview＞
Corporate Name	:	United Urban Investment Corporation
Address	:	Shiroyama Trust Tower 18F, 4-3-1 Toranomon, Minato-ku, Tokyo 105-6018, Japan
Representative	:	Ikuo Yoshida, Executive Officer
Listing Date	:	December 22, 2003
Number of Properties	:	119 Properties (As of November 1, 2018)
Asset Size	:	613.9 billion yen (As of November 1, 2018)
HP	:	http://www.united-reit.co.jp/en/

Reference:
・UUR’s Press Release「United Urban’s Asset Manager Becomes a Signatory Member to PRI」
　http://www.united-reit.co.jp/file/en-news-3b2ec6cda70f234f9f435a6eb791e61555ba41d4.pdf

・For more information on ESG initiatives of Marubeni, UUR and JRA, please refer to the following links
　Marubeni : https://www.marubeni.com/en/sustainability/
　UUR : http://www.united-reit.co.jp/en/feature/esg/index.html
　JRA : http://www.j-reitad.co.jp/en/esg/index.html