Until recently, the role of financial markets in sustainable development was little understood
andwidely discounted. The Principles for Responsible Investment have helped to change
thisimpression.

Launched in April 2006, the Principles are in essence a set of global best-practices for
responsible investment. Rising numbers of institutional investors – from all regions of the world,
representing more than eight trillion dollars in the first year alone – are
embracing them, marking a major advance in mainstream financial markets.
The Principles have quickly become the global benchmark for responsible
investing.

By incorporating environmental, social and governance criteria into their
investment decision-making and ownership practices, the signatories to the
Principles are directly influencing companies to improve performance in
these areas. This, in turn, is contributing to our efforts to promote good
corporate citizenship and to build a more stable, sustainable and inclusive
global economy.

The Principles complement the UN Global Compact, which asks companies
to embed in their strategies and operations a set of universal principles in
theareas of human rights, labour standards, the environment and anti-
corruption. The Principles are also a natural extension of the work of the
UNEnvironment Programme Finance Initiative, which has helped sensitize capital markets to
theimportance of environmental and social issues.

The combined support of the UN Global Compact, the UNEP Finance Initiative and committed
leaders from the investment community has helped to make the Principles a unique initiative
that holds great promise for financial markets and for achieving a wide range of United Nations
objectives. I applaud the leadership of the institutions that have committed themselves to this
undertaking, and urge other investors around the world to join this historic effort.


Ban Ki-moon
UN Secretary-General