BlackRock Sustainability

BlackRock’s purpose is to help more and more people experience financial well-being.

In pursuit of our purpose, a focus on long-term sustainability is embedded across our business.

BlackRock manages assets on behalf of diverse clients around the world. We dedicate ourselves, as a fiduciary, to looking after and growing the value of our clients’ assets over the long-term. That includes a focus on sustainability.

We are integrating ESG considerations into our investment processes

ESG integration is the practice of incorporating ESG information into investment decisions to help enhance risk-adjusted returns, regardless of whether or not a strategy has a sustainable mandate. There is no one-size-fits-all approach but at BlackRock we see it as being about making research, data and insights available to all of our portfolio managers, and working with them to identify potential process enhancements across all investment activities.

ESG investment process integration

We are stewards of our clients’ assets

As a fiduciary investor, we advocate for sound corporate governance and sustainable business practices that result in long-term value creation for our clients.

Investment stewardship

We provide more choices through BlackRock Sustainable Investing

We have a $60 billion platform of dedicated sustainable investment solutions that align capital with certain behaviors, activities or outcomes via ESG, thematic, and impact approaches. This includes over $40 billion in clean energy investments for clients who wish to access the green and energy transition sectors. We also have $500 billion in investment solutions that eliminate exposures to certain sectors or activities through screened solutions.

Sustainable investing solutions

We advocate for public policy

In-line with our purpose of helping more people experience financial well-being, we embrace a broader set of responsibilities to advocate for public policies that increase financial market transparency, protect investors and facilitate responsible growth of capital markets for all investors. 

Public policy

We are a leader in
risk management

Our Aladdin technology gives us an enterprise view of BlackRock. In addition, an independent group provides risk oversight of the investment management processes, identifies and helps manage counterparty and enterprise risks, coordinates standards for firm wide investment performance measurement and determines risk management-related analytical and information requests. This includes cybersecurity and information security, where we employ an in-depth, multi-layer strategy of control programs that protect confidentiality, integrity and availability of information.

We are committed to delivering long-term financial performance

By focusing on the key elements of our business that we can control, we look to generate differentiated and sustainable organic growth, and demonstrate the benefits of scale through operating leverage while re-investing in our business for future growth. In addition, we are committed to returning excess cash to shareholders through a consistent capital management strategy.

We implement effective
corporate governance

A strong corporate governance framework is critical for running a sustainable business. Our corporate governance framework is a set of principles, guidelines and practices that support consistent financial performance and long-term value creation for our shareholders.

Corporate governance

Spotlight on Board Diversity

BlackRock and its Board believe diversity in the boardroom is critical to the success of the Company and its ability to create long-term value for our shareholders. The Board has and will continue to make diversity in gender, ethnicity, age, career experience and geographic location – as well as diversity of mind – a priority when considering director candidates. The diverse backgrounds of our individual directors help the Board better evaluate BlackRock’s management and operations and assess risk and opportunities for the Company’s business model. BlackRock’s commitment to diversity enhances Board involvement in our Company’s multi-faceted long-term strategy and inspires deeper engagement with management, employees and clients around the world.

Board Profile

We prioritize human capital

As an asset manager, the long-term sustainability of our firm is heavily dependent on our people. We make a deliberate effort to unify culture, encourage innovation, ensure that we are developing, retaining and recruiting the best talent, align employee incentives and risk taking with those of the firm, and to incorporate inclusion and diversity into all levels of our business. We are also committed to protecting human rights, which we do through policies that seek to provide equal treatment and are dedicated to providing a safe and healthy working environment for all employees.

Human capital

We promote inclusion
and diversity

We strive to cultivate and advance diversity in all forms because we believe a wide range of perspectives and talent is crucial to creating a richer culture for our employees and better results for our diversified global client base.

Inclusion and diversity

Representation as of January 1, 2019
Senior leaders include Senior Managing Directors, Managing Directors, and Directors

We support our
employees’ wellbeing

We care about our employees’ physical, emotional and financial well-being and design our benefits to support employees in all aspects of their lives. To help employees stay energized, engaged and inspired, we offer a wide range of benefits including a strong retirement plan, support for working parents and Flexible Time Off (FTO).

Rewards and benefits

We provide learning and development opportunities

We provide a wide range of opportunities for employees to grow their skills and develop in their careers. From virtual and classroom courses for all employees through to more selective leadership development programs that help us to identify and grow our leaders from within.

Learning and development

We lead with ethics & integrity

Our reputation is one of our most important assets. We hold ourselves to standards that not only meet those required by the laws and regulations that apply to us, but also to our principles, which are rooted in exceeding our clients’ expectations.

Ethics and integrity

We create positive social impact by serving our communities

We partner with nonprofits, start-ups, corporations and our employees to create impact in line with our mission to help more people achieve financial security and opportunity, whether in our own communities or on a global scale.

Social impact

We manage the environmental impact of our own operations

BlackRock recognizes that sound environmental management is central to our business, important to our employees and clients and key to securing our future. In our operations, BlackRock works to decouple company growth from environmental impact, while increasing the efficiency and resiliency of our operations.

Environmental sustainability