Baillie Gifford - 1792 Exchange

Rating Overview

Baillie Gifford is Medium Risk.

Baillie Gifford & Co. is Medium Risk. The company often yields to political activism in shaping corporate governance, potentially alienating consumers, dividing employees, and harming shareholders. The company implements race and identity-based policies that replace merit, excellence, and integrity with preferential treatment and outcomes. The company occasionally embraces corporate initiatives that redirect its central focus from business goals to partisan policies and divisive issues at times. This approach fails to safeguard free exercise, free speech, and free enterprise.

Rating Criteria

Corporate Weaponization Risk Levels
Criteria	Risk Level
Cancellations	Medium Risk
Discriminatory Philanthropy	Lower Risk
Employment Protection	High Risk

Corporate Weaponization ⓘ

Corporate Governance and Public Policy Risk Levels
Criteria	Risk Level
Advocacy Bias	High Risk
Funding	Lower Risk
Political Actions	No Data

Corporate Governance and Public Policy ⓘ

Rating Criteria Detail

Criteria Risk Level Rationale

Corporate Weaponization

Criteria:

Has canceled customers, suppliers, or vendors due to their political views or religious beliefs OR corporately boycotts, divests, or sanctions regions, people groups, or industries.

Risk Level:

Medium

Rationale:

Baillie Gifford is a signatory of the Principles for Responsible Investment, incorporating ESG issues into investment analysis, decision-making, and other business practices (1)(2). The company integrates ESG into its business practices. From its ESG Integration Approach: “While our stewardship principles and guidelines primarily apply to publicly listed corporate securities (equity and debt), we integrate ESG
factors to varying degrees across all asset classes” (3). However, Baillie Gifford has not publicly canceled customers, suppliers, or vendors based on political views or religious beliefs (4).

Criteria:

Charitable giving (including employee matching programs) policies or practices discriminate against charitable organizations based on views or religious beliefs.

Risk Level:

Lower

Rationale:

Baillie Gifford does not appear to discriminate against charitable organizations based on views or beliefs (1).

Criteria:

Employment policies fail to protect against viewpoint or other discrimination and/or are ideological in nature.

Risk Level:

High

Rationale:

Baillie Gifford appears to prioritize diversity over merit in its business structure through the establishment of gender targets for its leadership composition. The company is seeking: “40:40:20 – We strive for a gender balance of 40:40:20 across boards, committees and senior management (40 per cent men, 40 per cent women and 20 per cent any gender). The 20 per cent for any gender allows for flexibility while also acknowledging that not everyone identifies as a man or woman” (1). Baillie Gifford does not publish a nondiscrimination policy (2).

Corporate Governance and Public Policy

Criteria:

Uses corporate reputation to support causes, organizations, or policies hostile to freedom of expression.

Risk Level:

High

Rationale:

Baillie Gifford was part of the Net Zero Asset Managers initiative prior to NZAM’s suspension in 2025. Its membership indicated a commitment to carbon neutrality with its investments by 2050 (1)(2)(3)(4). The company is committed to net zero emissions by 2040 (5). Baillie Gifford supports ESG within its business practices. From its ESG Integration Approach: “Our ESG Oversight Group is responsible for the
firm’s ESG strategy and approves the policies
that support our ability to be effective stewards
on behalf of our clients” (6). The company supports DEI within its business practices, hosting a Diversity & Inclusion Group (7). The company was a member of Climate Action 100+, committed to carbon neutrality by 2050 . However, it withdrew its membership in November of 2024 likely over growing concerns of potential antitrust violations (8).