SuMi Trust (Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Asset Management)

Rating Overview

SuMi Trust (Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Asset Management) is Lower Risk.

Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Asset Management (SuMi Trust) is Lower Risk. The company does not yield to political activism in shaping corporate governance, preventing initiatives that potentially alienate consumers, divide employees, and harm shareholders. The company elevates merit, excellence, and integrity ahead of race and identity-based policies. The company does not embrace corporate initiatives that redirect its central focus from business goals to partisan policies and divisive issues. This approach protects 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	Medium 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:

SuMi Trust is a signatory of the Principles for Responsible Investment, incorporating ESG issues into investment analysis, decision-making, and other business practices (1)(2). However, the company has not canceled customers, suppliers, or vendors based on political views or religious beliefs (3).

Criteria:

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

Risk Level:

Lower

Rationale:

SuMi Trust does not appear to discriminate against charitable organizations based on views or beliefs. The company’s charitable giving focus areas are “Colleges and universities, Private and public elementary and secondary schools, Arts and cultural organizations, Healthcare based organizations, Community service organizations, Libraries” (1).

Criteria:

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

Risk Level:

Medium

Rationale:

SuMi Trust does not provide viewpoint protections for its employees (1).

Corporate Governance and Public Policy

Criteria:

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

Risk Level:

High

Rationale:

SuMi Trust is a member of the Net Zero Asset Owner Alliance, committed to net zero carbon emissions by 2050 (1)(2). The company is a member of Climate Action 100+, committed to carbon neutrality by 2050 (3)(4). Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Asset Management
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 (5)(6)(7). Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Asset Management is a signatory of the 2026 relaunch of the Net Zero Asset Managers Initiative, which provides resources to asset managers to aid in setting climate goals. Based on the company’s NZAM profile page, it has individually committed to “50% of AUM in material sectors is considered net zero” by 2030 (8)(9)(10). The company supports ESG within its business practices. From its page on ESG: “In addition to financial information such as corporate earnings, we believe non-financial information including ESG initiatives and sustainability of added value for a company’s products and services can have a significant impact on corporate value over time” (11).