Noah has officially become a signatory of the PRI, Gopher also signed
2020.03.25

Shanghai, China, May, 2020 — Noah Holdings Limited (NYSE: NOAH, Noah) has officially become a signatory of the UN-supported Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI), the first Chinese independent wealth management institute to participate in this initiative. Its subsidiary, Gopher Asset Management(Gopher), also signed the PRI, committing itself to practicing responsible investment in its asset management business. The participation of Noah and Gopher aims to promote responsible investment from both wealth management and asset management end, to enable Noah, which is positioned as a comprehensive financial services provider for the global Chinese community, to develop into an environmental, social and governance (ESG) platform" practicing sustainable development, and delivering long-term social momentum".

This year marks the 15th anniversary of Noah's independent operation, the 10th anniversary of its listing on the NYSE, and the 10th anniversary of Gopher's establishment. Memberships of the UN's PRI mark our solid steps in the field of sustainable development and responsible investment in line with international standards. At the same time, as the leading brand of China's market-oriented Funds of Funds(FoF), Gopher pursues long-term value and steady investment. Joining PRI urges Gopher to pay more attention to applying the concept of responsible investment to investment management and decision-making, to improve its risk management, and strive to create long-term and sustainable returns for investors.

The PRI, initiated by former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan in 2005 and officially launched on the New York Stock Exchange in 2006, is an international network of institutional investors, asset managers and service providers dedicated to building a global financial system focused on responsible investment.

The PRI defines responsible investment as "the strategy and practice of integrating ESG factors into investment decision-making and positive ownership". It is committed to understanding the investment impact based on the three main issues of ESG factors, as well as further promoting more responsible investment practices. It works with the global network of signatories to implement the six principles of responsible investment, which are formulated by investors and supported by the United Nations. The PRI has built a sustainable global financial system by encouraging all parties to adopt and cooperate in the implementation of the principle of responsible investment, improving corporate governance, integrity and accountability mechanisms, and removing obstacles to market operation, structure and regulation. At present, there are 3,038 signatories around the world, representing more than US$89 trillion in assets.

"We are pleased to welcome both Noah and Gopher to become the signatories of PRI in China, and to jointly practice the six principles from wealth management sustainable development services to asset management responsibility investment," said Matthew McAdam, director of PRI Asia Pacific. "Being PRI signatories shows that Noah and Gopher have a serious commitment to promoting sustainable development and responsible investment in all aspects of their business, including wealth management, asset management and global integrated financial services." Noah is an institution with significant influence in the global high net worth Chinese circle, and Gopher plays an important role in the field of China's market-oriented asset management FoF. Both of them are signed as service providers and asset managers at the same time. We believe that the management of Noah and Gopher can drive more Chinese institutions, which cooperate with them, to jointly promote ESG factors and incorporate it into their investment processes and decisions.

Regarding Noah and Gopher both joining PRI, Ms. Frances Chang, angle investor of Noah, and general manager of Noah Upright, said: "by joining the PRI, Noah is determined to become the benchmark for China's independent wealth management industry to practice ESG concept. Noah and Gopher continuously explore the responsible investment mode that can cover the business scope of the comprehensive financial service platform, and cooperate with partners and counterparties. We are committed to the implementation of sustainable development practice, to become a global sustainable development company that can lead the industry in China while complying with ESG standards internationally. "

Mr. Zhe Yin, co-founder of Noah, Chairman and CEO of Gopher, said: "The main goal of responsible investment is to grow with companies that attach importance to sustainable environmental resources, fully undertake social responsibilities and have good governance structure. More and more financial data prove that responsible investment can not only obtain good investment income from long-term investment, but also promote the company to better fulfill its social responsibility, as well as help investment institutions to identify and reduce risks in specific investment. This makes responsible investment gradually become the focus of mainstream financial institutions, more and more investors begin to pay attention to ESG, it is incumbent for Gopher to practice responsible investment.

Since its establishment, Noah has been paying attention to the long-term driving force of sustainable development for enterprises and society. The Company took "becoming a great company with sustainable development" as its corporate vision from the beginning. It is currently actively using the responsible investment concept to practice the goal of "enriching life with wealth and wisdom". Since 2014, Noah has been spontaneously releasing last year’s annual “Noah Sustainability Report” to global investors in the middle of each year. This effort has lasted for six years. Last month, when releasing its 2019 full-year results, the Company also announced that "responsible investment has become a global trend. In China, regulators and institutions are also actively encouraging and adopting such approach. In 2019, we have implemented ESG into our group strategy development and corporate governance. We will continue pursuing sustainable growth in ESG in 2020.”

As a representative of China's wealth management industry, Noah's ESG development attracted attention from the outside world. In 2018, MSCI included Noah's shares into MSCI China Index and MSCI overseas China standard index. MSCI has always been in favor of industry leaders with high market value and strong profitability and focuses on ESG when including a stock into its indexes. This urges Noah to practice the concept of sustainable development and further integrate with international standards.

Noah and Gopher adhere to the concept of sustainable development, which is also valued by China's regulators and industry associations. In 2019, Asset Management Association of China(AMAC) attaches great importance to and vigorously promotes the development and practice of ESG in China's asset management industry. In the report on social responsibility in the practice of China's private equity investment industry in 2019, Mr. Zhe Yin, co-founder of Noah, Chairman and CEO of Gopher, was invited to serve as a member of the Professional Committee of FoF. Previously, Mr. Yin was elected as the co-chairman of the Professional Committee of FoF in AMAC in 2017 for his contribution to the industry development of FoFs in China.

Noah also officially released relevant reports of ESG responsible investment. In 2019, Gopher’s Redwoods fund launched its ESG responsible investment report, the first time for a Chinese asset management company to publish such content to international investors.

Despite the global COVID-19 epidemic, Noah and Gopher accelerated becoming PRI signatories, showcasing that as a financial service institution, aside from incorporating ESG in its own operations, the Company also hopes to take positive actions to promote ESG responsible investment awareness and implement it into responsible investment as soon as possible, to better lead the sustainable development.

Fiona Reynolds, CEO of PRI, wrote about the global COVID-19 pandemic:" As for the responsible investment community, it’s time for us to step up and play our role as long-term holders of capital, to call corporations to account… Looking ahead to the recovery from covid-19, investors are offered a unique opportunity to re-evaluate our global financial system and to bring a wider, deeper drive towards sustainability issues.”."

Ms. Frances Chang agreed with Ms. Reynolds’ remarks, adding that as a financial institution, Noah is a practitioner of long-term value investment concept and sustainable development. During the epidemic, Noah focuses on maintaining operation, keeping the growth of its main businesses against the trend, as well as actively promoting social actions and making donations to domestic and international medical institutions. More importantly, Noah has established a strategic consensus, to take a long-term view, support unified actions, and implement the concept of responsible investment in the long run on the basis of solving the practical problems posed by the current epidemic.

Noah has officially become a signatory of the PRI, Gopher also signed
2020.03.25

Shanghai, China, May, 2020 — Noah Holdings Limited (NYSE: NOAH, Noah) has officially become a signatory of the UN-supported Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI), the first Chinese independent wealth management institute to participate in this initiative. Its subsidiary, Gopher Asset Management(Gopher), also signed the PRI, committing itself to practicing responsible investment in its asset management business. The participation of Noah and Gopher aims to promote responsible investment from both wealth management and asset management end, to enable Noah, which is positioned as a comprehensive financial services provider for the global Chinese community, to develop into an environmental, social and governance (ESG) platform" practicing sustainable development, and delivering long-term social momentum".

This year marks the 15th anniversary of Noah's independent operation, the 10th anniversary of its listing on the NYSE, and the 10th anniversary of Gopher's establishment. Memberships of the UN's PRI mark our solid steps in the field of sustainable development and responsible investment in line with international standards. At the same time, as the leading brand of China's market-oriented Funds of Funds(FoF), Gopher pursues long-term value and steady investment. Joining PRI urges Gopher to pay more attention to applying the concept of responsible investment to investment management and decision-making, to improve its risk management, and strive to create long-term and sustainable returns for investors.

The PRI, initiated by former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan in 2005 and officially launched on the New York Stock Exchange in 2006, is an international network of institutional investors, asset managers and service providers dedicated to building a global financial system focused on responsible investment.

The PRI defines responsible investment as "the strategy and practice of integrating ESG factors into investment decision-making and positive ownership". It is committed to understanding the investment impact based on the three main issues of ESG factors, as well as further promoting more responsible investment practices. It works with the global network of signatories to implement the six principles of responsible investment, which are formulated by investors and supported by the United Nations. The PRI has built a sustainable global financial system by encouraging all parties to adopt and cooperate in the implementation of the principle of responsible investment, improving corporate governance, integrity and accountability mechanisms, and removing obstacles to market operation, structure and regulation. At present, there are 3,038 signatories around the world, representing more than US$89 trillion in assets.

"We are pleased to welcome both Noah and Gopher to become the signatories of PRI in China, and to jointly practice the six principles from wealth management sustainable development services to asset management responsibility investment," said Matthew McAdam, director of PRI Asia Pacific. "Being PRI signatories shows that Noah and Gopher have a serious commitment to promoting sustainable development and responsible investment in all aspects of their business, including wealth management, asset management and global integrated financial services." Noah is an institution with significant influence in the global high net worth Chinese circle, and Gopher plays an important role in the field of China's market-oriented asset management FoF. Both of them are signed as service providers and asset managers at the same time. We believe that the management of Noah and Gopher can drive more Chinese institutions, which cooperate with them, to jointly promote ESG factors and incorporate it into their investment processes and decisions.

Regarding Noah and Gopher both joining PRI, Ms. Frances Chang, angle investor of Noah, and general manager of Noah Upright, said: "by joining the PRI, Noah is determined to become the benchmark for China's independent wealth management industry to practice ESG concept. Noah and Gopher continuously explore the responsible investment mode that can cover the business scope of the comprehensive financial service platform, and cooperate with partners and counterparties. We are committed to the implementation of sustainable development practice, to become a global sustainable development company that can lead the industry in China while complying with ESG standards internationally. "

Mr. Zhe Yin, co-founder of Noah, Chairman and CEO of Gopher, said: "The main goal of responsible investment is to grow with companies that attach importance to sustainable environmental resources, fully undertake social responsibilities and have good governance structure. More and more financial data prove that responsible investment can not only obtain good investment income from long-term investment, but also promote the company to better fulfill its social responsibility, as well as help investment institutions to identify and reduce risks in specific investment. This makes responsible investment gradually become the focus of mainstream financial institutions, more and more investors begin to pay attention to ESG, it is incumbent for Gopher to practice responsible investment.

Since its establishment, Noah has been paying attention to the long-term driving force of sustainable development for enterprises and society. The Company took "becoming a great company with sustainable development" as its corporate vision from the beginning. It is currently actively using the responsible investment concept to practice the goal of "enriching life with wealth and wisdom". Since 2014, Noah has been spontaneously releasing last year’s annual “Noah Sustainability Report” to global investors in the middle of each year. This effort has lasted for six years. Last month, when releasing its 2019 full-year results, the Company also announced that "responsible investment has become a global trend. In China, regulators and institutions are also actively encouraging and adopting such approach. In 2019, we have implemented ESG into our group strategy development and corporate governance. We will continue pursuing sustainable growth in ESG in 2020.”

As a representative of China's wealth management industry, Noah's ESG development attracted attention from the outside world. In 2018, MSCI included Noah's shares into MSCI China Index and MSCI overseas China standard index. MSCI has always been in favor of industry leaders with high market value and strong profitability and focuses on ESG when including a stock into its indexes. This urges Noah to practice the concept of sustainable development and further integrate with international standards.

Noah and Gopher adhere to the concept of sustainable development, which is also valued by China's regulators and industry associations. In 2019, Asset Management Association of China(AMAC) attaches great importance to and vigorously promotes the development and practice of ESG in China's asset management industry. In the report on social responsibility in the practice of China's private equity investment industry in 2019, Mr. Zhe Yin, co-founder of Noah, Chairman and CEO of Gopher, was invited to serve as a member of the Professional Committee of FoF. Previously, Mr. Yin was elected as the co-chairman of the Professional Committee of FoF in AMAC in 2017 for his contribution to the industry development of FoFs in China.

Noah also officially released relevant reports of ESG responsible investment. In 2019, Gopher’s Redwoods fund launched its ESG responsible investment report, the first time for a Chinese asset management company to publish such content to international investors.

Despite the global COVID-19 epidemic, Noah and Gopher accelerated becoming PRI signatories, showcasing that as a financial service institution, aside from incorporating ESG in its own operations, the Company also hopes to take positive actions to promote ESG responsible investment awareness and implement it into responsible investment as soon as possible, to better lead the sustainable development.

Fiona Reynolds, CEO of PRI, wrote about the global COVID-19 pandemic:" As for the responsible investment community, it’s time for us to step up and play our role as long-term holders of capital, to call corporations to account… Looking ahead to the recovery from covid-19, investors are offered a unique opportunity to re-evaluate our global financial system and to bring a wider, deeper drive towards sustainability issues.”."

Ms. Frances Chang agreed with Ms. Reynolds’ remarks, adding that as a financial institution, Noah is a practitioner of long-term value investment concept and sustainable development. During the epidemic, Noah focuses on maintaining operation, keeping the growth of its main businesses against the trend, as well as actively promoting social actions and making donations to domestic and international medical institutions. More importantly, Noah has established a strategic consensus, to take a long-term view, support unified actions, and implement the concept of responsible investment in the long run on the basis of solving the practical problems posed by the current epidemic.