Morgan Stanley

Firmwide Sustainability

We integrate environmental, social and governance (ESG) considerations throughout our business practices and operations. Our leadership, employees and stakeholders work to drive and support our global sustainability strategy and priorities.

Sustainable Business Practices

We aim to manage our supply chain sustainably, improve the resilience of our operations, foster an inclusive workforce and engage our people.

Learn more about our activities

Sustainability Governance & Risk Management

The Nominating and Governance Committee of the Morgan Stanley Board of Directors oversees our ESG initiatives, and the Risk Committee oversees risks relating to climate change.

More on governance

Disclosure and Stakeholder Engagement

We provide decision-useful information to stakeholders, consult them and monitor relevant global frameworks to continually improve our reporting and disclosures.

Learn about our engagements

Sustainability Governance & Risk Management

Our core values—do the right thing, put clients first, lead with exceptional ideas, commit to diversity and inclusion and give back—drive everything we do. To build operational resilience, we’re working to integrate ESG across business activities and operations, with support from dedicated teams. The Nominating and Governance Committee of our Board of Directors oversees ESG initiatives and the Risk Committee oversees risks relating to climate change. We see sustainability as a shared endeavor and our stakeholders as partners. We consult them, provide decision-useful information and seek to continually improve our sustainability reporting and disclosures.

SUSTAINABILITY LEADERSHIP

Our Chief Sustainability Officer, Jessica Alsford, leads our efforts to promote sustainability through the global capital markets in partnership with divisions across the firm. She heads Global Sustainable Finance, which partners with senior leaders in our three businesses as well as support services and risk and control functions.

“We recognize the significant potential for issues like climate change and inequality to impact our clients, investments, operations, employees, and local communities, and we consider those consequences in everything we do,” Alsford says. “There are also tremendous opportunities for us be part of the solution as we work with all stakeholders to try and create a more sustainable society.”

For more information on sustainability oversight at Morgan Stanley and our approach to governance more broadly, see our latest sustainability report.

For information about Morgan Stanley's approach to corporate governance more broadly, please visit our corporate governance page.

OUR SUSTAINABILITY COUNCILS

Councils and working groups provide expertise on our sustainability efforts:

  • The Global Sustainable Business Steering Committee

  • Climate Change Risk Steering Committee

  • Sustainability Disclosure Committee

Disclosure & Stakeholder Engagement

We consult our key stakeholders and provide them with relevant and decision-useful information. We consult them and monitor relevant global frameworks as we work to continually improve our reporting and disclosure.

Shareholders

We maintain close dialogue with investors and work to meet their requests for sustainability information. Our annual Sustainability and Climate Reports focus on investor-relevant information, using the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board and Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures frameworks as a guides.

Clients

We host thought leadership events around the world for clients seeking insights on sustainability topics. We engage them directly to better understand ESG preferences and collaborate on solutions and services to help meet their needs.

Employees

We encourage our employees to be sustainability minded through events, campaigns and our company intranet, and use surveys to gather feedback.

Nonprofits and Civil Society

We value outside views on our sustainability strategy, gaining insights through individual and small group dialogues as well as industry groups and third-party events.

Environmental and Social Risk Management

Morgan Stanley prioritizes environmental and social risk management. Our Environmental and Social Policy Statement  outlines the firm’s commitment and approach to identifying and assessing environmental and social risks. Our Statement on Human Rights enshrines our commitment to respect and uphold human rights.

Morgan Stanley’s Environmental and Social Risk Management (ESRM) Group provides internal subject matter expertise on environmental and social risk, conducts due diligence on relevant transactions, engages with stakeholders, and monitors emerging risks and developments in partnership with the Business Units and the Global Sustainable Finance Group.

Business Units and internal control groups refer transactions to ESRM for due diligence when they identify potential environmental and social issues that may pose franchise risk. Certain transactions may be escalated to our Regional and Global Franchise Committees and to senior management.

LEARN MORE ABOUT SUSTAINABILITY AT MORGAN STANLEY IN OUR LATEST REPORT

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Sustainable Business Practices

Morgan Stanley aims to integrate ESG considerations across our business practices and global operations. Our focus areas include fostering an inclusive workforce and culture, building a sustainable supply chain, improving workplace sustainability and resilience and engaging our employees.

Our
Focus Areas

DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION

APPROACH

Our employees around the world bring diverse experiences and perspectives that enrich our culture, inform our work and drive our business. We embrace a values-based culture of inclusion and belonging where dedicated professionals can collaborate to produce breakthrough thinking. Learn more about our strategy, goals and programs in our latest diversity and inclusion report.

Learn more

MULTICULTURAL INNOVATION LAB

The Morgan Stanley Multicultural Innovation Lab is an intensive five-month accelerator for diverse founders of tech and tech-enabled startups. The Lab provides tools, resources and access to investors.

Explore the MCIL

INSTITUTE FOR INCLUSION

The Morgan Stanley Institute for Inclusion is led by our Chairman and CEO, and is committed to driving greater workplace diversity and inclusion, advancing equity through philanthropy, and driving greater economic outcomes for underserved communities through our products, services and business practices.

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Sustainable Supply Chain

SUPPLIER DIVERSITY

We seek to employ a diverse global workforce and supplier base. Our long-running Supplier Diversity program identifies diverse-owned companies that can meet our business needs.

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SUPPLIER CODE OF CONDUCT

We expect our suppliers to meet our core values and high standards for doing business. Our Supplier Code of Conduct lays out our requirements for human and labor rights, environmental protections and ethical business practices.

Download the Code

ERADICATING MODERN SLAVERY

We strive to uphold global standards for responsible business, including equal opportunity, freedom to associate and bargain collectively, and the elimination of child and forced labor. We are committed to ensure modern slavery has no part in our operations or supply chain.

See our Statement

Employee Engagement

SUSTAINABILITY

We encourage our employees to join sustainability-related employee networks, events and campaigns. In 2019, we launched a campaign to educate employees about firm measures to mitigate the environmental impact of our physical business operations and to encourage them to adopt an environmentally conscious mindset, and make sustainable choices.

TRAINING

Our Code of Conduct and Code of Ethics and Business Conduct enshrine our ethical practices and define the daily behavior we expect from our people. Employees certify that they understand and will adhere to these codes as new hires and every year they remain with the firm. To enable our talented people to fulfill their professional potential, we offer ongoing training and skills development.

Read our Code of Conduct

NETWORKS

Morgan Stanley promotes several Employee Networking Groups (ENGs) that enrich our global business and culture through relationship-building and the exchange of ideas. Employees use these forums to interact, learn and support each other while increasing their firmwide exposure, gaining professional development skills and giving back to the community through volunteer efforts.

Explore our ENGs

Operational Sustainability

100% CARBON NEUTRAL

We are committed to achieving carbon neutrality across our global operations. For more on how we’re getting there, see our latest Climate Report.

SUSTAINABILITY AT WORK

We actively manage the environmental impact of our physical business operations and seek to minimize the associated emissions. Our strategy aims to reduce the firm’s energy, water, paper consumption and waste, helping us attain a more sustainably built operational environment.

See our ESG performance metrics

100% RENEWABLE ELECTRICITY

Our goal is to power 100% of global operational electricity needs from renewable energy sources.

SUPPORTING OUR COMMUNITIES

Giving Back

Morgan Stanley is rooted in communities around the world, providing a unique opportunity to make a difference through philanthropy and public works. Learn more about our long-lasting partnerships, community-based grants and how we engage our best asset—our people.

Learn more

Download the latest Sustainability Report

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Disclosures

All materials, information and opinions in this report and data on this website were prepared by Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC, Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC and their affiliates (collectively hereafter, “Morgan Stanley”).

This website does not provide individually tailored investment advice. It has been prepared without regard to the individual financial circumstances and objectives of persons who receive it. Any securities mentioned are provided for informational purposes only and should not be deemed as a recommendation to buy or sell any security or other financial instrument or to participate in any trading strategy. Securities discussed on this website may not be appropriate for all investors. It should not be assumed that the securities transactions or holdings discussed were or will be profitable. Morgan Stanley recommends that investors independently evaluate particular investments and strategies, and encourages investors to seek the advice of a Morgan Stanley Financial Advisor. The appropriateness of a particular investment or strategy will depend on an investor’s individual circumstances and objectives.

Historical data shown represents past performance and does not guarantee comparable future results. Furthermore, this website may contain forward-looking statements and there can be no guarantee that they will come to pass. Indexes are unmanaged and not available for direct investment.

Morgan Stanley makes every effort to use reliable, comprehensive information, but we make no guarantee that it is accurate or complete. We have no obligation to tell you when opinions or information in this website change.

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The returns on a portfolio consisting primarily of Environmental, Social and Governance (“ESG”) aware investments or sustainable investments may be lower or higher than a portfolio that is more diversified or where decisions are based solely on investment considerations. Because ESG or sustainability criteria exclude some investments, investors may not be able to take advantage of the same opportunities or market trends as investors that do not use such criteria.

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