Building a more prosperous planet

2019 Corporate Social Responsibility Report

At Principal, we embrace Environment, Social and Governance (ESG) as a core strategy to strengthen our business, advance our mission, and build a more inclusive, resilient and sustainable global community. This is part of our commitment to corporate citizenship, as well as an effort to listen, understand, and respond to the changing needs of our stakeholders.

For more than 140 years, we’ve committed to finding a better way—discovering new opportunities to help people and businesses make progress big and small. As we’ve grown to support over 33 million customers around the globe, our impact and desire to serve has never been greater. And our sense of responsibility has never felt more urgent. We rise every day with conviction in the belief that all people deserve a better financial future, continually pursuing new pathways to guide toward lifelong financial progress.

2019 sustainability highlights

• Over $10 billion in custom-screened ESG-related assets managed by Principal Global Investors.

• Ranked No. 5 Best Employers for Women by Forbes in 2019. Which also listed Principal among America’s Best Employers and Best Employers for Diversity (No. 55).

• 55% of the independent members of our Board are women and minorities.

• A- climate-change grade received from Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP).

• Over 1,500 organizations in 450 communities around the world benefit from Principal^® Foundation activities, which contributes more than $15 million through grants, employee and match giving, sponsorships,  pro bono and in-kind donations. 

• 56,600 volunteer hours logged by more than 2,700 Principal employees in 2019.

• $64.1 million in energy costs saved by Principal Real Estate Investors. Reduced energy consumption by properties within its asset portfolio by 16.8% since 2008.

• 142,000 pounds of food composted or donated from the dining halls on our corporate campus in 2019, an 88% increase over 2018.