Our approach to corporate responsibility is commercially-based and driven by our vision to be the private equity firm of choice. We think about corporate responsibility from two perspectives: "as an investor" and "as a company" in our own right.

We view an active approach to corporate responsibility as more than simply a means to retain our licence to operate, or to reduce risk. We believe that it provides genuine competitive advantage and that it helps us to maximise the returns for our shareholders, as well as for the investors in the funds that we advise or manage.

Private equity investment has become mainstream as an asset class for investors and as an investment style. In many countries it is also now a well-established way for high-quality management teams to raise capital and to transform the businesses that they run or own.

Full consideration of corporate responsibility issues is central to the sustained success of the private equity industry. This means thinking about the impact of the firm as well as each investment through its life cycle.

At 3i we believe that:

• Aligning interests and ensuring that there is a common sense of purpose with respect to CR issues is key to our success.
• Taking an active approach to partnership with the boards and management teams in our portfolio delivers value.
• Having good processes and policies in place on CR issues adds value to our investments, but real success depends upon the individual judgments that our staff and our portfolio companies make each day.
• Underpinning these judgments are our core values. In all of our activities we aim to:

  - be commercial and fair;
  - respect the needs of our shareholders, our staff, our suppliers, the local community and the businesses in which we invest;
  - maintain our integrity and professionalism; and
  - strive for continual improvement and innovation.

2009 Corporate Responsibility Report (PDF)
Dowload the full report which includes further information on;  3i's investment policies, 3i and the environment; 3i as an employer, 3i's charitable policies.

3i Corporate Responsibility website

For more information on 3i's corporate responsibility and governance policies please visit our dedicated Corporate Responsibility website 3iCR.com