(TAIPEI, and HONG KONG) /PRNewswire-Asia/ -- China Development Industrial Bank (CDIB), one of the largest and leading merchant banks and private equity investors in Asia, today announced it has adopted the United Nations' Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI), becoming the first Taiwanese bank, and one of a handful of private equity investors, to adopt the Principles. CDIB has also been appointed to a member of the PRI's private equity steering committee.

Launched in 2006, the Principles are a set of global investment best practices that incorporate environmental, social and governance criteria into investment decision making with the objective of directly influencing companies to improve performance in these areas.

As part of its commitment to the Principles, CDIB will, in the course of its examination of a potential investment, consider the ethical, social and environmental integrity of the target investment.

"CDIB has a long-standing commitment to ensuring the highest standards of corporate governance within our portfolio companies and among our GPs. It is with this understanding and track record that we further commit to considering the UN's Principles for Responsible Investing in the course of our examination, alongside traditional financial measures, of a potential investment," said CDIB's President, Simon Dzeng. "More and more, as active investors in multiple emerging and developing markets, we recognize the need to more thoroughly consider the environmental integrity and social and corporate governance impact of our investments."