ESG

While the government’s Your Future, Your Super (YFYS) reform package, which took effect last July, has been widely derided by the industry, it is the first step in a move to requiring the industry to improve its efficiency, transparency and accountability. One of the unexpected consequences of the YFYS changes is the fact that it…

Melbourne-based global equity manager, Bell Asset Management, best known for its small and mid-cap equity strategies, has a launched a new ‘sustainable’ equity strategy. The Bell Global Sustainable Fund will add to the firm’s growing suite of products and offer another option for diversification, as a number of leading equity managers continue to underperform. With…

Australian Ethical’s Master Class session, hosted by The Inside Network, was titled “Investing for a better world.” It brought together external industry influencers to discuss how technologies will shape and dominate the next few years, with a particular focus on blockchain and recycling products. It was a practical panel session to give investors a real…

Since their adoption, the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) have been a mixed bag with a long list of lessons learned by United Nations member states and private market investors alike.  The 17 SDGs present an opportunity to invest in the sustainable future of people and the planet. The opportunities cover a wide array of…

The Responsible Investment Association of Australasia delivered an early Christmas present for ESG investors and trustees alike, confirming the long-debated question as to whether ‘green’ or ‘responsible’ super funds outperform. The answer was a resounding yes for those funds that are categorised as leaders according to the RIAA’s extensive survey and due diligence process. The…

At the recent Inside Network ESG Master Class, Australian Ethical’s chief investment officer, David Macri, alongside Mike Murray, head of equities, together with Garvin Jabusch, chief investment officer of  US-based asset manager Green Alpha’s long-only equity strategy, presented the case for investing sustainably across their funds. Green Alpha uses a simple yet effective long-only investment strategy. Jabusch…

“Following the money” was the resounding theme during the first, exclusive session of Australian Ethical and The Inside Network’s inaugural ‘Investing for a better world’ Masterclass. Set over the three separate sessions across three weeks in the lead-up to Christmas, the Masterclass has been adeptly structured to bring together industry experts spanning the financial, investment…

“It pays to be green,” was once a premature conclusion, but now that conclusion couldn’t be any closer to the truth. According to Evergreen Consultants, a survey of the firm’s ERIG (Evergreen Responsible Investment Grading) Index data showed responsible investment Australian equity funds to have outperformed the S&P/ASX 200 Index over the past three years….

The UN’s Sustainable Development Goals have captured investors’ imagination as a means of helping society while also capturing decent returns. And they’re gaining in popularity, with billions in inflows into strategies that follow them in the six years since their launch. The 17 goals are unique, as it is the first time in history that…

Covid and COP26 may not seem like a natural pairing beyond their headlines and emotive reactions they induce. Yet there are long-term investment consequences attached to both. After the initial ‘hurray’ on the global opening of borders and possible travel, the less exciting news is on the cost of Covid tests, the potential expense of…

Investment markets have a reputation for being ultra-competitive, with the concept of a zero-sum game meaning one investor’s loss is another’s gain. Yet in the fast growing “impact” investment sector, it appears the opposite is true, with managers seemingly revelling in the success of others. This was likely among the reasons behind the release of…

What do investors really want? This is the question asked by Ninety One, an Anglo-South African asset management firm in its latest Planetary Pulse survey. The survey spoke with more than 6,000 individual investors across ten countries including the UK, Germany, Singapore and the US, to understand their views on the pressure of Net Zero…