Overview
The Pendal Sustainable Future Australian Share Portfolio is an actively managed portfolio of Australian shares. Investments are selected on a range of sustainable, ethical and financial criteria.
Description
Investing in this fund provides exposure to companies assessed as demonstrating and or/offering leading environmental and social practices, products and services, whilst avoiding companies that do not meet the Fund’s ethical guidelines.
Ethical practices
The portfolio will not invest in industries with direct business involvement (0% materiality) in the following activities:
– fossil fuel production and extraction such as coal, gas and oil
– the production of tobacco or alcohol
– manufacture or provision of gaming facilities
– manufacture of weapons or armaments, and
– manufacture or distribution of pornography.
Sustainability
In addition, Pendal’s sustainable assessment process considers the extent to which a company exhibits appropriate strategic recognition, board oversight, policies and systems to manage the company’s material ESG issues. Specifically, the assessment considers issues such as:
– Environmental considerations:
– management of environmental impacts through the implementation of best practice environmental techniques, technologies and product design
– environmental performance against a range of environmental indicators including, for example, greenhouse gas emissions, energy and water use and environmental incidents
– the capacity to consult key stakeholders in relation to activities that may have significant environmental impacts
– adoption of best practice with regards to management and disclosure of material risks and opportunities associated with climate change.
– Social practices and labour standards:
– equal opportunity, anti-discrimination and industrial relations policies and practices
– staff incentives, development and training
– employee benefits and entitlements
– human capital management performance against a range of indicators, such as voluntary turnover and gender diversity in senior management
– products or services that provide positive social impacts such as improved health & community well-being, disease prevention, and education
– management of contractors and suppliers, and
– workplace health and safety performance against indicators such as fatalities and lost time injury frequency rate.
– Corporate governance, business conduct and ethical considerations:
– codes of conduct and the extent of their integration into the company’s operations
– provision of regular and appropriate training
– whistleblower policies and procedures
– ethical conduct and performance of employees and officers – the extent to which companies are adopting principles in areas such as complying with the law, fair and open dealings and accepting responsibility for their actions
– product safety and consumer protection, and
– engagement practices with employees, shareholders, and key community stakeholders.