U Ethical Australian Equities Trust (Retail)

Product Name

U Ethical Australian Equities Trust (Retail)

Issuer

 U Ethical

Category

Investment

Type

Fund or Trust

Target

Retail

Certified Since

2004

Asset Classes

Australian only equities

Markets

Australia

Investment Approaches

Negative Screening, Positive Screening

It Includes:

  • Riaa icons 14 Education
  • Riaa icons 32 Green property
  • Riaa icons 12 Healthcare and medical products
  • Riaa icons 11 Impact investments
  • Riaa icons 10 Renewable energy and energy efficiency
  • Riaa icons 15 Social and sustainable infrastructure
  • Tree green background Sustainable land and agricultural management
  • Riaa icons 13 Sustainable transport
  • Riaa icons 31 Sustainable water
  • Investment2 More sustainable companies

It has some level of screening for:

  • Riaa icons 33 Fossil fuels

It fully excludes:

  • Riaa icons 41 Alcohol
  • Riaa icons 56 Animal cruelty
  • Riaa icons 36 Armaments
  • Riaa icons 42 Gambling
  • Riaa icons 52 Human rights abuses
  • Riaa icons 38 Labour rights violations
  • Riaa icons 34 Logging
  • Riaa icons 50 Nuclear power
  • Riaa icons 99 Pornography
  • Riaa icons 35 Tobacco

Overview

The U Ethical Australian Equities Trust aims to provide moderate tax effective income and long term capital growth by investing in listed Australian equities according to socially responsible and ethical principles. It gains its exposure to cash and fixed interest securities by investing in the U Ethical Enhanced Cash Portfolio.


Description

We ensure that all investment decisions are in keeping with our vision and that they promote careful financial stewardship. This is achieved through the application of positive and negative screens, and engagement with companies, together with a focus on competitive economic returns and sustainability. 

The Ethical Investment Policy contains a negative screen which restricts investment in securities with a material exposure to the following excluded activities: armaments, uranium, gambling, animal cruelty, alcohol production, tobacco manufacturing, pornography, thermal coal mining and export, and non-conventional oil and gas extraction. We do apply a 5% threshold, where we will consider investing in a company if the excluded activity amounts to less than 5% of revenue and we feel the positive aspects of the company outweigh the negative. 

U Ethical Funds Management will also not invest in companies whose products, services and practices cause or perpetuate injustice and suffering, infringe human rights, cause unacceptable damage to the natural environment, have unacceptable environmental management practices, support oppressive regimes, or have unacceptable occupational health and safety practices.  

The Positive Screen applied ensures that at least 10% of the fund is directed towards activities which have a positive effect on either society or the environment. This includes: clean energy, sustainable agriculture, recycling, employment, health care, education and community services.

The U Ethical Enhanced Cash Portfolio in which the Trust is invested, aims to invest directly in a balanced mix of cash and cashable securities, fixed interest securities (including hybrid securities, debentures, corporate bonds and mortgage backed securities), commercial mortgages and community impact loans. 

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Other products certified by the Responsible Investment Association Australasia (RIAA)

U Ethical Enhanced Cash Portfolio

U Ethical Enhanced Cash Trust

U Ethical Australian Equities Trust Wholesale

U Ethical Growth Portfolio

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