VJC have a Responsible Investment Model Portfolio that is suitable for our clients who are seeking investments which align to their values relating to environmental, social and governance (ESG) matters.

Why? Because there is an increasing demand from clients for investment options which align to their values relating to ESG matters and I’m not surprised;

  • many people would like to see a change towards a more sustainable and ethical world and they are not holding their breath for governments to make those changes at any great speed.
  • COVID has seen the world lock down and international trade and travel slow down to a trickle, parts of the world have regenerated and personal space and courtesy has reinvested itself.
  • in a recent survey, 69% of Australians indicated that they would rather invest into  a responsible super fund that considers ESG aspects of the company it invests in – in addition to maximising returns, rather than a super fund which considers only maximising returns. [1.]

 

How does it work? The Model Portfolios are professional managed, well diversified across all asset classes and include managers who incorporate one or more of the following approaches:

 

1.Negative screeningExcluding companies that do not comply with specific, pre-set social or environmental criteria.

2. Positive screening– including companies that add something to the community, that have good corporate governance and working practices

 

3. ESG integration- ESG refers to the set of standards for a company’s operations that socially conscious investors use to screen potential investments.

  • Environmental criteria consider how a company performs as a steward of nature.
  • Social criteria examine how it manages relationships with employees, suppliers, customers, and the communities where it operates.
  • Governance deals with a company’s leadership, executive pay, audits, internal controls, and shareholder rights.

 

4. Impact investing – aimed at solving social or environmental problems as a direct result of the investments i.e , investing into non-profits, industries such as renewable energy, basic services including housing, healthcare, and education, micro-finance, and sustainable agriculture.

 

 

If you are looking to align your investment goals with your environmental, social and governance (ESG) values please call us to discuss further.

Adrian Rae and Sianty – The VJC Wealth team

[1] From Values to Riches, Charting consumer attitudes and demands for responsible investing in Australia, November 2017. Images provided by professional investment services

 

General Advice warning: the information in this article is general in nature, it is not advice specific to your needs. If you want to act upon the information in this article then you should seek advice from a qualified professional. VJC WM accepts no liability to any party for acting from this information unless they have sought advice in a formal engagement with VJC WM for this purpose.