ESG has been integrated into our investment process for more than a decade.
Our Analysts conduct ESG analysis as part of fundamental company research. ESG is crucial to our view of a company's Quality.
Our ESG framework
We do not invest in businesses that derive 10% or more of their revenue from the following areas:
- Exploration and production fossil fuels
- Tobacco producers and distributors
- Alcohol producers and distributors
- Controversial weapons manufacturers
- Gambling companies
- Adult entertainment (pornography)
- High interest rate lending companies
- Animal testing (unless required by law for healthcare related companies)
We analyse the environmental footprint of the businesses in which we invest:
- We encourage the transition to a “Green Economy”
- We measure the carbon, water and waste intensity of our companies
- We ask our companies to improve environmental reporting
- We have set a “Net Zero Carbon” target for companies in the Better World Fund
- We engage extensively on environmental issues, such as plastic
We aim to ensure that management teams work for the benefit of all stakeholders. We tie Corporate Governance analysis directly to the financial model and consider:
- Executive remuneration
- Capital allocation record
- Board independence
- Board diversity
- We engage extensively with our companies and vote at all AGMs.
CSR Policy
UN PRI Reports
UK Stewardship Code
Shareholder Engagement Policy
Biodiversity Policy
Modern Day Slavery Statement
Voting Policy
Voting records
- Q3 2024 - Voting Rationales
- Q3 2024
- Q3: Better World Fund
- Q3: European Smaller Companies Fund
- Q2 2024 - Voting Rationales
- Q2 2024
- Q2: Better World Fund
- Q2: European Smaller Companies Fund
- Q1 2024 - Voting Rationales
- Q1 2024
- Q1: Better World Fund
- Q1: European Smaller Companies Fund
- 2023: European Smaller Companies Fund
- 2023: Better World Fund
- 2023
- 2022: European Smaller Companies Fund
- 2022: Better World Fund
- 2022
- 2021
- 2020
- 2019
- 2018
- 2017
- 2016
Deep Dives
View our Sustainability Deep Dives
Signing up for change
We are signatories to a number of industry codes, policies and disclosures
- UN PRI (2009)
- UK Stewardship Code (2010)
- Carbon Disclosure Project (2015)
- Montreal Carbon Pledge (2017)
- B Corporation (2019)
- FAIRR (2019)
- NZAM (2020)
- Glasgow Finance Alliance for Net Zero (2021)
- Tobacco Free Portfolios Finance Pledge (2022)
- Living Wage Accreditation (2022)
- UKSIF (2022)
- TNFD (2023)
- Investor Coalition on Food Policy (2023)
- LIPH (2023)
- WDI (2023)
ESG oversight
Our ESG Committee provides oversight and guidance to ensure our approach to ESG remains consistent across the house.
We do not invest in companies that, in our view, breach The Ten Principles of the UN Global Compact. Areas that we monitor include: