Top ethical managers named

• Tweet

A growing number of entries in this year's Mindful Money awards demonstrates the growth in ethical investing. The finalists have been named.

Thursday, May 26th 2022, 8:34AM 1 Comment

Mindful Money founder and chief executive Barry Coates says “this year, ethical and responsible investment has become the norm for investment management in New Zealand and the entries to this year’s awards show significant progress in raising the bar.”

Coates says there are more entries, demonstrating higher standards, and extending the range of consumer options.

“Financial advice is important, not only for financial performance but also for enabling clients to confidently invest ethically,” he says.

“While the financial advice sector has been slow to embrace ethical investing, there are some standout exceptions, including the finalists in this category. They have demonstrated the integration of ethical investment into their advice processes and set good practice standards for the sector.

“We are seeing growing interest in ethical financial advice, driven by client demand, and we look forward to many more entries into this category next year.”

The finalists are the previous winner, Money Matters headed by Rodger Spiller, Ethical Investing Group, run by Peter Lee and Rutherford Rede. Rutherford Rede have five RIAA certified advisers; Jocelyn Weatherall, Henry Ford, Richard Knight, Chris Tran and Will Sargent.

Best Ethical KiwiSaver Provider
Coates says this category attracted new entries this year showing the growth in ethical KiwiSaver funds.

“The judges were looking for the fund that provided the best outcomes across the main strategies of avoiding harm, improving investment social and environmental performance and investing for positive impact.”
KiwiSaver members are now presented with options of around 330 funds from more than 40 providers. The finalists are:

Kiwi Wealth
Medical Assurance Society (MAS)
Mercer
Pathfinder Asset Management
 

Best Ethical Retail Investment Provider
Coates says the judges were impressed with the degree to which the entries this year have deepened their ethical practices and increased their investment in companies that have a positive impact. Retail investment products amount to around $70 billion invested in around 425 funds from 50 providers. The finalists are:

Harbour Asset Management
Macquarie
Pathfinder Asset Management
Simplicity
TAHITO Te Tai o Rehua

Best Ethical Overseas fund
A new category is for overseas investment funds, actively marketed within New Zealand, which are able to demonstrate the best ethical investment outcomes.

“There was an exceptionally strong field of entries. The finalists showed a mature approach and analytical rigour in their policies and practices, raising the bar for domestic funds. They add depth and diversity to the range of New Zealand funds on offer.”

The finalists are:

Australian Ethical Australian Shares Fund
BetaShares Global Sustainability Leaders ETF
Mirova Global Sustainable Equity Fund
Pengana WHEB Sustainable Impact Fund

Best New Ethical Fund
A large number of entries in this category indicate the growth of ethical and impact investment in Aotearoa.

While the judges welcomed the increased focus on funds investing in companies with a positive impact, the judges would have liked to have seen more evidence to substantiate ethical and impact claims. Overall, the entrants have demonstrated innovative approaches and are offering more options for retail investors. The finalists are:

Devon Global Impact Bond Fund
Devon Global Sustainability Fund
Harbour Sustainable Impact Fund
Russell Investments Sustainable Global Shares Fund

Best Impact Investment Fund
 

Climate Venture Capital Fund
New Ground Capital/Homes for Tamariki
Purpose Capital Impact Fund
Te Puna Hapori/Brightlight
 

Best Net Zero and Climate Action Investor
BT/Westpac
Mercer
New Zealand Superannuation Fund
 

Tickets to the Awards Ceremony
Over half the tickets have already sold, you can get tickets here.

Tags: Mindful Money

Comments from our readers

Sign In to add your comment