Providers disagree on active advantage for responsible investment

Joe Bishop, Kiwi Wealth chief customer officer, said Kiwis clearly wanted to have their funds invested responsibly but a lack of trust in their provider, and independent information, was preventing them from doing more.

"Kiwis increasingly want their personal values reflected in their investments. They want to know where every dollar is invested and that their fund manager is making sound investment decisions that match their personal values.

"The onus is on KiwiSaver providers more than ever to better meet the demands of their members. In part, that means providers should be adopting and implementing responsible investing practices across all investments, not just a few funds marketed as ‘ethical’," he said.

"Because all our funds are actively managed, we have the flexibility to change our responsible investment criteria to exclude those companies we deem ‘unethical’ and reward those who are performing well on environment, social and governance issues."