Responsible Investment
We aim to invest in a way that contributes to our mission. We will avoid investing in companies whose activities are inconsistent with our mission and will try to engage with other companies on environmental, social and governance issues to improve business practices.
We recognise that we can have an impact by working with our investment manager and investor networks and coalitions.
We will continue to develop our understanding of how our investments can contribute to our mission and will develop our approach and activities to that end, sharing our learning with our networks and other organisations and promoting responsible investment to a wider audience.
We will avoid investing in companies which are linked to human rights violations or which engage in activities that cause social harm. For example:
- The Trust will avoid investments in companies which derive more than 5% of their revenue from the production of, or 10% of their revenue from the sales of, armaments, tobacco, alcohol, gambling or pornography.
- The Trust will not hold any government bonds in countries with high military expenditure or which support the arms trade.
- The Trust should be aware of its investments and will not hold more than 10% of its investments in pooled funds (excluding investments in property funds, corporate bond funds, social investment funds and other alternative investment funds).
We are aware of the significant negative impacts of climate change and the need for businesses to align their activities with the Paris Climate Agreement, with targets of net zero carbon emissions by 2050. Our policy will be to engage in the first instance rather than divest.
We work with Charity Responsible Investment Network (CRIN) and the Church Investor Group, and our investment manager, to engage more intensively with investee companies that make a significant contribution to greenhouse gas emissions, whether producers or users, to encourage them to move to a low carbon economy.
We will:
- Not invest in companies that derive more than 5% of their income from the extraction of thermal coal or the production of oil from tar sands.
- Engage more intensively with companies that make a significant contribution to greenhouse gas emissions, whether producers or users, to encourage them to align their activities with the Paris Climate Agreement and move to a low carbon economy. If companies do not respond to engagement then the Trust will divest.
- Engage more intensively with public policy makers to create a structural and regulatory environment that supports the transition to a low carbon economy.
- Try to make investments which have a positive environmental impact, subject to the availability and suitability of such investments.
