Responsible investment

Through comprehensive research, our Global Property Securities team developed a tool[1] capable of undertaking high level analysis on all embodied carbon associated with development, redevelopment, and maintenance capital expenditure programmes at a company level.

We are working on a Nature and Biodiversity Toolkit, to provide step-by-step guidelines and a framework for assessing and engaging on nature-related issues in support of the investment teams. This will form the basis for our engagement on nature and biodiversity with investee companies.

In 2022, we updated our Human Rights Toolkit to provide additional guidance on the human rights implications of armed conflict, informed by human rights experts. Read about how we used this toolkit to engage with companies amidst the Russia/Ukraine conflict.

Stewart Investors recently commissioned research into smallholder farmers, which found there are more than 500 million smallholder farmers globally producing up to 80% of some key commodities like palm oil, coffee and cocoa[2]. These farmers are at the frontlines of a significant amount of agriculture-related deforestation.

IAST APAC is a group of investors working to help end modern slavery, focusing on the Asia-Pacific region. FSI is proud to convene and Chair the initiative, which comprises 37 investor organisations with AU$7.8 trillion in assets under management (AUM). Following engagements with 24 focus companies across sectors, it found that companies are at various stages of tackling modern slavery, many companies still coming to grips with the scale of the problem and what is required to address it.

Realindex has been using gender diversity data alongside other company performance metrics in its investment process. In 2022, it published a research report showing that gender diversity boosts company performance and has the potential to boost returns for investors.