ESG
The Uniting Church has been at the forefront of ethical investing for over 40 years, when its Ethical and ESG Investment Policy was first introduced to govern all financial investment decisions.
The Church’s policy is not to encourage or profit from activities which create goods that have unacceptable harmful effects on people or the environment and which cannot be avoided by prudent and practical controls. This overarching policy guides Uniting Financial Services in seeking out investments to support and those to avoid.
In addition to screening out harmful industries, through our active portfolio management we also invest in assets that are making a positive difference to society and the environment, such as sustainable buildings, clean energy and green bonds.
Our Ethical and ESG Investment Policy is also aligned to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), helping to deliver those goals. This alignment helped us to issue the first SDG bond by a not-for-profit in Australia in December 2019.
In September 2021 we were recognised as a leader in the responsible investment sector by the Responsible Association Australasia (RIAA), coming in 9th position compared to 198 other managers.
To find out more about our ESG credentials, please view: