In June 1999, we launched the Murray Ethical World Fund, now renamed Aberdeen Ethical World Fund (AEWF). As a true global portfolio, AEWF requires that companies have a sound financial base and also operate with integrity towards their customers, employees, the local community and the environment.

Aberdeen Asset Management believes that ethically minded investments will become increasingly popular as individuals realise they can influence corporate behaviour by investing according to their conscience. We are helping to build a culture of responsible investing by providing our clients with products and investment services which adhere to rigid standards of financial performance and social responsibility.

Aberdeen Asset Management is regulated by the FSA.
 

Sustainability is an economic issue
At Active Earth we define sustainable investments by their ability to create economic value added over the long term for shareholders. We are in the early stages of an industrial evolution, driven by increasing government regulations, natural resource shortages and stakeholder demands, which is rewarding companies with a long-term strategy for delivering high-quality returns on their capital.

Combined sustainability and investment logic
Active Earth has an established investment process which systematically identifies undervalued companies with high-quality returns on capital employed. In order to ensure these returns can be maintained, we determine which of these companies are sustainably-managed for the long term and focus our research on this subset.

Systematically screening financial and sustainability metrics.
Our approach analyses the best available data with a powerful in-house system to create highly-effective quantitative tools for our investment team. Active Earth’s integrated investment process evaluates both financial and sustainability data. These sustainability metrics include a company’s environmental, social and governance ("ESG") metrics, which we source from four of the leading global ESG data providers. Incorporating ESG into investment valuations requires quantifying the financial impact of this data as we do for all other inputs in the investment decision making process. 

Active Earth uses a rigorously tested screening process to identify companies whose financial returns are more stable and predictable than the market is pricing in. In a changing investment landscape these are the companies which are best positioned to maintain and enhance their high-quality for shareholders and wider stakeholders.
Our investment methodology is focused on delivering superior returns by "bringing investment logic to sustainability and sustainability logic to investment”. 
 

AEGON Asset Management offers investors a choice of two ethical funds. Both are designed to meet the needs of clients who wish to make investment decisions based on strong ethical principles. The Ethical Fund invests in UK equities, while the Ethical Income Fund invests solely in corporate bonds. Both funds use highly selective investment criteria, and do not invest in any company whose activities could be considered harmful to society or the environment.

The ethical screening process evaluates the effects that certain companies’ activities, products and services can have on society at large. Ethical funds avoid investment in companies that harm people, animals or the environment. Established in 1989, the Ethical Fund is well respected for the stringency and diversity of the selection process it employs. The Ethical Income Fund follows the same criteria, while offering investors a higher level of potential income.

At Alquity, we believe that environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues have the potential to create or destroy long term shareholder value in the companies in which we invest.  Understanding and dealing with these ESG-related risks and opportunities is a key element of Alquity’s philosophy in managing our funds and is consistent with protecting the long term fiduciary interests of our investors.  Alquity has a rigorous environmental, social and governance analysis process and works with acknowledged market leaders in sustainable investment practice. We are a signatory to the United Nations Principles for Responsible Investment and are guided by the ten international standards for business, as set out by the United Nations Global Compact.

In June 2010, we launched the Alquity Africa Fund a unique investment opportunity, committed to generating attractive, long-term returns for investors through investments across the African continent. The fund is an actively managed, long-only fund and an open-ended SICAV operated under the Undertakings for Collective Investments in Transferable Securities (UCITS III) directive and regulated by the CSSF in Luxembourg. We place particular emphasis on identifying stocks that have sustainable business models that are able to maximize financial returns to the investor over the long term.

 Alquity’s belief in a fair distribution of prosperity is integral to our unique approach, which aims to benefit local communities in developing countries at a grass roots level. A minimum of 25% of Alquity's net investment management fees from the Alquity Africa Fund is donated to The One Foundation, one of the UK’s most innovative grant-giving foundations. Donations will be used to support humanitarian projects in the areas in which we invest, such as microfinance projects in Africa. As this donation comes from Alquity’s net investment management fees the investors will still receive their full investment return.

Alquity Investment Management Ltd is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority.

Auriel Capital Management is a London-based institutional asset management firm specializing in absolute return strategies. The firm manages global macro, currency and equity market neutral strategies for clients in the UK, Europe, and North America. Customised long-only or long-tilted ESG equity solutions are also available.  Auriel was founded in 2004 by Larry Abele, Anoosh Lachin and Asif Noor who previously had worked together at Deutsche Asset Management.   Auriel Capital Management specialises in empirical research, portfolio construction and risk management and employs these capabilities to develop uncorrelated, customized, transparent and liquid alpha strategies.  Since launching in April 2004 with $20 million, Auriel’s assets under management have grown to over $500 million.

To make sure we continue to meet the expectations of our stakeholders, we are increasingly playing a trendsetting role in the ongoing Responsible Investment debate. This reflects our conviction that environmental, social and governance risks and opportunities are key contributors to better risk-adjusted long-term returns. Our funds, aimed at long-term capital growth, are invested in the securities of financially superior companies that respect stringent social and environmental standards.

In June 2006, Jean-Pierre Hellebuyck (vice-chairman of AXA-IM) appointed Raj Thamotheram as Director of Responsible Investment. One of Raj’s early missions has been to reshape and develop AXA IM’s RI team through the merger of the corporate governance (London) and SRI (Paris) teams. A growing team of 8, AXA IM’s RI division has now also been further strengthened by the addition of a senior quantitative analyst.

Our primary aim is to meet clients’ investment objectives within agreed risk parameters. To achieve this we manage client’s assets via a rigorous investment process including analysis of both financial and non-financial factors. Research into the social, environmental and ethical (SEE) stance of companies is integrated within this process (and applies to all our pan-European equity funds). It is our belief that our quality companies, operating at an environmentally and socially sustainable level are more likely to deliver long-term shareholder value.

CCM manages over £9bn of assets on behalf of HNWI, family offices, charities and specialist institutions. Alongside our integrated SEE investment process we offer ethical screening for clients with specific ethical concerns. We have a dedicated Charity team and the most comprehensive range of CIFs (Charity Commission Authorised Common Investment Funds) in the UK.

For more information please contact:
Alexia Zavos (for Private Clients) or
Edward Harley 020 7155 5828.
 

Having managed funds for charities, large and small, since 1958 we know that needs vary widely and can be complex. Short-term obligations have to be met and longer-term spending has to be planned for. Getting the right balance is the key to success. To reflect this we have developed a range of ethically screened funds which provides great flexibility and choice.

As pioneers of ethical and responsible investment, we are commited to engaging with companies and other organisations in a constructive way to push forward a positive agenda for change.

ECP is Chaired by Stanley Fink, former CEO of Man Group plc. The COO is Neil Brown, former Global Head of Risk for Credit Suisse and HSBC asset management businesses. The Chair of ECP's Investment Committee is Rufus Warner, who was previously CEO of Close Investments. The Head of Sustainable Finance is James Stacey, formerly Head of Sustainable Business at Standard Chartered plc and Head of KPMG's Sustainability Consulting Practice.

Sustainable Development – ‘meeting the needs of today without jeopardising the ability of future generations to meet their needs’ – is at the heart of the ECP investment model. Responding to increasing investor demand for transparent disclosure of the sustainable development (environment, social and governance (ESG) issues) impact of investments, ECP has developed the Earth DividendTM – an annual reported measure of the impact of ECP investments on SD. The Earth DividendTM reports SD impact for five separate categories of ESG issues. Each category comprises six ESG performance indicator ‘tests’, addressing either the asset’s operation, its supply chain or the product/output produced by the asset. The Earth DividendTM is subject to rigorous assurance, including an annual independent external assurance audit and public opinion statement, provided by a specialist sustainability assurance provider.

 

We also value the communities where we operate. As one of the UK’s top Ten Corporate Donors**, we have donated almost £48 million in charitable grants over the past 15 years. We support charities and community organisations, wherever possible, which have been nominated and chosen by Ecclesiastical employees - providing the resources of staff to offer professional advice and expertise plus volunteers to work on specific projects.

Today with £1.5billion* currently under management we are financially secure and confident that our socially responsible investment approach, and wider business culture of looking after our people and communities – stands us in good stead for the future.

* As at February 2010
** Source: The Guide to UK Company Giving published by the Directory of Social Change (2005)

The CFB and Epworth have combined funds under management of over £900m, making it by size one of the top 15 charity fund management groups. Epworth shares the same staff, premises and investment philosophy as the CFB. Epworth seeks to provide a high quality investment service achieving above average financial returns for clients. An integral part of the investment decision-making process is to examine the ethical dimension, and thereby construct investment portfolios which are consistent with the moral stance and teaching of the Christian faith. In addition, both Epworth and the CFB are committed to engaging in constructive dialogue with company managements to influence their behaviour.

It is sometimes said that imposing ethical criteria on an investment portfolio must lower financial returns. However, the CFB's long-term track record demonstrates that it is possible to combine ethical concerns and a good financial return. Over the years, investors in the CFB's UK equity and fixed interest funds have seen outperformance of both the average fund and the relevant indices.

Epworth launched the Affirmative Equity and Fixed Interest Funds in 2001 to provide clients with the benefits and simplicity of common investment funds.
 

F&C has long been at the forefront of ethical investment management. It launched Stewardship, the first socially responsible unit trust in the UK, in 1984 and this remains the largest SRI fund in the UK today.

At F&C, we are constantly seeking new ways to embrace social responsibility in our investments. In 1999 we launched reo®, the Responsible Engagement Overlay, providing a way for institutional pension funds to address ethical and environmental issues by means of engagement.

Engagement and Selection are the two ways that F&C currently enables its investors to achieve the financial returns they expect, while addressing their social responsibilities.
 

Foresight manages approximately £200 million across a number of proprietary funds, including Limited Partnerships, Enterprise Investment Schemes (EIS) and Venture Capital Trusts (VCTs).

Foresight’s current unquoted portfolio comprises more than 50 companies spanning a wide range of sectors including environmental infrastructure, communications, IT, media, support services and manufacturing.

Recent deals backed by Foresight include ICA, a document management solutions provider. Diagnos.co.uk, a software engineering company focused on the automotive sector. Vertal, a food waste recycling company. @Futsal, a facilities management company that provides indoor pitches for the football game Futsal, currently one of the fastest growing indoor sports in the world. 2K Manufacturing, a London based company which will manufacture a plywood substitute from waste plastics.

Stewardship - our range of strictly screened ethical funds - was launched by Friends Life in 1984 to give individual investors, who cared about more than simply investment returns, somewhere to invest their money. It was the first UK fund of its kind and has created a fast growing investment area.

The aims of Stewardship's pioneers were:

·         to exclude companies that do not meet the ethical standards of the funds or harm society

·         to support companies that make a positive contribution to society

·         to encourage better business practices through shared ownership and dialogue.

The earliest aims of the fund remain, but have broadened over time and adapted to the wider range of investments now within the Stewardship range of funds.

Today's Stewardship funds invest in shares and loan stock (bonds) from a very wide range of companies around the world. This international exposure brings constant challenges, particularly when it comes to applying the ethical criteria to different cultures. However, the funds take the view that they should not shy away from such challenges and the ethical criteria of the funds is applied as consistently as possible across the globe.

Generation is an independent, private, owner-managed partnership with offices in London, New York and Sydney. The firm was co-founded in 2004 by Al Gore and David Blood.

Team

The Generation team of 42 people represents 16 countries and speaks over 10 languages. Our investment team was founded by bringing together seasoned investment analysts and leaders from the sustainability research field. Today these skills are integrated into Generation's team of 21 investment professionals who have over 150 years of combined investment experience.

Sustainable Investing for the Long Term

Generation's investment approach is based on the idea that sustainability factors—economic, environmental, social and governance criteria—will drive a company's returns over the long term. By integrating sustainability issues with traditional analysis, we aim to deliver superior investment returns.

We are closely aligned with our clients, and our performance is measured over the long term.

A Unique Research Platform to Analyze Global Challenges

Generation has built a global research platform to integrate sustainability research into fundamental equity analysis.

We focus on key drivers of global change, including climate change and environmental degradation; poverty and development; water and natural resource scarcity; pandemics and healthcare; and demographics, migration and urbanization.

These global challenges pose risks and opportunities that can materially affect a company's ability to sustain profitability and deliver returns. Our research plays an important role in forming our views on the quality of the business, the quality of management and valuation.

A Diverse Advisory Board

Our Advisory Board, convened by our Chairman Al Gore, helps set our long term thematic research agenda into global sustainability issues. The Advisory Board is a diverse set of global thinkers who help us anticipate the changing context for business.

Vision

Generation's vision is to embed sustainability into the mainstream capital markets, and our core values reflect a commitment to responsible citizenship. Five percent of the profitability of the firm is allocated to the Generation Foundation, which will support global non-profit sustainability initiatives.

We look to purchase low risk, income producing assets via our structured funds. Our first fund that we are managing assets for is is the Goldfield Solar EIS Fund. This fund will be purchasing residentially installed Solar PV systems. This provides capitalisation for the company that created the asset and provides  investors with tax efficient, predicable earning streams and rapid utilization of funds.All underlying assets have already been identified for purchase by the fund.

GO has two main product offerings:

The GO European Focus Fund, which invests in European public companies where value can be added through exercising owners' rights to address key structural or strategic governance weaknesses that have impaired company performance and the GO Stewardship Service, which offers voting and underlying engagement services covering 700 European and 500 US quoted equities, combined with a more intensive programme of enhanced-value engagement on a conceptual 'portfolio' of clients’ investments.

GO's operations in Europe and the US bring together experienced professionals with general business skills, investment management and governance expertise to effect change at public companies that adds long-term value.

The team of specialist investment managers and analysts have established an international reputation for their commitment to original research analysing environmental, social and financial aspects of corporate activity. The team works together to identify investment opportunities and maintain a proprietary database of companies world-wide. All companies whose stocks are purchased for socially responsible investment portfolios are fully researched, contacted and visited to ensure that the stocks meet both investment and ethical criteria. This double hurdle produces a universe of high quality stocks that have the potential to achieve consistently superior earnings growth.
 

Investment philosophy and edge

Impax believes that, by applying a deep understanding of the effects of environmental regulation, technology and economic policy on the environmental sector, our investment teams will be able to out-perform over the medium to long-term. We are an investment led organisation targeting the best risk-adjusted returns while investing responsibly. We have been environmental sector specialists since 1994 and are able to leverage extensive experience, comprehensive industry insights and an international network of contacts.

 Impax employs highly educated and talented individuals to focus on a small number of carefully designed investment strategies. Our investment team members typically have engineering or scientific backgrounds and/or have spent the majority of their careers in the environmental sector. Key team members have been working together at Impax for over a decade and are significant owners of the business.

 Commitment to clients

Impax has over a decade of investment experience and now manages pooled vehicles for institutional and retail investors and segregated accounts for institutional investors and private wealth managers. The firm has attracted a long list of high quality investors who have typically remained committed to our products for many years. We regard our investors as partners who share our long term investment perspective and understand the exciting opportunities offered by the environmental sector.

 Impax funds

Impax manages and advises funds across four different asset classes:

 ·          Listed Equities. The Impax Environmental Markets plc investment trust and its sister UCITS fund Impax Environmental Markets (Ireland ) invest in “pure play” listed companies that derive at least 50% of their business from the environmental sector. The IFSL Impax Environmental Leaders Fund invests in a broader range of listed companies that derive at least 20% of their business from the environmental sector.

 ·          Hedge Fund. The Impax Environmental Hedge Fundtakes long and short positions in environmental sector companies, enabling investors to benefit from Impax’s “best ideas.”

 ·          Venture Capital. Up to 10% of the Impax Environmental Markets funds can be invested in late-stage unquoted companies.

 ·          Private Equity. Impax New Energy Investors LP is a private equity fund designed to take advantage of the substantial investment in the renewable energy sector by investing in projects, project-related assets, and associated infrastructure.

Insight is a dynamic asset manager recognised as an innovative company, proud of the success it has achieved and the business it has built.

We provide investment services and financial solutions to a wide range of corporations as well as insurance companies and public sector clients. Our innovative investment platform provides our clients with access to a wide range of specialist capabilities to help provide the most effective solutions. These include liability driven investment, fixed income, absolute return, multi asset and specialist equities as well as an innovative range of cash management solutions.

We believe our distinct investment culture, excellent client service and the high quality of our investment professionals is key to us understanding the marketplace and providing solutions that help us to achieve our clients’ unique objectives. 

Products include the Jupiter Ecology Fund (launched in 1988) and the Jupiter Environmental Opportunities Fund (launched in 1999). The company also manages the Jupiter Global Green Investment Trust and the Lincoln Green Funds. It also provides segregated socially responsible investment services for private and institutional clients.

Jupiter's primary aim of achieving good investment results for its clients is undertaken by its specialist SRI Department headed by Emma Howard Boyd. Investment decisions are made by the specialist SRI Fund Management Team led by Charlie Thomas. The SRI & Governance Team is dedicated to the in-depth assessment of companies' environmental, social and corporate governance performance, with an emphasis on positive corporate behaviour.

The SRI & Governance Team places particular importance on engaging with company management during the research process. Through questionnaires, discussions, meetings and on-site visits, the SRI & Governance Team builds up a detailed picture of a company's environmental, social and corporate governance performance and is able to encourage measures for positive improvement.

Jupiter's SRI & Governance Team meets quarterly with its Advisory Committee, made up of senior environmentalists, who review companies approved by the SRI & Governance Team, offer advice on emerging environmental and social trends and guide the development of research methodology.

The Living Planet Fund – Equity, a Luxembourg registered Socially Responsible Investment (SRI) fund investing in global equities, was launched in July 2003. It is listed on the Luxembourg stock exchange and is compliant with European Union UCITs III regulations.

The fund is a quality financial product that allows retail and institutional investors to align their ethical values with their investment goals.

It has a long term investment strategy and constitutes its portfolio by adopting 4 SRI approaches:

Our global, thematic approach to investment has been highly regarded for over 30 years and has proved to be invaluable in overcoming the short-term uncertainties that afflict financial markets and challenge investors. As well as our goal of delivering strong risk-adjusted returns, our approach has involved a transparency that is essential in the building of longstanding relationships with our clients around the world.

Newton has a well established approach to responsible investment, which is integral to our investment process. On behalf of our clients, Newton's responsible investment team is charged with exercising voting rights, conducting research and carrying out engagement activities on environmental, social and governance (ESG) matters. We believe that responsibly managed companies are best placed to achieve sustainable competitive advantage and provide strong long-term investment opportunities.

Newton's global sector analysts research for companies that deliver strong long-term performance. The full-time Corporate governance officer, Socially responsible investment officer and Responsible investment analyst are members of this research team. This ensures that Newton's investment rationale for a company is supported through research into ESG matters, voting decisions and engagement work. The work of Newton's responsible investment team is not necessarily geared towards the exclusion of potential investments, rather it aims to achieve a better understanding of the relevant ESG risks or seeks an improvement in the behaviour of the investee company.

Newton publishes regularly reports on its responsible investment activities. www.newton.co.uk/responsibleinvestment

The activities of QUADRIS Group were established in the Netherlands during the early 1990's. In addition to their organisation in the Netherlands, QUADRIS now has offices in Germany, Spain and Brazil, as well as the United Kingdom. The core activity of the Group is to attract and manage funds for investment in commercial forestry projects, managed according to internationally recognised criteria for sustainability, such as the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). Management by a Board of Directors, Commissioners and Advisers, with substantial track records in the fields of Finance and Forestry, provides QUADRIS with a high calibre of expertise.

In addition to meeting the positive ethical criteria for socially responsible investment, QUADRIS develops and initiates programmes to ensure that the educational and social welfare of the workforce and community is met and that the programme of rehabilitation and enhancement of the natural environment is maintained.

QUADRIS's aim is to ensure that the objectives of the ventures in which investments are held are in the long-term interests of investors and other parties to the venture, that socially and environmentally responsible policies are pursued and the holding of these investments will provide a secure and profitable return for clients.

Sarasin & Partners is a UK based asset management firm 40% owned by the senior management and 60% by Bank Sarasin & Co. Ltd, one of Switzerland’s leading private banks and ultimately controlled by Rabobank. We manage £9.4 billion of assets with a staff of 164 (as at 31 December 2009) for a number of pension funds, charities and private investors as well as a number of other institutional investors.

Sarasin – Leaders in Sustainable Investing

As a sustainability pioneer with 20 years experience and market leader in continental Europe, Bank Sarasin has not just made a name for itself in recent years by issuing the world's first eco-efficiency fund, it now offers a broad range of sustainable investment products for institutional investors. Numerous industry awards bear witness to our expertise and reputation in this rapidly growing investment segment.

In our Sustainable investment process environmental and social analysis sits together with financial analysis. This ensures that we only invest in companies that are financially strong and have promising potential for long-term success.
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The group currently offers three ways to invest ethically. The Pension Ethical Fund is available through a variety of pension products and the Life Ethical Fund enables our investment bond customers to invest ethically. In addition, Standard Life Investments offers a UK Ethical Fund as part of its wide range of mutual funds.

All three of these funds exclude investments on the basis of negative criteria as stated in the Ethical Policy. This policy was developed based on research carried out with a large sample of IFAs and investors. We conduct research with our investors annually to confirm that the criteria continue to reflect their concerns. We use research from an independent research company to determine which companies comply with the requirements of the Ethical Policy. An Ethical Committee, comprised of senior managers from Standard Life and investors in the ethical funds, ensures the integrity of the Ethical Policy and provides assurance to investors that the process supporting this policy are robust.
 

We manage £204.8 billion (EUR 226.7 billion/$328.7 billion (as at 30 June 2011)) on behalf of institutional and retail investors, financial institutions and high net worth clients from around the world, invested in a broad range of asset classes across equities, fixed income and alternatives.

We employ over 2,700 talented people worldwide operating from 32 offices in 25 different countries across Europe, the Americas, Asia and the Middle East, close to the markets in which we invest and close to our clients.

Schroders has developed under stable ownership for over 200 years and long-term thinking governs our approach to investing, building client relationships and growing our business.

At Schroders, we recognise that our investment decisions are likely to have a much greater impact on society and the environment than our direct operational activities. We believe that companies have the ability to enhance their long-term performance through an understanding of the Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) issues affecting their business. In an increasingly dynamic environment where legitimacy and credibility in the market place are important indicators of corporate performance, a thorough awareness of ESG issues enables companies to potentially mitigate risks and liabilities that could arise from these issues as well as realise opportunities.  We therefore aim to integrate ESG analysis into our investment process.

Sturgeon Ventures LLP is authorised and regulated by the FSA.  The firm is made up of 5 divisions; the Corporate Finance Division, the Investment Management Division, the Fund Capital Introduction division (set up January 09 focusing on sustainable investments), the Regulatory Incubation Division and the Compliance Consulting Division, often two divisions work together on certain projects.   

At Threadneedle, we believe that well governed companies will outperform over time and that analysis of governance, social, ethical and environmental factors should be incorporated into stock selection as they have the potential to significantly impact returns. Consequently, visible management of the risks and opportunities presented by these factors is integral to our investment decision-making process.

Key to our approach is engagement and dialogue with the companies in which we invest. As active investors we regularly meet with management and board members to exercise our influence in a positive and responsible manner. This is an important relationship, providing us with deeper understanding of the financial and extra-financial aspects of the business and focusing the management of these companies on our expectations.

As a responsible investor, we believe integrating sustainable, environmentally friendly practices into our day to day activities delivers tangible benefits, creates additional opportunities, benefits society and reduces risk. We believe that such an ethical approach leads to follow on opportunities and improved financial returns especially when the true costs of increasingly scarce natural resources are considered