The UN Sustainable Development Goals – what are they and why

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The UN Sustainable Development Goals– what are they and why do they matter? By Edwin LoChief Investment Officer

  

Environmental, social and governance (ESG) investing has come a long way in the past 10 years and today more Australian investment managers than ever are committing to incorporating responsible investment practices into their operations.     At Uniting Financial Services we have a very clear mission – to invest for the long term while making the world a better place and we have been doing so since the 1980s.   Our investment choices are governed by the 14 investment principles of our Ethical and ESG Investment Policy. As our policy is aligned to Uniting Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the investment choices we make are also helping to deliver the SDGs.   So, what are the SDGs and why do they matter?

The Global Goals For Sustainable Development

The SDGs are a set of 17 goals for global development – effectively a blueprint for significantly changing the world by 2030. They include goals such as affordable and clean energy, clean water and sanitation, the elimination of poverty and quality education. Building on existing practices, there is an opportunity for investment managers to contribute to the SDGs through asset allocation, investment decisions and company engagement as well as the development of new financial tools and products.   Our commitment to the SDGs Within UFS portfolios, alignment to the SDGs means holding the managers we invest with to account on a number of measures. Not only do we track the alignment of our portfolios to the SDGs but we also look at the specific issues each portfolio is helping to address. For example, companies within our Australian equity portfolio are contributing towards the specific goals of doubling the global rate of improvement in energy efficiency; tracking and reporting waste and pollutants; and substantially reducing the number of deaths and illnesses from hazardous chemicals and air, water and soil pollution and contamination. Within our fixed income portfolios, the bonds we invest in are helping to tackle a range of issues including fighting poverty; equal rights to economic resources and basic services and promoting social and economic inclusion. Our combined fixed income portfolio also invests in 39 percent of all the Australian denominated ‘green’ fixed income securities on the market. In addition, in December 2019 we delivered the first SDG bond by a not-for-profit in Australia.   What this means for investors We believe that investing with the SDGs as a primary focus not only helps to contribute to better financial returns but can also produce measurable changes in the wellbeing of people, lead to more sustainable economic development and improve the environment we live in. This gives investors, and particularly those who are investing in line with their values and Faith, reassurance that their funds are being managed in an ethical, sustainable way. To find out more about the UFS approach to sustainable investing and the SDGs, please view our latest Impact Report.   Important information: While the information in this communication has been prepared with all reasonable care, UFS accepts no responsibility or liability for any errors, omissions or misstatements however caused. No action has been taken to register or qualify these products or otherwise permit a public offering of these products in any jurisdiction outside Australia. Past performance is not indicative of future performance. You can review the UFS Privacy Policy below.


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  Important for you to know Financial services are provided by The Uniting Church (NSW) Trust Association Limited ACN 000 022 480, ABN 89 725 654 978, AFSL 292186 (“UCTAL”) and by The Uniting Church in Australia Property Trust (NSW) ABN 77 005 284 605 (“UCAPT”) (together and separately “Uniting Financial Services”), for The Uniting Church in Australia, Synod of NSW and the ACT (“Synod”), under a s.911A Corporations Act 2001 (Cth.) authorisation and pursuant to APRA Banking Exemption No. 1 of 2021 and ASIC Regulatory Guide 87 and ASIC Corporations (Charitable Investment Fundraising) Instrument 2016/813 exemptions. Uniting Financial Services® is a registered trademark of UCTAL used with permission of UCAPT. None of The Uniting Church in Australia, UCAPT and UCTAL is prudentially supervised by APRA. Therefore, investments with or contributions to these Uniting Church organisations will not receive the benefit of the Financial Claims Scheme or the depositor protection provisions in the Banking Act 1959 (Cth.). All financial services and products are designed for investors who wish to promote the religious and charitable purposes of Uniting Financial Services and The Uniting Church in Australia and for whom profit considerations are not of primary importance in their decision to invest. The information on this page has been prepared without considering your objectives, financial situation or needs. You should, before acting on it, consider its appropriateness to your circumstances or refer to the relevant disclosure document. Loan applications are subject to credit approval. Interest rates are subject to change. Fees and charges may apply. 

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