Kearney Group launches responsible investment range
Melbourne-based investment house Kearney Group has launched a range of responsible investment options following an 18-month redesign.
The re-designed portfolios would explicitly consider environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors as they were strong indicators of high performance and long-term value.
The Ethos Managed Portfolios would be overseen by the firm’s Ethos investment committee which would monitor market conditions and adjust portfolios. This was currently chaired by David Wright, founder of research house Zenith Investment Partners.
The firm had already begun making ESG-focused changes several years ago as it had avoided fossil fuels, gambling and live animal food production in its managed fund portfolios and never actively invested in alcohol, tobacco, weapons or munitions.
Paul Kearney, chief executive of Kearney Group, said: “We’ve deliberately designed a new suite of portfolios that explicitly and systematically consider environmental, social and governance factors in our fund manager selection and investment decision-making process.
“We know ESG has direct financial relevance and is a good indicator of long-term value. So failing to consider ESG is failing our clients, our profession and our community.
“Who are we, if we’re giving advice that encourages extraction or over abundance now, at the expense of our ability to live well into tomorrow? What good is saving for retirement if when you get there, you can’t breathe the air or drink the water, or the society you retire to deteriorates? These aren’t a far-off dystopian fantasy. These are critical questions we need to be asking now.”
AUTHOR
Laura Dew
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