Who will win the Ethical and Impact Investment Awards?

Best Ethical KiwiSaver Provider
This is a crucial category, with a total of over $110 billion invested by 399 KiwiSaver funds. The judges were looking for the fund provider embodying high standards across the main strategies of avoiding harm, engaging with companies to improve their performance, investing for positive impact and embodying an ethical approach.

• Generate KiwiSaver
• Pathfinder Asset Management

Best Ethical Investor

This category includes over $80 billion of funds under management in 548 retail managed funds, as well as private capital, venture capital and asset owner investments. Amongst a wide range of different funds, the judges were looking for providers that demonstrate high ethical standards and outcomes. The finalists are:

• Harbour Asset Management
• Pathfinder Asset Management
• TAHITO

Best New Ethical or Impact Fund

This category is for the fund launched over the past year that best embodies good ethical or impact practices. The judges were looking for innovation, delivering social and environmental benefits and providing New Zealand investors with new types of investment options. The finalists are:

• Community Housing Funding Agency
• Bay of Plenty Housing Equity Fund
• Betashares NZ Sustainability Leaders Fund

Best Impact Investor

Surveys show that the New Zealand public are not only looking to avoid harm in their investments but growing numbers of investors are also seeking funds that contribute to positive social and environmental outcomes. The judges were looking for fund providers that demonstrate a strong impact purpose, a rigorous framework for measurement, examples of high impact investments and contributions by the investor to positive outcomes. The finalists are:

• Community Housing Funding Agency
• Purpose Capital
• Soul Capital

Best Net Zero and Climate Action Investor

This category covers both the mainstream investment that drives financed emissions towards net zero and dedicated funds investing in climate solutions. This year, the judges focused on funds that are innovating and mobilising capital to reduce and avoid emissions. were pleased to recognise the standout performance of the following two finalists:

• Climate Venture Capital Fund series
• Motion Capital

Best Ethical Overseas Fund

This category is open to the overseas funds that are actively marketed in New Zealand, generally available to investors through financial advisers and institutional investors. These funds add scale and diversity to investors, demonstrating high standards of sustainable investing. The finalists are:

• Australian Ethical Australian Shares Fund
• Betashares Global Sustainability Leaders Fund
• Stewart Investors Worldwide Leaders Sustainability Fund

Best Ethical Financial Adviser

Financial advisers have an important role in providing informed, independent and appropriate advice on ethical and impact investment. They provide New Zealand investors with financial advice that reflects their values and financial aspirations, and those of their family. The judges were pleased to see the finalists providing strong capability for research into ethical options and an ability to match their clients with suitable products. The finalists are:

• Carey Church, Moneyworks
• Mark Holtom, Ethical Investing NZ
• Dr. Rodger Spiller, Money Matters

Best Media Reporting on Ethical Investment

The judges were looking for high standards of journalism on ethical and impact investing, attuned to the interests of their audiences. One of the crucial criteria for the judges was the impact that the reporting has in terms of engagement, education and influence. These metrics are often difficult for journalists to measure, but provide an important measure of the benefits that are associated with the media reporting. Finalists are:

• Susan Edmunds, RNZ
• Joanna Mathers, Informed Media
• Steven Moe, Seeds Podcast

“Ethical and responsible investing is a growing focus for many KiwiSaver investors and there continues to be great innovation in New Zealand to meet demand,” Public Trust Corporate Trustee Services general manager David Callanan says.

Jono Broome, Morningstar Sustainalytics commented that “Despite global headwinds, Aotearoa continues to be a bulwark of responsible investing, attracting consistent net-positive inflows into these funds."