Ground-breaking bond having a positive social and environmental impact

An independently-assured review of Uniting Financial Service’s (UFS) ground-breaking Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Bond has shown its investment choices have had a positive social and environmental impact.

The result is a major boon for UFS which was recently recognised by the industry body Responsible Investment Association Australasia (RIAA) as a leader in the sector, awarding it 9th position when compared to 198 other managers.

UFS become the first not-for-profit in Australia to successfully launch the SDG Bond in December 2019. Uniting has released the Sustainable Development Goals Bond Impact Report 2021.

“We are pleased to advise our combined portfolio of investments have scored an environmental, social and governance (ESG) score of B indicating our investment choices are supportive of a positive social and environmental impact whilst also having an above average alignment to the SDGs,” the report found.

UFS Executive Director, Neil King, said the report demonstrated the full impact our investments are having socially and environmentally.

“There has been a surge recently in responsible  investing and it’s important to show what that impact is having across the broader community. UFS has been able to show this across a multi asset portfolio, which delves deeply into each asset class. We are allocating capital in way that is having a real and positive impact in the world,” Mr King said.

Mr King, said the findings of the SDG impact report reflected the very clear mission of UFS to invest for the long term making the world a better place.

“We have been on the Ethical and ESG journey for a considerable amount of time, dating back to the early 1980’s when its policy was established. Our investment choices are governed by the 14 investment principles of our Ethical and ESG Investment Policy. As our policy is aligned to the delivery of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the investment choices we make are also helping to deliver the SDGs,” he said.

“We are committed to maintaining that leadership and through our first impact report showing our intent, actions and impact of allocating capital towards positive investment outcomes.”

Martin Thomas