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EdenTree Insights

Here you can find all our resources relating to our approach to responsible and sustainable investing. Our pioneering and integrated approach to ESG covers four key areas: research, screening, engagement and governance. You can read more about each of these by moving through the tabs below.

research

EdenTree’s thought-leadership research draws on an unrivalled depth of expertise that has built up over 30 years as pioneers in responsible and sustainable investing. Here you will find insights and opinion from our responsible investing team and fund managers, which help to inspire and inform real investment decisions. Our hope is that they will help you to do the same for your customers.

Biodiversity - Nature Under Threat
EdenTree Insight reports30 Aug 2023

Biodiversity - Nature Under Threat

Biodiversity is defined by the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity as “the variability among living organisms from all sources including, inter alia, terrestrial, marine and other aquatic ecosystems and the ecological complexes of which they are part; this includes diversity within species, between species and of ecosystems”.
Navigating Bond Market Volatility
Webcasts/Videos20 Aug 2023

Navigating Bond Market Volatility

EdenTree and Consumer Duty
Opinion 28 Jul 2023

EdenTree and Consumer Duty

Climate Stewardship Report 2022/23
EdenTree Insight reports05 Jul 2023

Climate Stewardship Report 2022/23

We are delighted to introduce EdenTree’s first Climate Stewardship Report. It launches our refreshed and updated Climate Change Strategy, which includes new ambitions, targets and actions all designed to escalate action on climate change as both urgent and necessary.
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Partnerships

World Benchmarking Alliance

The World Benchmarking Alliance has developed a series of benchmarks assessing 2,000 of the world’s most influential companies, ranking and measuring them on their contributions to the SDGs. These include the Corporate Human Rights, Gender and Just Transition Benchmarks.

ISS-ESG

ISS-ESG is a leader in ESG and Corporate Governance research, data and analytics, and supports EdenTree’s research process with insights on company environmental, social and governance data, helping to identify social and environmental risks and opportunities.

The Access to Medicine Index

The Access to Medicine Index ranks pharmaceutical and healthcare companies on how they make medicines, vaccines and diagnostics more accessible in low and middle-income countries. EdenTree has been a supporter since its inception.

The Access to Nutrition Index

The Access to Nutrition Index assesses the contribution the private sector makes to addressing global nutrition challenges and facilitate improved diets by ranking companies in the food and beverage sector on their approach to obesity and under-nutrition. Health & Wellbeing is one of our positive pillars so this is an important area for EdenTree and we have been a supporter since inception.

Corporate Human Rights Benchmark

CHRB, the Corporate Benchmark on Human Rights ranks companies based on the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, as well as additional standards for various industries. This is a new initiative and EdenTree is a founder supporter.

Business Benchmark on Animal Welfare

BBFAW, the Business Benchmark on Farm Animal Welfare is a global measure of company performance on farm animal welfare, benchmarking companies on animal welfare standards in the food supply chain. EdenTree has been a leading supporter of the initiative since inception.

screening

To be considered suitable for inclusion within our range of responsible and sustainably managed funds, an investment idea must meet the criteria laid out by our screening model. You can learn more about our screening process by visiting the Approach page.

 

Ethics/Values

Alcohol production

Manufacturers of alcoholic beverages, but not retailers (except dedicated pub companies).

Tobacco production

The manufacture of tobacco products, but not tobacco retailers.

Gambling operations

Includes betting shops, internet sites, bingo and casino, racing venues, lotteries and the supply of gaming machines.

Weapons production

The manufacture of weapons and weapons systems or goods and services specifically to support those systems.

Pornographic and violent material

Includes print, digital and broadcast media plus companies operating dedicated licensed sex premises showing live shows.

Animal testing

We will not invest in companies that use animals to test cosmetic or household products. We do invest in pharmaceutical companies that may use animals to test but we encourage them to use alternatives.

Intensive farming

We avoid companies involved in intensive farming in the beef, dairy, poultry or fish sectors.

Oppressive regimes

Companies operating in oppressive regimes (as defined by Transparency International and Freedom House) are reviewed on a case-by-case basis.

Fossil Fuel Exploration & Production

Avoids oil & gas exploration & production, as well as thermal coal extraction and production.

High Interest Lending

Companies operating wholly or mainly in high interest lending (non-standard sub-prime credit) where this is defined as (and limited to) door-step lending, pay-day loans and/or pawn-broking sub-prime credit.

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Responsibility/ESG

Business ethics

  • Business Codes of Conduct
  • Product Quality & Safety
  • Ethical Business Conduct
  • Culture & Behaviours
  • Financial Conduct
  • Ethical Sourcing
  • Supply Chain Relationships
  • Taxation Policy Disclosure
  • Farm Animal Welfare
  • Lobbying Policies

Corporate governance

  • Code Compliance
  • Independent NEDs
  • Pay for Performance
  • Board Diversity & Policy
  • Anti-Bribery Policies
  • Whistleblowing Programme
  • Cyber Security
  • Audit and Non-Audit Fees
  • Related Party Transactions
  • Political Donations

Community

  • Community Liaison
  • License to Operate
  • Project Finance Risk
  • Resettlement Policies
  • Giving Programmes
  • Health Education & Welfare
  • Access to Medicine
  • Training & Apprenticeships

Employment & labour

  • ILO Protocols
  • Equal Opportunities
  • Diversity Policy
  • Anti-Discrimination
  • Fair Reward Structures
  • Freedom of Association
  • Collective Bargaining
  • Training & Development
  • Health & Safety
  • Occupational Wellbeing

Environment & climate change

  • Climate Change
  • GHG Emissions
  • Resource Depletion
  • Water
  • Pollution
  • Natural Capital Policies
  • Waste & Recycling
  • Energy
  • Soil & Forestry
  • Sustainable Products

Human rights

  • Human Rights Policies
  • Support for UDHR
  • UN Guiding Principles
  • Child Labour
  • Bonded & Forced Labour
  • Trafficking & Slavery
  • Indigenous People
  • Land Rights
  • Sanctions & Conflict Risk
  • Conflict Minerals
More
 

Sustainability/Thematic

Education

  • Education
  • Training
  • Human development
  • Promoting girls education
  • Student housing and support

Health & wellbeing

  • Affordable healthcare
  • Access to medicine
  • Pharmaceuticals R&D
  • Biotechnology
  • Critical Care
  • Nutrition and wellbeing

Social Infrastructure

  • Social Housing
  • Affordable Housing
  • Community & Housing Associations
  • Urban Regeneration
  • Brownfield Development
  • Public Facilities

Sustainability

  • ESG alignment
  • Products and solutions
  • Circular economy
  • Sustainable development goals
  • Impact investing (Fixed Interest)
  • Amity thought leadership
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Read more about our screening process

See our approach
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Governance

We believe that shareholders have a vital role to play in encouraging high standards of corporate governance from the perspective of being long-term investors. We therefore vote at all UK company meetings in which we have a shareholding, and have appointed Glass Lewis & Co. as our proxy advisory service for overseas governance and voting. We are signatories to the Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI) and the European SRI Transparency Code, and we publish full guidelines around our governance and voting procedures here.


RI Credentials 19 Dec 2022
UK Corporate Governance Policy 2023
RI Credentials 27 Oct 2022
UK Stewardship Code Report 2022
RI Credentials 12 Oct 2022
PRI Transparency Report 2021
RI Credentials 12 Oct 2022
PRI Assessment Report 2021
RI Credentials 29 Sep 2021
UK Stewardship Code Report 2021
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Partnerships

The Montréal Pledge

The Montréal Pledge is a voluntary commitment by investors annually to measure and publicly report on the emissions they finance in their portfolios. EdenTree joined the pledge in 2016 and currently publishes fund emissions across five equity Funds.

The Investment Association

The Investment Association is the representative trade body for the investment management industry. EdenTree is a member, and also takes IVIS, their Institutional Voting Information Service to assist in our UK proxy voting process.

UK Sustainable Investment and Finance Association

The UK Sustainable Investment and Finance Association is the membership body for sustainable and responsible financial services in the UK. It contributes to raising awareness and supports its members to grow sustainable and responsible finance in the UK. 

The Principles for Responsible Investment

A UN supported organisation which works to integrate the investment implications of environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors and to support its international network of investor signatories in incorporating these factors into their investment and ownership strategies. EdenTree has been a signatory since March 2013 and participates in various investor working groups led by the PRI. 

IVIS

IVIS is one of the UK’s leading providers of corporate governance research and is part of the Investment Association. It provides the SRI team with corporate governance information on FTSE All Share companies, highlighting issues to be aware of prior to voting but without making recommendations. All voting decisions are taken by EdenTree alone based on our UK Corporate Governance Policy which is available here.  

Glass Lewis

Glass Lewis is EdenTree’s partner for overseas voting and is a leader in global governance services. It conducts research on AGM resolutions and executes our overseas voting based on our overseas corporate governance policy which is available here.