A word from our CEO - Super Informed November 2019

Many of our members are passionate about where their retirement savings are invested. At UniSuper, we believe that climate change is a real challenge—both physically and economically—for the future.

It poses a variety of investment risks but also brings with it a range of opportunities, that as a substantial investor, we have the ability (and responsibility) to influence. As a responsible investor, our experienced internal investments team consider environmental, social and governance (ESG) related matters in all investment decisions. We pride ourselves on how we apply an ESG lens to our investing, whether the investments are in one of our sustainable investment options or in a mainstream portfolio.

As a business, our operational footprint is small and we expect our business to be resilient in the face of a changing climate. But as weather patterns change and technology and policies evolve, many of our investments will be impacted. For the second year running, we’ve published our commitment to understanding and monitoring climate risks across our investments. The Climate Risk report (PDF, 4.4 MB) outlines how our members’ super is exposed to the risks and opportunities of climate change, and where practical aligns with the recommendations of the Taskforce for Climate-related Financial Disclosures.

You may be interested to know that, we're an active member of the Investor Group on Climate Change (IGCC). Last month, we were a supporting sponsor of the IGCC 2019 Summit, a unique event where institutional investors come together to discuss climate change risks and opportunities and the implications for policy and investment practice.

In light of growing concern about climate change, we want to ensure that all members appreciate our approach to making investment decisions. We aim to achieve strong investment returns for our members while contributing to the wellbeing of the wider community. And we want to ensure that members who wish to avoid exposure to fossil fuel investments are aware of the several investment options which enable such an outcome.

That’s why we’ve decided to devote this issue of Super Informed to introducing the concepts of responsible investing and sustainable investment. We welcome your feedback and engagement in this space.

All the best,

Kevin O'Sullivan