Ethical, Sustainable and Responsible Investments from Healthy Investment
Our Ethical Journey
Formed in 1835 we have a long history and tradition of being an ethical organisation. And those first founders also believed, as we still do, that you can only do this by investing in things that don’t cause harm to others. That’s why, since our formation in 1835 we’ve never invested directly in companies involved in the production of alcohol, and for many years, we’ve also avoided investing directly in companies in the tobacco, arms, pornography and gambling industries.
It is a source of enormous pride to us to have been at the forefront of ethical investment from its inception, long before it received mainstream attention. However, the sector now is very different from how it was ten, let alone 30 years ago, and it is important that we not only remain true to our founders’ values but also to those of our current membership, and to meet the challenges of a globalised world gripped by a range of social and environmental crises.
We listen carefully to our members so that we understand their concerns and what matters to them, and we know that whilst the return they receive on their investment is important, they want us to continue investing ethically, and avoid companies that cause harm to individuals and the world.
Ethical
We avoid investing your money in industries that are harmful to society and the environment:
We avoid investing in companies in certain industries and those whose activities are not in accord with our members’ personal values.
We do not invest in companies that purely mine coal, manufacture controversial weapons and those who consistently fail to comply with the United Nations Global Compact for responsible business.
We invest in ethically run businesses with good corporate governance and back companies that demonstrate a commitment to strong labour practices and human rights, even whilst operating in countries where these might not be the norm.
Sustainable
We invest your money in industries that improve the world we live in:
Investing in the Healthy Investment Ethical With-profits Fund demonstrates your conviction that social and environmental issues are important to you.
Our fund managers score every company invested in on their environmental performance, carbon footprint and contribution to achieving the aims of the Paris Agreement to limit climate change.
The investment decisions we make will impact future generations and the world they inherit.
Responsible
We aim to deliver good financial returns and make a difference to society:
We believe that responsible investing can create a better future, not just for our members, but for wider society.
In partnership with our fund managers, we work to ensure that the companies invested in are contributing to access to healthcare, income inequality and diversity and inclusion.
When you own shares, either as an individual or through an investment, there’s a responsibility to use your shareholder vote to influence the way companies are run. We make sure that that happens.
Our fund managers manage the With-profits Fund in line with the United Nations Principle's for Responsible Investment
Members who are invested in the Ethical With-profits Fund get access to the cutting edge of modern ethical, sustainable and responsible investing while retaining the benefits of products that smooth investment returns by holding back a proportion of the returns achieved in years of strong performance to help reduce the volatility that might otherwise be experienced in years of falling or weaker markets.
We actively seek out the best fund managers who’s ethics align with those of our members and our current fund managers, Legal & General Investment Management, are one of the UKs biggest investment managers. They manage over £1.2 trillion on behalf of their clients.
This enables them to employ experts across asset classes and geographic and industry sectors and it means that when they vote at an AGM or speak to a company’s management about issues relating to our members’ values they, given they are often one of that company’s largest shareholders, have significant influence over board decisions.
Our fund manager will actively vote at the AGMs of companies in which Healthy Investment has shareholdings, taking into account a range of governance and remuneration issues, and voting against the Chair in cases where the board is deemed to fall short on environmental, social, health and safety or human rights issues.
As well as signatories to the UN Principles for Responsible Investments they work within the principles of the UK Stewardship Code and are members of the UK Investor Forum and the One Planet Asset Management Initiative.
