Ellis Bates Financial Advisers
Our screening process for sustainable investment fundsSRI has always been at the heart of our investment philosophy since we launched our first SRI portfolio in 2008. For us, this means we spend time building our SRI portfolios, carefully considering various environmental and social elements of every fund before we invest, through a comprehensive and patient investment process.
Negative screeningOur SRI portfolios avoid unethical companies, while supporting those making a positive contribution to the environment and/or society. Every fund in our SRI portfolios has a negative screen in place, as this is the fundamental factor that makes them SRI funds.
Positive screeningThis is an additional layer to applying a negative screen, meaning the funds go beyond the approach of ‘avoiding the bad’ and also seek ‘good’ companies trying to benefit the environment and the communities in which they operate.
Kim Holding, Portfolio Manager at Ellis Bates
United Nations Sustainable Development GoalsEvery fund must be associated with one or more of the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals SDGs). The SDGs provide a blueprint for governments, companies and other organisations to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all.
With these stringent screening processes in place, our clients can be confident that we are working hard to enhance the value of their investments, while contributing to a more sustainable world.
Meeting the fund’s managerWe meet with and interrogate, the managers of each fund before we invest. This is a key part of our process, as it allows us to satisfy ourselves that the funds (and the companies that they invest in) really are as ‘good’ as they say they are.
Culturally intrinsicEach sustainable investment fund must have a socially responsible investment culture intrinsic to its approach. This helps us ensure that the funds are incorporating environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) factors into their mandates for the right reasons.
Proxy votingEvery sustainable investment fund must have engagement and proxy voting policies and procedures in place. In our view, active ownership plays a crucial part in an SRI strategy, as this dialogue between investors and companies positively influences corporate behaviours and improves transparency. Additionally, funds must regularly report on the implementation of their engagement and proxy voting policies and procedures.
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