Ethical, responsible, sustainable, ESG, Impact – investing for the good of society or the environment has got a little confusing of late. For that reason, we like to keep the definition of Responsible Futures portfolios, managed by Canaccord Genuity, simple:
why
responsible
futures?
“Population growth and industrialisation have put inordinate strain on our Earth and our communities. We believe that the solutions are in our gift and the Responsible Futures portfolios aim to be part of that solution, helping your investment deliver a positive impact on the world, without sacrificing investment performance”.
*Patrick Thomas, Investment Director, Canaccord Genuity
With the growing demand for investments that care for people and planet, there are many funds and portfolios in the market that make similar claims. However, when we designed our sustainable investment solution, we sought out portfolios that offer more than widely available off the shelf products. For us, it was essential that our Responsible Futures range provides the following:
We believe that many of the issues facing the world today can only be solved through a combination of public and private action. The innovation required to solve these issues will have a market value which will only increase through time.
Effectively, you are saving and investing with the aim of a better life for you and your loved ones, in a better world for everyone.
if we have to put a label on it...
There are many terms in use to describe investments which are selected for a purpose other than just that of making money.
Ethical
Excludes specified undesired company types, such as tobacco, weapons, fossil fuels.
ESG
Enviromental
- Does a company’s activities avoid negative impact on the environment?
- Do environmental issues cause risks or provide opportunity?
Social
- Does a company’s activities avoid negative impact on employees, customers or people in the local community?
- Do social issues cause risks or opportunities for the company?
Governance
- Is a company well managed – does it have the right people, culture and processes?
Responsible
Selects companies that aim to mitigate harm done to people or planet to protect value/avoid risk.
Sustainable
Seeks out companies whose activities have a positive effect on people and planet.
Impact
Invests in companies that contribute to solutions and/or have a material positive effect on people or planet.
investing with purpose
To allow comparison with other sustainable investment options, the Responsible Futures portfolios are created by Canaccord Genuity using the following building blocks.
Each of the investments held within the portfolios has been selected for its potential to benefit one of more of the United Nations 17 Sustainable Development Goals (set in 2015) such as zero hunger, clean water and sanitation, good health and well-being, responsible consumption and production, sustainable cities and communities.
To realise these far-reaching goals, the UN made an explicit request to the private sector to contribute to the financing. It is estimated that annual investment of 5-7 trillion USD is required from 2015-2030 to achieve the goals.
You can read more about the goals at this link: UN Sustaniable Development Goals
We are very pleased that money invested in the Responsible Futures portfolios makes an important indirect contribution to this requirement.
The portfolios invest in companies offering progressive solutions in the following areas:
Planet
Climate:
Carbon emissions
Clean energy
Energy efficiency
Carbon capture (limiting CO2 emission)
Energy storage
Sustainability:
Sustainable communities
Water management
Efficient agriculture/food chain
Re-cyling/re-purposing
Sustainable agriculture
People
Commerce:
Innovation
Emerging market connectivity
Resource efficiency
Diversity
Responsible sourcing
Community:
Health
Developed markets longevity
Social inclusion
Poverty/development
Health issues in Emerging markets
You need a MAP if you're on a mission
In Waverton Wealth’s world, MAP stands for Multi-Asset Portfolio – a well-diversified, risk managed investment solution, management of which is outsourced to an expert investment manager but works to a strict set of guidelines that we provide.
For the Responsible Futures MAPs, we have outsourced portfolio management to discretionary manager who combine investment expertise with a shared passion for investing for good and the opportunities that this brings.
It is absolutely essential to us that clients who wish to invest sustainably receive the same quality of service and care that we have always offered to our clients, via our MAP approach and our financial planning service.
This means that each of the Responsible Futures portfolios benefit from the following features:
RISK MANAGEMENT
TYPICAL MAXIMUM LOSS
REGULAR REBALANCING
AIMS FOR INFLATION - PLUS RETURNS
INVESTMENT COMMITTEE OVERSIGHT
While your investments go to work to help people and planet, we work hard to look after you and your investments.
Please note the following:
The Responsible Futures Portfolios are designed to be held for the long term and are not suitable for an investor who cannot tolerate ups and downs in the value of their portfolio in the short to medium term.
It should be noted that investment involves risk. The price or value of investments may go down as well as up and the investor may not necessarily receive back the original amount invested.
turning the corner
When we started building our sustainable investment proposition, the team at Waverton Wealth agreed that we wanted to turn the themes and motivations that underpin the portfolios into practical action within the business. Here are some of the steps we have taken as a company to be a sustainable business and align ourselves with the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
- In accounting year 2018/19 we offset 26.57 tonnes of CO2 emissions by donating to the Rainforest Trust.
- We have signed up to work with Changeworks to actively recycle more and reduce 80% of waste in both our Edinburgh and Glasgow offices.
- We are printing all promotional material on recycled, FSCS certified paper and use sustainable printing techniques where possible.
- We source materials locally where possible to reduce transport emissions and to support local business.
- We use recycled and recyclable paper and materials in the office where possible.
- We use Ecosia as our default search engine, they use their profits to plant a tree for every 45 searches and their servers run on 100% renewable energy.
- We also use Docusign where possible to save paper, they also have their own Impact initiative that works with charities across the globe and is committed to preserving the world’s forests and protecting the planets resources.
- We have recently established a ‘Green Team’ who meet quarterly to discuss further steps the business can take. One of the first campaigns encouraged staff in both offices to switch off their computers and equipment at the end of the day which reduces energy consumption and emissions.
- The Waverton Wealth Charity Committee has always been an important part of the business and meets regularly to choose and review the charities we work with and consider how best to support them. They have arranged fun days, sponsored activities and bake sales to encourage regular donations. This year we have donated to Achieve More, With Kids and Hopscotch.
- There is a Male to Female gender split of 55/45% amongst Waverton Wealth staff and we work hard to encourage equality and progression amongst our team
- Our managing director Jen Paice is also currently Chairperson on the board of One Parent Family Scotland and we are proud to support her commitment to this leading charity.
- We have held fundraising events for organisations such as SmartWorks Edinburgh and the My Name’5 Doddie Foundation.
- We have a dedicated mental health first aider who has completed training with St John’s ambulance.
FourWord Thinking podcast
Waverton Wealth’s latest Responsible Futures initiative is the creation of the FourWord Thinking podcast. Hosted by Rebecca Kowalski and Ellie Maletto, this features discussions with guests about an array of sustainability related matters – from how we invest, consume, work and live to how we communicate the need for change.
The podcast aims to educate, explore and inspire us all that we can make a difference.
What do you call a podcast that celebrates such a broad spectrum of sustainability? Encouraging thoughts and actions that can positively impact the future, we aim for discussions that are accessible and relevant to our daily lives, covering key points of interest. Hence, we came up with FourWord Thinking – planning in advance to engage you in our conversations by extracting 4 key words that give an insight into the topic to be discussed. We hope these will guide you, like the points of a compass, to the ideas that interest you most.
You can listen to the podcast on one of our channels below:
