We don’t just invest – we aim to use our collective voice to make a difference. Through ethical stewardship, your money can help to push for real-world change that benefits people, animals and the planet.
We focus on big-picture issues – like climate change and nature loss – because they affect all of us. By working strategically across systems, not just individual companies, we aim to shift the forces that shape our future.
This isn’t about quick wins. It’s about making a lasting difference. We hold ourselves to a higher standard1 because meaningful progress takes time, deep thinking and consistent effort. And when we act together, we can help build a better world.
Turning off finance for fossil fuels
The fossil fuel sector has been a prime target of our investor advocacy. We do not invest in fossil fuel focused companies like Santos Woodside and Whitehaven. But we leverage our investment in the finance sector to campaign against the unsustainable expansion of fossil fuels and encourage the financing of renewables.
Animal research
We’re using our position as an investor to encourage healthcare companies, universities, and government to reduce reliance on animal research. By backing plant-based and cruelty-free alternatives, we aim to reduce animal suffering, drive innovation in sustainable food systems, and protect long-term resilience – helping to shift the industry toward solutions that are better for animal welfare and the environment.
Animal agriculture and deforestation
Animal agriculture uses a disproportionate amount of land and other resources relative to the nutritional value it provides. We restrict+ investment in conventional animal agriculture because of its large environmental footprint and because of animals’ suffering. But we leverage our connections in adjacent industries to influence change.
Carbon sequestration and protecting wildlife
Given our land mass, Australia is well placed to provide credible and secure carbon sequestration services the world desperately needs. With appropriate policies and markets, we think our farmers and the communities they support could be direct beneficiaries.
The building materials sector is a huge contributor to global carbon emissions. Cement production is the world's single largest industrial cause of carbon pollution, responsible for around 8% of global carbon emissions. Steel accounts for another 7%.
Through our engagements and involvement in Climate Action 100+ and MECLA , we are seeking to help hasten the supply and uptake of transformational low or zero carbon products across the economy, and the development of a supportive policy environment.
We are the lead investor in the Climate Action 100+ engagements with Boral and Adbri, and are engaging with these companies about the ambition, detail and readiness of their decarbonisation pathways. We were nominated for Investor Group on Climate Change’s Climate Award 2023 for this work.
We supported Western Australian Aboriginal groups’ calls to halt the WA state government’s Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Bill 2021. The Bill would fail to prevent another Juukan Gorge disaster. We called on the government to ensure Indigenous Peoples are appropriately consulted to revise the Bill.
We continue our engagements with selected high-risk companies about their approach to various human rights issues including the risk of human rights abuse in supply chains, corporate accountability for digital rights and use of data, and the treatment of elders in aged care.
Read more in our modern slavery statement.
We’ve sold our Lendlease shares over its planned development that impacts one of the last healthy koala colonies in NSW.
Read more: https://www.australianethical.com.au/insights/why-we-divested-from-lendlease/
We have engaged with Blackmores about supporting a transition from fish oil products to less impactful plant-based alternatives.