Funds
Kernel KiwiSaver Global ESG Fund
Fund type: Aggressive fund
Past Returns: *13.13%Annual Fees: 0.25%
Fund type: Aggressive fund
Past Returns: *13.13%Where a company has multiple ethical concerns, the total concerns percentage counts this investment once.
The average total concerns of all funds of the same risk profile is weighted by the funds' investment values.
The average total concerns of all KiwiSaver aggressive funds is 10.67%.
Where companies, through their products or operations, cause harm to animals e.g., animal entertainment (such as marine parks and rodeos), livestock exports, whale meat etc.
Where companies are involved in the production or retail of fur & speciality leather products (where animals are raised purely for skins).
Where companies are involved in significant harm to individuals or communities, through the unsafe nature of their products or delivery of services and inadequate response to evidence of harm.
The world’s largest social network (Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, WhatsApp). Company has faced claims and legal actions due to mental health harm (notably to young people), breaches of user privacy / data rights, and the spread of misinformation. Inadequate moderating in non-English speaking countries (e.g. Myanmar) allowed the platform to be used to incite ethnic violence. Removal of content moderation from strt of 2025 increases risk of social and political harm.
Where the actions of companies have violated global standards on labour rights and freedoms; including poor treatment of workers, child and forced labour, and modern slavery.
A ride and food delivery service provider. As Uber considers its drivers to be contractors, this limits their employee rights to the minimum wage, and providing the same benefits and rights as traditional taxi companies.
Where low standards of ethics create harm because of poor culture and inappropriate incentives, inadequate governance and oversight, and incidents of bribery and corruption.
Acquired Credit Suisse in 2023, a bank with very poor governance which aided clients with tax evasion and money laundering. As a result, UBS has inherited ongoing regulatory fines and lawsuits relating to these failures. UBS has also been subject to lawsuits relating to its own manipulation of foreign exchange and interbank rates. It holds a provision of USD $4bn for claims (which may not be sufficient).
Where low standards of ethics create harm because of poor culture and inappropriate incentives, inadequate governance and oversight, and incidents of bribery and corruption.
Wells Fargo is a multinational financial services company which serves millions of customers in 35 countries. They have been involved in significant business ethics scandals for false inflation, cross selling and misleading customers over a period of 2002 to 2016.
Where the actions of companies have violated global standards on human rights and freedoms including customary rights of indigenous people.
Thermo Fisher Scientific sells scientific instruments and laboratory equipment, diagnostics consumables, and life science reagents. Thermo Fisher DNA testing kits have been linked to surveillance and discriminatory purposes by the legal authorities in Xinjiang (a region of China) for monitoring and tracking the Muslim Uyghur ethnic group and other minorities. Evidence that DNA sequencing products continue to be distributed in China, despite the company announcing it would halt sales to the region.
Where companies source their power generation from fossil fuels (oil, natural gas, coal) to generate electricity.
Where the actions of companies have violated global standards on human rights and freedoms including customary rights of indigenous people.
A global diversified miner, predominantly in iron ore but also copper, aluminium, diamonds, gold, and industrial minerals. In 2020, Rio Tinto destroyed Aboriginal 46,000-year-old sacred sites at an iron mine in Western Australia, leaving a considerable and irrepairable impact on the traditional owners. Also a pattern of harmful community-related incidents in West Papua, South Africa, Canada, the US and Serbia. The company also derives revenue from coal power plants through multiple associates and subsidiaries.
Where the actions of companies have violated global standards on human rights and freedoms including customary rights of indigenous people.
Where a company is complicit in its products or services enabling violations of the Geneva Convention and infringement of the rights of individuals in war or conflict situations.
Has developed AI-based predictive policing systems. These are sold to Israeli security forces and used in surveillance of Palestinian in occupied Palestinian territories. The systems were originally designed for US immigration authorities and are used in the US to target immigrants and manage raids.
Where companies are involved in the production of fossil fuels (oil, natural gas, coal, shale oil) including exploration, production (including core services), storage, transport (except by rail) and refining.
Where the actions of companies have violated global standards on labour rights and freedoms; including poor treatment of workers, child and forced labour, and modern slavery.
Where companies source their power generation from fossil fuels (oil, natural gas, coal) to generate electricity.
Where the actions of companies have violated global standards on human rights and freedoms including customary rights of indigenous people.
A global diversified miner, predominantly in iron ore but also copper, aluminium, diamonds, gold, and industrial minerals. In 2020, Rio Tinto destroyed Aboriginal 46,000-year-old sacred sites at an iron mine in Western Australia, leaving a considerable and irrepairable impact on the traditional owners. Also a pattern of harmful community-related incidents in West Papua, South Africa, Canada, the US and Serbia. The company also derives revenue from coal power plants through multiple associates and subsidiaries.
Where companies are involved in the production of fossil fuels (oil, natural gas, coal, shale oil) including exploration, production (including core services), storage, transport (except by rail) and refining.
Operates electric and natural gas transmission systems in the UK and US. It also operates facilities for storing LNG. including the Grain LNG terminal in the UK which is the largest LNG facility in Europe and 8th globally.
Where companies source their power generation from fossil fuels (oil, natural gas, coal) to generate electricity.
Where companies are involved in the production of fossil fuels (oil, natural gas, coal, shale oil) including exploration, production (including core services), storage, transport (except by rail) and refining.
Where companies are involved in the production of fossil fuels (oil, natural gas, coal, shale oil) including exploration, production (including core services), storage, transport (except by rail) and refining.
Where the actions of companies have violated global standards on labour rights and freedoms; including poor treatment of workers, child and forced labour, and modern slavery.
Where companies source their power generation from fossil fuels (oil, natural gas, coal) to generate electricity.
One of Aotearoa New Zealand’s largest electric utilities companies. Operates three thermal power stations that employ gas and diesel. In FY2024, 81% of the energy Contact generated came from renewable energy (lower than in 2023 due to a dry winter). However, at the end of 2024 Contact opened a major new geothermal renewable facility - the Tauhara plant. It is considered to be on a climate change pathway aligned with 1.5°C of global temperature rise.
Where companies source their power generation from fossil fuels (oil, natural gas, coal) to generate electricity.
Portugal’s largest generator and distributor of electricity. It is the 4th largest generator of wind power in the world with 90% generated by renewables. However, revenue is still generated from fossil fuels; 5% from coal-fired plants and 5% from oil and gas. EDP have committed to being carbon neutral by 2030. The company is considered to be on a climate change pathway aligned with 1.5°C of global temperature rise.
Where companies, through their products or operations, are involved in environmental degradation e.g., pollution, chemical spills.
Manufacture and bottle Coca-Cola beverages under licence. Collectively the Coca-Cola related entities produce the most plastic rubbish in our oceans at 3 million tons of plastic packaging annually, which has devastating impacts on our oceans, wreaking havoc on wildlife and sending plastic particles into the food chain.
Where companies, through their products or operations, are involved in environmental degradation e.g., pollution, chemical spills.
Owns the Grasberg mine in Indonesia where tailings are disposed directly into a river. Note, this type of disposal is banned in most countries. The pollution causes significant negative impact to the health of indigenous communities and wildlife in a biodiversity hotspot.
Fund type: Aggressive fund
Past Returns: *13.13%The Kernel Global ESG Fund’s investment objective is to provide a return (before tax, fees and expenses) that closely matches the return on the S&P World Net Zero 2050 Paris-Aligned ESG ex non-pharma Animal Testing (PAB Ex AT) (NZD) Index
Value | $6.56M NZD |
Period of data report | 31st March 2025 |
Members | 303 |
Fund started | 3rd July 2023 |
Total annual fund fees | 0.25% |
Total performance based fees | 0.0% |
Manager's basic fee | 0.25% |
Other management and administration charges | 0.0% |
Total other charges | 0.0 |
Total other charges currency | NZD |
Dean Anderson |
Currently: Chief Executive (6 years, 6 months)
|
Stephen Upton |
Currently: Chief Operating Officer (5 years, 9 months)
|
Kerry Mcintosh |
Currently: Chairman (5 years, 9 months)
|
Vicki Dale |
Currently: Investment Committee Member (2 years, 4 months)
|
Rhea Prasad |
Currently: Portfolio Manager (2 years, 4 months)
|
This information has been sourced from the quarterly data that each KiwiSaver fund has filed with Disclose register to 31st March 2025.
Past annual returns for this fund are after fees and taxes. Please note that higher past returns do not always mean higher future returns.
Year | Market Average | Fund Annual Return |
---|---|---|
2025 | 4.37% | 13.13% |
The market average is the average return for funds of the same risk category, sourced from the Commission for Financial Capability's Sorted website. The fund information has been sourced from the quarterly data that each KiwiSaver fund has filed with Disclose register to 31st March 2025.
Apple Inc
United States International Equities
Microsoft
United States International Equities
Nvidia Ord
United States International Equities
Alphabet
United States International Equities
Amazon.Com Inc
United States International Equities
Tesla Inc Ordinary Shares
United States International Equities
Visa Inc
United States International Equities
Meta Platforms Inc
United States International Equities
Mastercard Inc Class A Ord
United States International Equities
Costco Wholesale Corp
United States International Equities
Type | Target | Actual |
---|---|---|
Cash and Cash Equivalents | 0.0% | 0.06% |
New Zealand Fixed Interest | 0.0% | 0.0% |
International Fixed Interest | 0.0% | 0.0% |
Australasian Equities | 0.0% | 2.0% |
International Equities | 100.0% | 97.94% |
Listed Properties | 0.0% | 0.0% |
Unlisted Properties | 0.0% | 0.0% |
Other | 0.0% | 0.0% |
Commodities | 0.0% | 0.0% |
How the money in this fund is invested by asset type.
This information has been sourced from the quarterly data that each KiwiSaver fund has filed with Disclose register to 31st March 2025.
This data is compiled by Mindful Money from the fund information and portfolios
that each
KiwiSaver
fund has
filed with the Disclose register to 31st March 2025 and Mindful Money
analysis of funds within those portfolios. The list of companies of concern has
been drawn from ratings agencies and public sources, including the Norwegian
Sovereign Fund, NZ Super Fund, Sustainalytics and research organisations.
Please note that companies may breach more than one of these areas of
concern.
The listing of companies of concern is based on definitions used in Mindful Money's
methodology. These definitions may
be different from the exclusions policy and definitions applied by the fund provider.
Mindful Money uses the term Mindful Funds as our standard
for ethical investment and responsible investment. This does not imply that
other funds are unethical or that the fund providers that do not meet these
standards are unethical providers.
Where companies, through their products or operations, cause harm to animals e.g., animal entertainment (such as marine parks and rodeos), livestock exports, whale meat etc.
Where companies are involved in the production or retail of fur & speciality leather products (where animals are raised purely for skins).
Where companies are involved in significant harm to individuals or communities, through the unsafe nature of their products or delivery of services and inadequate response to evidence of harm.
The world’s largest social network (Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, WhatsApp). Company has faced claims and legal actions due to mental health harm (notably to young people), breaches of user privacy / data rights, and the spread of misinformation. Inadequate moderating in non-English speaking countries (e.g. Myanmar) allowed the platform to be used to incite ethnic violence. Removal of content moderation from strt of 2025 increases risk of social and political harm.
Where the actions of companies have violated global standards on labour rights and freedoms; including poor treatment of workers, child and forced labour, and modern slavery.
A ride and food delivery service provider. As Uber considers its drivers to be contractors, this limits their employee rights to the minimum wage, and providing the same benefits and rights as traditional taxi companies.
Where low standards of ethics create harm because of poor culture and inappropriate incentives, inadequate governance and oversight, and incidents of bribery and corruption.
Acquired Credit Suisse in 2023, a bank with very poor governance which aided clients with tax evasion and money laundering. As a result, UBS has inherited ongoing regulatory fines and lawsuits relating to these failures. UBS has also been subject to lawsuits relating to its own manipulation of foreign exchange and interbank rates. It holds a provision of USD $4bn for claims (which may not be sufficient).
Where low standards of ethics create harm because of poor culture and inappropriate incentives, inadequate governance and oversight, and incidents of bribery and corruption.
Wells Fargo is a multinational financial services company which serves millions of customers in 35 countries. They have been involved in significant business ethics scandals for false inflation, cross selling and misleading customers over a period of 2002 to 2016.
Where the actions of companies have violated global standards on human rights and freedoms including customary rights of indigenous people.
Thermo Fisher Scientific sells scientific instruments and laboratory equipment, diagnostics consumables, and life science reagents. Thermo Fisher DNA testing kits have been linked to surveillance and discriminatory purposes by the legal authorities in Xinjiang (a region of China) for monitoring and tracking the Muslim Uyghur ethnic group and other minorities. Evidence that DNA sequencing products continue to be distributed in China, despite the company announcing it would halt sales to the region.
Where companies source their power generation from fossil fuels (oil, natural gas, coal) to generate electricity.
Where the actions of companies have violated global standards on human rights and freedoms including customary rights of indigenous people.
A global diversified miner, predominantly in iron ore but also copper, aluminium, diamonds, gold, and industrial minerals. In 2020, Rio Tinto destroyed Aboriginal 46,000-year-old sacred sites at an iron mine in Western Australia, leaving a considerable and irrepairable impact on the traditional owners. Also a pattern of harmful community-related incidents in West Papua, South Africa, Canada, the US and Serbia. The company also derives revenue from coal power plants through multiple associates and subsidiaries.
Where the actions of companies have violated global standards on human rights and freedoms including customary rights of indigenous people.
Where a company is complicit in its products or services enabling violations of the Geneva Convention and infringement of the rights of individuals in war or conflict situations.
Has developed AI-based predictive policing systems. These are sold to Israeli security forces and used in surveillance of Palestinian in occupied Palestinian territories. The systems were originally designed for US immigration authorities and are used in the US to target immigrants and manage raids.
Where companies are involved in the production of fossil fuels (oil, natural gas, coal, shale oil) including exploration, production (including core services), storage, transport (except by rail) and refining.
Where the actions of companies have violated global standards on labour rights and freedoms; including poor treatment of workers, child and forced labour, and modern slavery.
Where companies source their power generation from fossil fuels (oil, natural gas, coal) to generate electricity.
Where the actions of companies have violated global standards on human rights and freedoms including customary rights of indigenous people.
A global diversified miner, predominantly in iron ore but also copper, aluminium, diamonds, gold, and industrial minerals. In 2020, Rio Tinto destroyed Aboriginal 46,000-year-old sacred sites at an iron mine in Western Australia, leaving a considerable and irrepairable impact on the traditional owners. Also a pattern of harmful community-related incidents in West Papua, South Africa, Canada, the US and Serbia. The company also derives revenue from coal power plants through multiple associates and subsidiaries.
Where companies are involved in the production of fossil fuels (oil, natural gas, coal, shale oil) including exploration, production (including core services), storage, transport (except by rail) and refining.
Operates electric and natural gas transmission systems in the UK and US. It also operates facilities for storing LNG. including the Grain LNG terminal in the UK which is the largest LNG facility in Europe and 8th globally.
Where companies source their power generation from fossil fuels (oil, natural gas, coal) to generate electricity.
Where companies are involved in the production of fossil fuels (oil, natural gas, coal, shale oil) including exploration, production (including core services), storage, transport (except by rail) and refining.
Where companies are involved in the production of fossil fuels (oil, natural gas, coal, shale oil) including exploration, production (including core services), storage, transport (except by rail) and refining.
Where the actions of companies have violated global standards on labour rights and freedoms; including poor treatment of workers, child and forced labour, and modern slavery.
Where companies source their power generation from fossil fuels (oil, natural gas, coal) to generate electricity.
One of Aotearoa New Zealand’s largest electric utilities companies. Operates three thermal power stations that employ gas and diesel. In FY2024, 81% of the energy Contact generated came from renewable energy (lower than in 2023 due to a dry winter). However, at the end of 2024 Contact opened a major new geothermal renewable facility - the Tauhara plant. It is considered to be on a climate change pathway aligned with 1.5°C of global temperature rise.
Where companies source their power generation from fossil fuels (oil, natural gas, coal) to generate electricity.
Portugal’s largest generator and distributor of electricity. It is the 4th largest generator of wind power in the world with 90% generated by renewables. However, revenue is still generated from fossil fuels; 5% from coal-fired plants and 5% from oil and gas. EDP have committed to being carbon neutral by 2030. The company is considered to be on a climate change pathway aligned with 1.5°C of global temperature rise.
Where companies, through their products or operations, are involved in environmental degradation e.g., pollution, chemical spills.
Manufacture and bottle Coca-Cola beverages under licence. Collectively the Coca-Cola related entities produce the most plastic rubbish in our oceans at 3 million tons of plastic packaging annually, which has devastating impacts on our oceans, wreaking havoc on wildlife and sending plastic particles into the food chain.
Where companies, through their products or operations, are involved in environmental degradation e.g., pollution, chemical spills.
Owns the Grasberg mine in Indonesia where tailings are disposed directly into a river. Note, this type of disposal is banned in most countries. The pollution causes significant negative impact to the health of indigenous communities and wildlife in a biodiversity hotspot.
Fund type: Aggressive fund
Past Returns: *13.13%The Kernel Global ESG Fund’s investment objective is to provide a return (before tax, fees and expenses) that closely matches the return on the S&P World Net Zero 2050 Paris-Aligned ESG ex non-pharma Animal Testing (PAB Ex AT) (NZD) Index
Value | $6.56M NZD |
Period of data report | 31st March 2025 |
Members | 303 |
Fund started | 3rd July 2023 |
Total annual fund fees | 0.25% |
Total performance based fees | 0.0% |
Manager's basic fee | 0.25% |
Other management and administration charges | 0.0% |
Total other charges | 0.0 |
Total other charges currency | NZD |
Dean Anderson |
Currently: Chief Executive (6 years, 6 months)
|
Stephen Upton |
Currently: Chief Operating Officer (5 years, 9 months)
|
Kerry Mcintosh |
Currently: Chairman (5 years, 9 months)
|
Vicki Dale |
Currently: Investment Committee Member (2 years, 4 months)
|
Rhea Prasad |
Currently: Portfolio Manager (2 years, 4 months)
|
This information has been sourced from the quarterly data that each KiwiSaver fund has filed with Disclose register to 31st March 2025.
Past annual returns for this fund are after fees and taxes. Please note that higher past returns do not always mean higher future returns.
Year | Market Average | Fund Annual Return |
---|---|---|
2025 | 4.37% | 13.13% |
The market average is the average return for funds of the same risk category, sourced from the Commission for Financial Capability's Sorted website. The fund information has been sourced from the quarterly data that each KiwiSaver fund has filed with Disclose register to 31st March 2025.
Apple Inc
United States International Equities
Microsoft
United States International Equities
Nvidia Ord
United States International Equities
Alphabet
United States International Equities
Amazon.Com Inc
United States International Equities
Tesla Inc Ordinary Shares
United States International Equities
Visa Inc
United States International Equities
Meta Platforms Inc
United States International Equities
Mastercard Inc Class A Ord
United States International Equities
Costco Wholesale Corp
United States International Equities
Type | Target | Actual |
---|---|---|
Cash and Cash Equivalents | 0.0% | 0.06% |
New Zealand Fixed Interest | 0.0% | 0.0% |
International Fixed Interest | 0.0% | 0.0% |
Australasian Equities | 0.0% | 2.0% |
International Equities | 100.0% | 97.94% |
Listed Properties | 0.0% | 0.0% |
Unlisted Properties | 0.0% | 0.0% |
Other | 0.0% | 0.0% |
Commodities | 0.0% | 0.0% |
How the money in this fund is invested by asset type.
This information has been sourced from the quarterly data that each KiwiSaver fund has filed with Disclose register to 31st March 2025.