More ethical funds land on platform

This article originally featured on Good Returns and was written by Mindful Money.

Mindful Money has added 17 funds to its ethical investing platform and says this "a huge leap forward with a new wave of innovative funds now available to New Zealand investors."

Mindful Money founder and chief executive. Barry Coates says the 17 additional funds have meet the high standards for inclusion on the Mindful Money website as ethical funds.

"The Mindful Funds badge is a reliable way to identify ethical investment options and get beyond greenwashing and misleading claims. It is an objective standard so investors can have confidence that their money is being managed according to ethical principles.”

“These new Mindful Funds go well beyond screening investments to avoid harm. Most of them also influence companies towards higher social and environmental standards. And they all allocate funds towards companies that are making a positive impact in New Zealand and internationally. These funds are contributing to an exciting new wave of ethical investing.”

TAHITO Te Tai o Rahua
For the first time, investors have the option to invest in a fund that integrates te Ao Māori principles. "This is a hugely important step forward, building in long term thinking, stewardship and a holistic approach to investment."

The co-founder of TAHITO, Temuera Hall, says the fund starts to come into its own as investment consciousness increases and investors request more transparency and accountability on where and how their funds are invested.

“We have set a high sustainable and ethical bar premised upon our indigenous Māori values. Our challenge is to maintain and improve this standard.”

Kernel Wealth
Kernel Wealth is extending the range of options available to investors in New Zealand. It now has funds that are dedicated to investing in climate action, such as through renewable energy and EVs.

Kernal co-founder and chief executive, Dean Anderson, said; “The world is moving at pace, and Kernel is looking to the future – not the past. We have proudly developed the first EV fund on offer in New Zealand, and in fact one of the first in the world.”

“We didn’t stop there, we’ve been working behind the scenes for two years in supporting the world's largest index provider, S&P Dow Jones Indices, to develop and launch the first official ESG NZ equity index fund, a significant milestone for New Zealand and all investors. We are very excited to be recognised for these innovations and to be joining an equally innovative and tech enabled solution, Mindful Money, which is helping progress the conversation on sustainable and ESG investing in New Zealand.”

Generate KiwiSaver
Generate demonstrates that mainstream funds can devote part of their portfolio to investments that have a positive impact. Its pioneering investment in social housing, supporting Salvation Army’s social housing bond, has supported homes for those in need and has encouraged other investment providers to contribute funding.

Generate KiwiSaver lead portfolio manager and executive director, Sam Goldwater, says that investing in a way that incorporates environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues and produces attractive long-term returns has always been fundamental to how Generate operates.

"We believe that companies who proactively manage ESG issues are not only doing the right thing, but are more future-focussed and will ultimately deliver better returns for our members.“

Medical Assurance Society (MAS)
Until recently, access to MAS funds were restricted to health care workers and their families. MAS has now opened its investment funds up to the public. MAS has defined its mission as “inspiring a healthier Aotearoa New Zealand”.

Colin Thomson, MAS Head of Investments said MAS is living up to its purpose of inspiring a healthier Aotearoa by helping our members avoid harm, influence positive change, and make an impact through members' KiwiSaver accounts.

Harbour Asset Management
Two additional funds from Harbour Asset Management will be added to the list of Mindful Funds. Harbour was the winner of the Best Ethical Investment Provider award last year at the Mindful Money Awards.

Harbour Asset Management executive director Ainsley McLaren says “We’re delighted to see the continued growth in ethical investing, and appreciate the work Mindful Money is doing in this space to make it accessible and understandable for Kiwi investors. Sustainability is a core part of Harbour’s kaupapa so we’re proud to have this work recognised, with two more of our funds gaining the Mindful Funds designation.”