Forsyth Barr Global Quality Fund

Companies of Concern

• Animal Cruelty 3.9%

  • Unilever PLC

    2.45%

    2.45%
    Animal Testing

    Where companies are involved in testing products on animals for cosmetic, personal care, household product, chemical and other uses. We do not include companies which conduct animal testing for pharmaceutical products, medical devices, biotechnology, human food, or pet food.

    Environmental Damage

    Where companies, through their products or operations, are involved in environmental degradation e.g., pollution, chemical spills.

    Unilever PLC Animal Testing Environmental Damage

    Diversified personal-care, homecare, and packaged food company. The company states that its products are sold in countries where animal testing of cosmetic products is required by law. Also, the third largest producer of plastics in the world’s oceans and is the biggest corporate seller of plastic sachets, which are significantly destructive, particularly in the Global South. Has pushed back its plastic reduction targets from 2025 to 2034.

  • LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton Se

    1.45%

    1.45%
    Animal Welfare Issues

    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.

    Fur & Speciality Leather

    Where companies are involved in the production or retail of fur & speciality leather products (where animals are raised purely for skins).

    LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton Se Animal Welfare Issues Fur & Speciality Leather

    Uses exotic leather and fur products in its luxury ranges such as crocodile, python and ostrich. Brands containing exotic leather include Donna Karan, Louis Vuitton, Fendi, Bvlgari, Céline. In addition it sells cosmetics and fragrances in China where testing on animals is required.

• Human Rights Violations 15.18%

  • Meta Platforms, Inc.

    3.86%

    3.86%
    Public Safety

    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.

    Meta Platforms, Inc. Public Safety

    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.

  • Johnson & Johnson

    3.19%

    3.19%
    Public Safety

    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.

    Johnson & Johnson Public Safety

    Johnson & Johnson is the world's largest and most diverse healthcare firm. Repeated incidents related to the quality and safety of several of its products across drugs, devices, and consumer products. Exceptioanlly high number of liability claims relating to talc based products and links to cancers.

  • Thermo Fisher Scientific

    2.59%

    2.59%
    Human Rights Abuses

    Where the actions of companies have violated global standards on human rights and freedoms including customary rights of indigenous people.

    Thermo Fisher Scientific Human Rights Abuses

    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.

  • Wells Fargo

    2.21%

    2.21%
    Business Ethics

    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 Business Ethics

    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.

  • Nestlé

    1.88%

    1.88%
    Human Rights Abuses

    Where the actions of companies have violated global standards on human rights and freedoms including customary rights of indigenous people.

    Nestlé Human Rights Abuses

    Nestle manufactures and sells food and beverages. The company has been criticised for exploiting local water resources for its bottled water production, which has forced underprivileged communities to pay a premium for their groundwater while alternatives have been exhausted. They are also the third largest source of plastic trash found in oceans. There have also been several allegations of labour conflicts and human rights violations in Nestle’s palm oil, coffee, fruits and seafood supply chains.

  • Uber Technologies, Inc.

    1.46%

    1.46%
    Labour Rights Violations

    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.

    Uber Technologies, Inc. Labour Rights Violations

    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.

• Social Harm 2.94%

  • Constellation Brands, Inc.

    1.83%

    1.83%
    Alcohol

    Where companies are involved in the production or retail of alcoholic beverages, or alcohol-related products and services.

  • Diageo

    1.11%

    1.11%
    Alcohol

    Where companies are involved in the production or retail of alcoholic beverages, or alcohol-related products and services.

• Fossil Fuels 1.14%

  • Dassault Systèmes Se

    1.14%

    1.14%
    Fossil Fuel Production

    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.

• Weapons 2.4%

  • Safran SA

    2.40%

    2.40%
    Controversial Weapons

    Where companies are involved in the manufacturing or retail of controversial weapons (e.g., landmines and cluster munitions) or components or services thereof.

    Firearms

    Where companies are involved in the manufacturing or retail of firearms, including guns, rifles, pistols, or components or services thereof.

    Military Weapons

    Where companies derive revenue from the manufacturing of weapons or weapon components and services to the defence industry. We do not include non-weapons-related military support.

    Nuclear Weapons

    Where companies are involved in the manufacturing or sale of nuclear weapons or components or services thereof.

• Environmental Harm 4.09%

  • Unilever PLC

    2.45%

    2.45%
    Animal Testing

    Where companies are involved in testing products on animals for cosmetic, personal care, household product, chemical and other uses. We do not include companies which conduct animal testing for pharmaceutical products, medical devices, biotechnology, human food, or pet food.

    Environmental Damage

    Where companies, through their products or operations, are involved in environmental degradation e.g., pollution, chemical spills.

    Unilever PLC Animal Testing Environmental Damage

    Diversified personal-care, homecare, and packaged food company. The company states that its products are sold in countries where animal testing of cosmetic products is required by law. Also, the third largest producer of plastics in the world’s oceans and is the biggest corporate seller of plastic sachets, which are significantly destructive, particularly in the Global South. Has pushed back its plastic reduction targets from 2025 to 2034.

  • The Coca-Cola Company

    1.64%

    1.64%
    Environmental Damage

    Where companies, through their products or operations, are involved in environmental degradation e.g., pollution, chemical spills.

    The Coca-Cola Company Environmental Damage

    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. Coca-Cola has also been subject to several lawsuits relating to marketing claims about the sustainability of its products.