News
FMA sets expectations for issuers of ‘green’ and ‘responsible’ funds
Tue Dec. 15th 2020
The “Disclosure framework for integrated financial products” guidance shows the FMA is ready to take into account a wider scope of investor outcomes than just financial returns.
Highlights from the IoD breakfast event on climate-related disclosures
Mon Dec. 14th 2020
Published by the Institute of Directors. The original article can be found here. Reporting requirements, impacts, and opportunities In January 2020, when the IoD published …
Fund Managers Responsibility - Call to Action
Thu Dec. 10th 2020
“Rio Tinto’s role in this tragedy is inexcusable. Rio knew the value of what they were destroying but blew it up anyway.” The inquiry is likely to result in important changes to protect Aboriginal rights and better regulate mining companies. The fund managers also took action after the evidence became impossible to ignore – they fired the CEO and several senior executives.
Highlights from our Seminar Series
Thu Nov. 19th 2020
In this last seminar of our 2020 series, Mindful Money’s Barry Coates pulls out some highlights from the 30 weekly seminars. He is in discussion with Vincent Heeringa, host of a great seminar series, This Climate Business.
Combating Modern Slavery in New Zealand through Investor Action
Tue Nov. 10th 2020
Around 40 million vulnerable people are exploited for profit through forms of enslavement - the vast majority of them are women and children. This seminar will look at the evidence of modern slavery in New Zealand and in supply chains of NZ companies; initiatives by government and companies; and international experience with legislation and investor action.
Sustainable Finance Forum
Thu Nov. 5th 2020
Around the world, governments are realising that it will not be possible to make real progress on Climate Change, on the SDGs and on tackling inequality unless they also transform finance. New Zealand’s Sustainable Finance Forum (SFF) responds to this challenge, outlining a ‘roadmap’ towards sustainable finance.
Responsible Investment: New Zealand Survey 2020
Thu Oct. 29th 2020
“Demand for ethical investing remains strong through the COVID pandemic” says Mindful Money’s founder and CEO, Barry Coates. “Over 90% of those who do not have an ethical investment fund are intending to switch to an ethical fund, most of them within the next year. This is evidence of strong growth in the consumer movement.”
Impact investment opportunities – the story of Ethique
Thu Oct. 29th 2020
In this discussion, Brianne West, founder and CEO of Ethique, traced her journey from her kitchen to globally-celebrated brand. At each stage, she had to reach out for financing to help her new company, Ethique, to scale up.
Ethical funds perform well through Covid economic crisis
Sat Oct. 24th 2020
When oil shares tanked during the Covid-19 pandemic cut, ethical fund managers who had excluded fossil fuels from their funds could have been forgiven for saying, “I told you so”. Around the world lockdowns cut household petrol consumption, and depressed economic activity combined with a near collapse in air travel resulted in less fossil fuel being burnt by industry. Oil company Chevron’s share price was US$120 at the end of December. At the end of the following September, it was just US72. BP shares went from £472 to £226.
Mobilising Impact Investment for Social Housing
Wed Oct. 21st 2020
The seminar looked at the development of an innovative Salvation Army Community Bond for the creation of 118 secure houses for families without homes, and whether there is scope for similar impact investment partnerships to scale up funding for social housing in the future.
Overview of the 2020 Seminar Series
Wed Oct. 14th 2020
In response to the global impacts being felt by every New Zealander during the COVID-19 outbreak, Mindful Money is looking for the positive opportunities and ways that we can build back better. A big part of the solution is investing ethically and making a positive impact through our choices. There is a growing global movement to make investment a force for good, and we want to ensure New Zealand is at the forefront.
Pioneering NZ Impact Funds
Wed Oct. 14th 2020
A striking aspect of the seminar with the pioneering NZ impact funds was how different they are. It shows the range of investment approaches that are used to create impact, while earning financial returns.