Net Zero and ‘real’ sustainability

I would like to recommend an article that I read recently on the Responsible Investor website.

It gets to the heart of the conversations I often have with fund companies where teams are starting to embrace ESG – or sustainability – genuinely and in the spirit of ‘doing good’ – but don’t yet recognise the urgency of the challenges we face.

This article pitches the popular ‘win-win’ sustainability argument that many of us have been talking about for decades against the urgent realities we now face – amongst them needing to achieve ‘Net Zero’ super swiftly thanks to excessive procrastination.

Responsible Investor article here: ‘From win-win to net zero would the real sustainability please stand up’.

My view is that there remains sufficient time to change course – and that there is a phenomenal range of opportunities for both forward looking established businesses and innovators with a laser sharp focus on problem solving.

However if their (our) collective actions are not rapid or ‘impactful’ enough – or their journeys are slowed by dated policies and tax systems – then it will not only be those companies, or investors, who suffer… and I really do not want to be explaining why we failed to recognise the urgency of these risks either my children – or anyone else’s.

If you are on the same page as me … you may like to know that there are 33 (primary) retail sustainable, responsible and ethical investment funds which have told us they require ‘all or most of the companies the fund invests in to have a ‘Net Zero action plan’. 

As you will be aware, Net Zero is one of the major stepping stones towards a safer, more secure and sustainable future. If your company has not done so already please ask them to sign up to the, now one year old, Race to Zero campaign.  We need everyone on board.

(In randomised order) the retail funds that require the companies they invest in to have Net Zero Action Plans are:

FP WHEB Sustainability Fund
Royal London Sustainable Diversified Trust Fund
Royal London Sustainable Leaders Trust
Royal London Sustainable World Trust Fund
Liontrust Sustainable Future Managed Growth Fund
Liontrust Sustainable Future Corporate Bond
Liontrust Sustainable Future European Growth Fund
Liontrust Sustainable Future Global Growth Fund
Liontrust Sustainable Future Managed Fund
Liontrust Sustainable Future UK Growth Fund
Liontrust UK Ethical Fund
Liontrust Sustainable Future Cautious Managed Fund
Liontrust Sustainable Future Defensive Managed Fund
Triodos Global Equities Impact Fund
Triodos Pioneer Impact Fund
Royal London Sustainable Managed Income Trust Fund
Sarasin IE Sustainable Global Real Estate Equity Fund
Sarasin Responsible Global Equity Fund
Montanaro Better World Fund
Jupiter Global Sustainable Equities
Royal London Sustainable Managed Growth Trust
Sarasin Food & Agriculture Opportunities Fund
Liontrust GF Sustainable Future European Corporate Bond
Liontrust GF Sustainable Future Pan European Growth
Royal London Global Sustainable Equity
FP Foresight Sustainable Real Estate Securities Fund
Fidelity Sustainable Strategic Bond Fund
Fidelity Sustainable Reduced Carbon Bond Fund
Regnan Global Equity Impact Solutions Fund
Morgan Stanley Sustainable Fixed Income Opportunities Fund
Triodos Sterling Bond Impact Fund
Liontrust GF Sustainable Future Global Growth Fund
Sarasin Tomorrows World Multi Asset Fund