The University of Westminster has published an Ethical and Sustainable Investment Policy for the first time, demonstrating its commitment to responsible investing.
The policy is another positive step in the University’s work aligning with the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals and is an ongoing commitment as Westminster seeks to constantly improve its practices.
The policy sets out the University’s approach to ethical and sustainable investment and considers the principles established in the University’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Strategy and the University’s Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Strategy.
The policy also outlines how the University will invest in a manner which is aligned to the delivery of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) and Westminster’s equality, diversity and inclusion objectives.
This includes investing in organisations and countries that demonstrate a positive approach to individuals, communities and environmental performance and those that develop environmental technologies to reduce the impacts of polluting and destructive industries and climate change.
The policy also ensures the University will not invest in businesses where the investment might be considered to be unethical or conflict with the aims of the University. It also prevents investment that might hamper the work the University.
Speaking about the policy, Paul Drohan, Specialist Finance Project Manager at the University of Westminster, said: “The new policy sets out our commitments to ethical and sustainable investing. Importantly these commitments are holistic and clearly define the investments we value as well as those we exclude. The policy is ambitious, with excluded themes including fossil fuels, animal testing of cosmetics and high interest rate lending together with the exclusion of companies lacking a climate change plan.
“Publishing this policy represents a significant pledge towards investing sustainably and ensuring that the University’s investment approach is consistent with our Corporate Social Responsibility Strategy and our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Strategy.
“The policy affirms the alignment between the attributes valued in potential investments and the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and in doing so seeks to support the University’s wider commitment to the SDGs.”
Read the policy in full.
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