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Socially Responsible Investment

Socially Responsible Investment (SRI)

Health Super offers a Socially Responsible Investment (SRI) option for socially conscious members. If you choose the Medium-Term Growth SRI option, your superannuation will be invested in organisations that meet certain labour, social, environmental or ethical standards.

How do Socially Responsible Investments work?

We engage underlying investment managers who use screening processes to select companies who are considered suitable for inclusion in the share portfolio of our SRI option. Australian and International shares asset classes are selected in accordance with SRI criteria. The investment managers do this through negative and/or positive screening of companies.

Companies screened for activities that are not socially responsible (negative screening)

Companies screened for socially responsible activities (positive screening)

If a company is materially involved in certain negative activities, it may be excluded from SRI options, depending on each individual investment manager's approach. These negative activities include:

  • alcohol

  • tobacco

  • pornography

  • gambling

  • armaments

  • the defence industry

  • uranium and nuclear power

  • damaging the environment

  • child labour

  • oppressive regimes

  • fur

  • animal testing

On the other hand, if a company is engaged in, or has positive policies in relation to one or more of the following activities, they are considered for our SRI option:

  • sustainability
  • environmentally beneficial technologies (i.e. wind energy)
  • governance and ethics
  • good workplace practices
  • product quality
  • stewardship

The current investment managers used for the SRI option share portfolio are shown below (but these can change from time to time at the absolute discretion of the Trustee):

Investment Manager Responsible for screening
Perennial Investment Partners Ltd (Perennial) Australian shares
AMP Capital Investors Ltd (AMP Capital) International shares

For information about the standards and considerations that are taken into account in the SRI option refer to the Health Super Accumulation Product Disclosure Statement and Investment Guide.

Important things to consider when investing in the SRI option

  1. There may be a higher level of risk involved when investing in socially responsible investments. Be aware that they may be more volatile than some other forms of investments. However, greater volatility is no guarantee of higher returns.
  2. Because there are only two underlying investment managers used, the level of risk may not be spread as widely as it is for our other investment options. If you’d like to see how the underlying investment managers for Health Super’s SRI option have performed, you can visit the Perennial or AMP Capital websites.
  3. Introduced in 2003, view the latest superannuation returns or latest pension returns for the SRI option.
  4. The fees may be higher due to the management costs associated with the portfolio.

 

The Health Super Investment Guide has more information about all of the Health Super investment options.

 

Note:

As at 1 July, the Long-Term Growth SRI, Balanced SRI and Short-Term Conservative SRI options (Closed Options) are no longer available to existing members who were not invested in the option on 30/06/2011, or to any new members of Health Super. Investment switching between or to these Closed Options will no longer be permitted.

Members currently invested in a Closed Option can continue to receive contributions to the option. By mid 2012, it is expected that the options will be closed and any assets in these options will be transferred to an alternate investment option. The Medium-Term Growth SRI option will remain open to new and existing members.

Investment returns cannot be guaranteed as investment markets can be volatile. As a consequence, returns can be positive or negative. Furthermore, past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance.

This website is provided by FSS Trustee Corporation ABN 11 118 202 672 AFSL 293340 as Trustee of the First State Superannuation Scheme ABN 53 226 460 365 of which Health Super is a division (Health Super). The website content is of a general nature only and does not take into account your personal objectives, situation or needs. Before making a decision about a Health Super product or service, you should read the Health Super Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) which is available on this website or by calling 1800 331 719. Some products and services offered on this website are provided by third parties. The Trustee is not responsible for the products or services, views or actions of these third parties. Terms and conditions may apply which should be obtained from the third parties direct. The Trustee does not accept liability if loss or damage is incurred from the acquisition of third party products or services.

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