Responsible investors
As an active investment manager focussed on listed equities, Maple-Brown Abbott recognises that responsible investment enhances investment decision-making and ultimately leads to superior long-term value for all stakeholders.
We have a deeply integrated approach to environmental, social and governance (ESG) across each of our investment strategies.
Our ESG framework spans four pillars of integration, stewardship, investment solutions, and governance and is underpinned by a suite of ESG policies.
ESG integration
Each investment team integrates ESG factors and risks, drawing on our strong in-house analyst capabilities to incorporate ESG considerations into each step of the investment decision-making process.
We have developed proprietary frameworks to assess material ESG issues such as climate risk. These issues are then incorporated into factors such as company valuations, buy/sell recommendation, and position sizing. This process helps inform our investment decision making and portfolio construction.
Governance
We hold ourselves to the same high governance standards we expect of the companies we invest in. Our approach to disciplined investment governance and ethical conduct is guided and supported by a suite of Board-approved ESG policies.
Beyond our investment activity we maintain high internal standards across our own social and environmental performance, as well as governance standards. These include, for example, a code of ethics, human rights position statement, inclusion and diversity and whistleblowing policies.
Our Climate Change Report, published in alignment with the recommendations of the Taskforce on Climate-related Financial Disclosures, provides more information on our governance, strategy, risk management and metrics in relation to climate change.
Stewardship
Buying shares in a company is just the beginning. A key component of our responsible investment framework is our comprehensive stewardship approach to company engagement and proxy voting. We actively engage with company boards and management to drive more sustainable long-term outcomes for investors and publish an annual report on our key themes and activity.
Engagement
As active, long-term investors, we take our ownership responsibilities seriously and regularly meet with the companies we invest in. Engagement initiatives are the shared responsibility of portfolio managers and investment analysts, with insights incorporated into our investment research and portfolio decision-making. We may also hold ESG-specific engagement meetings with companies to undertake deep-dive research on certain topics.
Proxy voting
It is our policy to vote on all proxy resolutions at all investor meetings for investments that we directly hold on behalf of our clients unless, in exceptional circumstances, we believe it is in best interests of the client to abstain from voting. Our voting decisions are informed by a range of factors, with the key guiding principle being the best interests of our clients as investors.
Investment solutions
All Maple-Brown Abbott investment strategies integrate ESG into their investment process and our specialist capability allows us to work with clients to create bespoke solutions that meet their specific ESG needs.
Our Australian value equities team offer the Maple-Brown Abbott Australian Sustainable Future Fund, an actively managed fund which is invested in Australian listed companies that we expect to positively contribute to a sustainable future. The fund uses a negative and positive screening strategy, ESG integration and comprehensive stewardship approach.
The Australian Sustainable Future Fund has been certified by the Responsible Investment Association Australasia (RIAA) according to the strict operational and disclosure practices required under the Responsible Investment Certification Program.
In addition, there are instances when clients may seek particular solutions that tilt toward specific environmental or social outcomes or exclude selected activities and we will work with them to create bespoke solutions to meet their requirements.
Please contact us to discuss a solution for you.
Reasons to invest in ESG with us
Long standing commitment
Maple-Brown Abbott recognised early the significance of the United Nations-supported Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI), established in 2006, by becoming a signatory in 2008. Since that time we have continued to evolve our approach, being led by macro themes and detailed analysis. We are regularly assessed by external frameworks on our ESG approach and performance and maintain leading ratings across all assessments.
Recognised ESG performance
In our most recent PRI assessment we scored above the global median for each of our assessed modules. Our key asset class of listed equity (direct – active fundamental) was scored at 95 and awarded the highest possible rating of five stars. For full details please refer to our most recent PRI Assessment Report and Transparency Report. We were also identified as a Responsible Investment Leader by the Responsible Investment Association Australasia (RIAA) in their most recent Benchmark Report.
Global scope
We integrate ESG across all teams and geographies, applying our specialist knowledge in strategy-relevant ways.
Proprietary approach, specialist capability
Maple-Brown Abbott uses specialist, in-house expertise for ESG research, with dedicated ESG analysts as members of the investment teams. We have developed proprietary ESG frameworks that are applied in strategy-relevant ways to supplement fundamental investment analysis.
Advocacy and leadership
We lead and collaborate across the industry to drive change where it matters most. Investor collaborations that we participate in include Climate Action 100+ and Investors Against Slavery and Trafficking Asia Pacific. We are also signatories to the Taskforce on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures, Transition Pathway Initiative and Net Zero Asset Manager initiative, and are members of RIAA and FAIRR.
