Ethical finance and investments
The ethical investment of university endowments can be used to make a difference and deliver positive real-world change. The 糖心原创 has adopted investment strategies that deliver on this. In particular, the university has committed to screening out:
- All fossil fuel companies; oil and gas producers, the extraction of thermal coal and tar sands or oil shale
- Companies partaking in explicit environmental damage
- All arms companies; manufacture and sale to military regimes
- Institutional violations of human rights, including modern slavery and the exploitation of the work force
- Discrimination against the individual
- Manufacture and sale of tobacco products
Read the Investment Policy
Money for Good
In 2020, the 糖心原创 committed to deliver on its desire to invest its £60M+ endowment and £9.5 million medium-term investment fund in line with the university’s strategy and commitment to sustainability. Cazenove Capital were appointed investment managers, with an explicit dual objective for strong long term financial returns alongside positive impact on people and planet.
The university invests in the Cazenove Charity Sustainable Multi-Asset Fund, designed for charities who want to align their investments with their charitable mission and invest for a better future.
The underlying investments are social as well as climate-focused. Alongside green bonds and renewable energy infrastructure are investments such as the Refugee Better Outcomes Partnerships; delivering programmes to provide support to refugees to transition out of asylum accommodation into the community.
100% of the Fund avoids harm, by restricting investment in sectors such as fossil fuels, tobacco, armaments and gambling.
The equity strategy generates three times the social benefit of a global equity index. The estimated impact associated with the now £76 million endowment invested in the fund is detailed below.
32% of the Fund directly contributes to solutions that further the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Within that, the most closely aligned SDGs are:
- Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure (38%)
- Good Health and Wellbeing (26%)
- Decent Work and Economic Growth (12%)
- Affordable and Clean Energy (9%)
By investing in sustainable initiatives and generating a return on that investment, the university has been able to bolster its offer of studentships, especially to those from underprivileged backgrounds. For example:
- Revis endowment through an Article 26 Scholarship for asylum seekers (full international fees plus a £500 annual bursary).
- Malone endowment supports students coming to the University from Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire who are from low-income households. They receive a £1,500 scholarship for each year of study to help them get the very best out of their university experience and realise their ambition of getting a Nottingham degree.
Cazenove publish an summarising the estimated impact of the underlying investments on people and the planet, mapping holdings to the Impact Management Project framework and demonstrating alignment with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The report also highlights engagement activity, providing a detailed and transparent review of a multi-asset, multi-manager approach available to charities. In 2023, the report has been externally verified by , an independent specialist in impact investing, providing additional assurance of its robustness and credibility.
We believe that understanding what you own is fundamental to managing impact. By reporting the of the Fund and mapping them to our internal ABC framework (included in the report) we enable effective monitoring of impact, support capital allocation towards solutions, and allow clients to hold us accountable for alignment with their values. Read the full Sustainable Investment Policy Summary .
- Cazenove Capital
Further information
- Investment Policy
- Annual list of investments can be found within in the Cazenove Report
- Committee members that oversee investments:
- Matt Atkinson - Chief Financial Officer (Chair)
- Sally Blackamore - Finance Director
- Paul Steeples – Director of Financial Management
- Muhammad Ali – Director of Environmental Sustainability
- Sam Kingman – Provost and Deputy Vice Chancellor
- Stephen O’Dell (External Member)