Our Approach to Ethical Investment
Nga Putea Haumi Matatika
Built on Trust.
Our mission is to generate investment performance for investors whilst delivering on environmental, social and governance objectives. We believe that companies with sustainable practices are better positioned for long-term success.
We don’t just invest, we lead. We hold funds and underlying investment managers to high ethical standards while using our influence to push for greater transparency and accountability across the industry.
We believe in doing what's right. That's why we closely monitor investments and elect to work with global asset managers and local specialists aligned to our values adhering to our principles of Care for the Environment (Kaitiakitanga), Care for Equality (Kotahitanga) and Care for Community (Manaakitanga).
Our Values
Ō Tātou Uara
Kaitiakitanga | Care for the Environment
It is important that we take care of the environment to help nature thrive and to maintain the delicate balance necessary to sustain life on this planet. This includes protecting our natural resources and biodiversity, reducing air pollution and waste, and combatting climate change.
Kaitiakitanga means guardianship, preservation and protection of the sky, land and sea. Māori believe that earth is a taonga (gift) from our ancestors and should be protected as such.
Manaakitanga | Care for the Community
We believe everyone has a responsibility to do no harm, and to care for our fellow tāngata (people) and ourselves. Everyone deserves to have good health and wellbeing, as well as to live in an inclusive, safe and sustainable community.
Manaakitanga describes the way tāngata (people) demonstrate respect, care, and consideration of each other, through the expression of aroha (love), compassion, hospitality, generosity, and mutual respect (whakarangatira). Manaakitanga secures the strength and elevation of our whānau (family) and communities.
Kotahitanga | Care for Equality
Society is founded on the idea of fairness and equality. Every person has the right to equal and fair treatment, independent of their gender, race, age, religious belief or sexual orientation. As a result people feel socially connected, are able to participate and contribute to their community to create a safer, and more prosperous and harmonious society.
Kotahitanga refers to collaboration, unity and togetherness. Kotahitanga is identifying as one, lifting each other up, sharing the earth, extending our āwhina (support) to everyone, and receiving the same back.
Our Investment Philosophy
Nga Putea Haumi Matatika
We are a New Zealand-based fund manager committed to ethical investing, managing a range of PIE funds that are built to perform.
Our investment philosophy is grounded in three core principles:
Performance First: We prioritise strong, risk-managed returns through disciplined portfolio construction, blending active and indexed strategies, leveraging global and local expertise, across private and listed markets.
Values-Aligned Exclusions: We aim to exclude investments that conflict with our ethical standards and those of our clients, ensuring portfolios reflect shared values.
Purposeful Stewardship: We actively engage with industry participants and bodies to drive positive change, using our influence to promote sustainability, accountability, and long-term value creation.
By blending performance with ethical investing, we can help clients grow their investments in a way that’s meaningful —helping to create a lasting impact for generations to come.
Ethical Investment Funds
Nga Putea Haumi Matatika
ESG Balanced
Fund
Features a well-diversified asset allocation that is achieved by investing in the Property Fund and ESG Funds.
Property
Fund
Provides diversified exposure to directly held commercial properties in New Zealand and applies certain ethical investment criteria on acquisition of properties.
ESG International Share Fund
Provides a diversified exposure to international equities (excluding Australia) that meet certain ethical investment criteria.
ESG Australasian Share Fund
Provides a diversified exposure to New Zealand and Australian equities that meet certain ethical investment criteria.
ESG International Bond Fund
Provides a diversified exposure to international fixed interest securities that meet certain ethical investment criteria.
ESG NZ Bond Fund
Provides a diversified exposure to New Zealand fixed interest securities that meet certain ethical investment criteria.
Fund Descriptions
The Balanced Fund has a balanced, well-diversified asset allocation that is achieved by investing in the Property Fund, ESG Australasian Share Fund, ESG NZ Bond Fund, ESG International Share Fund and ESG International Bond Fund.
The Property Fund provides diversified exposure to directly held commercial properties located in New Zealand. The Property Fund applies certain ethical investment criteria on acquisition and management of properties.
The ESG Australasian Share Fund provides a diversified exposure to New Zealand and Australian equities that meet certain ethical investment criteria.
The ESG International Share Fund provides a diversified exposure to international equities (excluding Australia) that meet certain ethical investment criteria.
The ESG International Bond Fund provides a diversified exposure to international fixed interest securities that meet certain ethical investment criteria.
The ESG NZ Bond Fund provides a diversified exposure to New Zealand fixed interest securities that meet certain ethical investment criteria.
Memberships & Stewardships
Nga Mema me nga Tiakitanga
The investment industry developed the Code to strengthen engagement and active ownership practices for generating and preserving long-term sustainable value for current and future generations.
As a founding signatory, Trust Investments will take leading role to encourage broad acceptance of the Code across the industry. Our underlying managers will promote positive governance practices to help manage environmental and social opportunities and risks, and build trust between investors, companies/issuers, and other stakeholders.
The PRI supports its members by developing a deep understanding of the implications of ESG on investments and by helping them to incorporate this knowledge into their investment decisions and represents over US$120 trillion in assets under management.
RIAA is dedicated to ensuring capital is aligned with achieving a healthy society, environment and economy. With over 500 members representing US$29 trillion in assets under management, RIAA is the largest and most active network of people and organisations engaged in responsible, ethical and impact investing across Australia and New Zealand. Its membership includes super funds, KiwiSaver providers, fund managers, banks, consultants, and foundations.
The landlord controlled GHG (Greenhouse gas) emissions were measured to ISO14064-1:2018 and Toitū requirements; with the base year measure period of April 2022 to March 2023.
The Property Fund is committed to managing and reducing the landlord-controlled emissions and will continue to participate in annual audits with the GHG emissions for the period April 2024 to March 2025 being audited in July 2025. Direct engagement with our tenants continues, to capture the tenant related GHG to establish a ‘whole of building’ footprint.
The Property Fund has several large organisations as tenants, including The Warehouse Group and Woolworths NZ, both of whom have made steps toward carbon measurement and climate transition planning.
Philanthropy New Zealand | Tо̄pūtanga Tuku Aroha o Aotearoa is the peak body for philanthropy and grantmaking. They support generosity, effective giving, and a strong philanthropic eco-system.