(NU/1526) Provision of Ethical Investment Advice

Tender description

The University holds a number of expendable and permanent endowments, which are invested as a General Investment Pool. The University’s endowment fund investments are managed by its Finance Committee on behalf of Council, the governing body. The investment aim is to produce a 4.5% p.a. yield in addition to maintaining the real value of the funds. We commissioned independent advice in 2016, which reported a high probability that the University could sustain this level of return. The University’s practice is to tender for investment manager services every four years with the next tenders for equity managers due in 2021 and the next tenders for alternative asset classes due in 2022. However, the University is minded to bring forward the next tender exercise for equities to 2020. Prior to any tender exercise being undertaken, the University is seeking independent advice on the options available for it in relation to ethical screening of investments and in particular its approach to companies involved in fossil fuel extraction and exploitation. Currently, the only mandatory screen applied by the University is on tobacco but we are minded to extend this screen to include companies involved in fossil fuel extraction and exploitation. This is in reaction to the University’s recent declaration of a climate emergency, continued staff, student and community activism in this area and previous policy statements by the University. Keywords: Tender, Services, Finance, Non EU