At Bennelong, the principles of sustainable development are reflected in our business decisions, aligned partnerships and staff hires. This has three major focus areas – corporate responsibility, products and services, and social justice.
Corporate responsibility
Sustainability framework – We’re committed to continually improving sustainable practices across our company, including reducing the environmental impact of our physical offices across Australia.
Global goals – We support the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals – aimed at ending poverty, protecting the planet, and improving the lives and prospects of everyone, everywhere – and believe the investment industry has a critical role to play in realising these goals.
Products and services
Responsible investment – While our boutiques have their own distinctive philosophy and approach, they all understand the importance of responsible investment and have considered ESG factors in their overarching framework. Two of our boutiques also include their strategies pro bono in the LIC Future Generation Australia (ASX:FGX), which gives investors the opportunity to gain access to a group of prominent Australian fund managers in a single investment vehicle while supporting Australian charities focused on children and youth at risk.
Client and values-based opportunities – Within the sustainability sector, we’re continuing to engage with partnership opportunities that meet our embedded decision-making frameworks and philosophy, ensuring our offerings are commercial and truly desired by our clients as well as in line with our value set.
Social justice
People first – At heart, we’re a people-focused business: taking care of our clients, each other, the business, and the broader community. We support maintaining human rights for all people on a fundamental moral basis, and our core value of mutual respect drives the way we act – inside and outside of the business. This also includes our commitment to the mitigation of modern slavery within our structure, operations and supply chains.
Philanthropic partnership – Our parent company’s philanthropic arm, the Bennelong Foundation, aims to enhance community wellbeing and provide opportunities for positive and lasting change in the community. We support and work closely with the Foundation, particularly in our shared aim of providing opportunities for those who may experience disadvantage in a work environment.
Gender equity – We actively foster a culture that values diversity as well as an entrepreneurial spirit, and appointments are made on merit alone. In a traditionally male-dominated industry, 40% of our board directors, 45% of our sales team, and one third of our portfolio managers are women – because they are the best people for the job.
