How we evaluate products
Responsible Investment strategies, processes, practices and disclosures are assessed against the eight criteria for product certification in the Responsible Investment Standard and accompanying Guidance and Assessment Notes.
What are the requirements?
In order to certify products as certified responsible investments, RIAA assesses them against its RI Certification Standard. The Certification Standard is underpinned by eight requirements that act as the guiding principles of the RI Certification Program. Since its inception the RI Certification Standard has evolved significantly, reflecting the dynamic evolution of responsible investment. These eight requirements are:
- RI strategies are formal, disclosed, consistent, auditable and fit for purpose
- Labels are clear, honest and not misleading
- Product avoids significant harm
- Discloses full holdings, performance, sustainability outcomes and engagement and voting practices
- Managed by active stewards, and managers can detail the stewardship practices and outcomes
- Organisation has formal commitment to responsible investment
- Organisation provides educational information to members and customers about RI strategies
What this symbol means


General certification: This Symbol signifies that a product or service offers an investment style that takes into account environmental, social, governance or ethical considerations, and that it adheres to the operational and disclosure practices required under the Responsible Investment Certification Program for the category of Product.
The content on this webpage is provided by Responsible Investment Association Australasia Ltd (ACN 641 046 666, AFSL 554110). For more information refer to our Financial Services Guide. Certain content provided may constitute a summary or extract from the offer document of a financial product. Any general advice has been provided without reference to your investment objectives, financial situation or needs. If the advice relates to the acquisition of a particular financial product for which an offer document (such as a product disclosure document) is available, you should obtain the offer document relating to the particular financial product and consider it before making any decision whether to acquire the product. Past performance does not necessarily indicate a financial products’ future performance. To obtain information tailored to your situation, contact a financial adviser.
Themes & Issues
Society
Armaments
Mostly avoided
Tobacco
Mostly avoided
Fossil fuels
Partially avoided
Gambling
Partially avoided
Human rights abuses
Partially avoided
Labour rights violations
Partially avoided
Pornography
Partially avoided
Alcohol
Partially avoided
Environment
Armaments
Mostly avoided
Tobacco
Mostly avoided
Fossil fuels
Partially avoided
Gambling
Partially avoided
Human rights abuses
Partially avoided
Labour rights violations
Partially avoided
Pornography
Partially avoided
Alcohol
Partially avoided
For RIAA’s definitions of the themes included and issues avoided, please view this guide . Product-specific exclusion criteria and practices may vary. You can find these by referring directly to the product provider.
Overview
The investment objective of the Trust is to provide long-term capital growth by gaining exposure to a diversified portfolio of securities listedin Australia with increased emphasis on higher expected return securities, and adjusted to take into account certain SustainabilityConsiderations.
Description
Sustainability Considerations taken into account for the Sustainability Trusts are based on available data, either actual or estimated, and our interpretation of the data. Definitions of the metrics 'revenue', ‘carbon intensity' and ‘potential emissions from reserves' used as part of applying the Sustainability Considerations are outlined in theAdditional Information Guide under the heading ‘Data definitions’ on page 12.
Each of the Sustainability Trusts has a carbon footprint reduction goal. Specifically, the Sustainability Trusts aim to have a reduction in weighted average carbon intensity, and reduction in weighted average potential emissions from reserves, relative to a particular benchmark index (‘Carbon Footprint Reduction Goal’) as detailed in the table below. For any Sustainability Trust that invests in other funds managed by Dimensional, such as the Dimensional Sustainability World Allocation 70/30 Trust and the Dimensional Sustainability World Equity Trust, the Carbon Footprint Reduction Goal is for each of the underlying Sustainability Trusts it is invested in to meet their respective Carbon Footprint Reduction Goals. There is no guarantee that a Sustainability Trust will meet its Carbon Footprint Reduction Goal. For more information, please refer to the Carbon Footprint Reduction Goals for the Sustainability Trusts in the Additional Information Guide on page 9.
Dimensional intends to achieve the Carbon Footprint Reduction Goal for each Sustainability Trust by ranking companies at a portfolio and sector level on metrics described below. Specifically, these metrics relate to carbon emissions and are applied to increase exposure (i.e. overweighting) to companies with lower emission profiles and decrease exposure (i.e. by underweighting or excluding) to companies with higher emission profiles.
For the Sustainability Trusts that are Equity Trusts:
Portfolio level
From a portfolio level, securities of companies with higher emission profiles are treated in the following manner:
· Generally, based on carbon intensity, the securities of the companies ranking in the worst 10% of a Sustainability Trust’s eligible universe by market value will be underweighted or excluded; and
· Generally, based on potential emissions from reserves, the securities of the companies ranking in the worst 5% of a Sustainability Trust’s eligible universe by market value will be underweighted or excluded.
Sector level
Securities are given a Sustainability Score (defined below) and compared to sector peers. Sustainability Scores are mainly based on carbon intensity. Securities that score better against sector peers are generally overweighted and securities with worse Sustainability Scores against their peers are generally underweighted within the Sustainability Trusts. There is no pre-determined threshold for including or excluding a security based on its comparative Sustainability Score, however, securities of companies ranking in the worst 10% of their sector by market value are generally underweighted or excluded. See ‘Sustainability Scoring’ in theAdditional Information Guide on page 10 for details on the scoring methodology.
For the Sustainability Trusts that are Equity Trusts and Fixed Interest Trusts, in relation to the Carbon Footprint Reduction Goal, the above processes mean that individual securities are evaluated relative to the broad universe of securities and against sector peers rather than against strict individual sustainability targets, such as absolute maximum emissions criteria or minimum scoring criteria. Also, because the Carbon Footprint Reduction Goal is applied at the portfolio level, the Sustainability Trusts may overweight a security which has a worse Sustainability Score compared to sector peers or other eligible securities where doing so still achieves the Carbon Footprint Reduction Goal.
Inaddition to the Carbon Footprint Reduction Goal, as part of the screeningprocess the Sustainability Trusts generally exclude companies which meetcertain involvement criteria (which include revenue thresholds) in thefollowing business practices: coal, factory farming, palm oil, controversialweapons, nuclear weapons components, systems and support services, tobacco,child labour, alcohol, gambling, adult entertainment, and personal firearms.
For more details regarding Dimensional's sustainability strategies, please refer to Sustainability | Dimensional Fund Advisors.
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Themes & Issues
0
themes included
0
issues fully avoided
2
issues mostly avoided
6
issues partially avoided
Product Targets
Wholesale
Institutional
Certified Since
2022
Last date certified
May 16, 2024
Primary RI Strategy
Sustainability Themed
Secondary RI Strategy
Negative Screening