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
Education
Included
Healthcare and medical products
Included
Impact investments
Included
Renewable energy and energy efficiency
Included
Social and sustainable infrastructure
Included
Sustainable land and agricultural management
Included
Sustainable transport
Included
Sustainable water
Included
More sustainable companies
Included
Animal cruelty
Mostly avoided
Armaments
Mostly avoided
Fossil fuels
Mostly avoided
Tobacco
Mostly avoided
Gambling
Mostly avoided
Genetic engineering
Mostly avoided
Human rights abuses
Mostly avoided
Labour rights violations
Mostly avoided
Illegal logging
Mostly avoided
Nuclear power
Mostly avoided
Pornography
Mostly avoided
Alcohol
Mostly avoided
Environment
Education
Included
Healthcare and medical products
Included
Impact investments
Included
Renewable energy and energy efficiency
Included
Social and sustainable infrastructure
Included
Sustainable land and agricultural management
Included
Sustainable transport
Included
Sustainable water
Included
More sustainable companies
Included
Animal cruelty
Mostly avoided
Armaments
Mostly avoided
Fossil fuels
Mostly avoided
Tobacco
Mostly avoided
Gambling
Mostly avoided
Genetic engineering
Mostly avoided
Human rights abuses
Mostly avoided
Labour rights violations
Mostly avoided
Illegal logging
Mostly avoided
Nuclear power
Mostly avoided
Pornography
Mostly avoided
Alcohol
Mostly 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 Fund’s investment objective is to achieve capital growth over the medium to longer term,by investing in impactful companies which produce goods and services that solve sustainability challenges.
The Pengana WHEB Sustainable Impact Fund invests in a diversified global portfolio of companies with activities identified by WHEB as providing solutions to the challenges of sustainability. The Fund’s portfolio holds predominantly listed global equities. The strategy features active stock-picking with individual stocks being selected through a rigorous ‘bottom-up’ stock-by-stock fundamental research process. The Fund’s investment objective is to achieve capital growth over the medium to longer term, by investing in impactful companies which produce goods and services that solve sustainability challenges. Pengana Capital Limited is the responsible entity of the Fund and has appointed WHEB Asset Management LLP as the investment manager for the Fund.
Description
Sustainability & Positive Screening: The Fund invests in adiversified global portfolio of companies with activities identified by WHEB asproviding solutions to the challenges of sustainability via nine sustainableinvestment themes – five of these are environmental (cleaner energy,environmental services, resource efficiency, sustainable transport and watermanagement) and four are social (education, health, safety and well-being).
Impact Investing: WHEB produces an Annual Impact Report which measures, calculates and reports on the extent of positive social and environmental impact from investing in the strategy. We have also developed an impact microsite and calculator (https://impact.pengana.com) where investors can quantify the impact of their own investment in the fund.
ESG Integration: WHEB’s approach to ESG issues in their investment process is to consider these issues at all stages of analysis and as an integral part of an assessment of the quality of the business overall.
Thresholds: We only interested in companies that have genuine exposure to our sustainability themes and set a threshold of having at least 50% of their revenues or profits coming from these areas. Companies that do not meet this threshold, or that have exposure (greater than 0%-5% of revenues, as the case may be) to activities considered to have significant negative environmental or social impact are excluded and do not qualify for investment. In practice most holdings in the fund are 100% exposed to the themes, and the weighted average across the fund is over 80% exposure. In addition, when considering whether a particular technology fits within our themes, we undertake a broad holistic assessment to determine the extent to which the technology adequately mitigates wider environmental and social impacts. We exclude companies with a market capitalisation of less than US$2bn from our universe, along with companies that are not listed on a primary stock exchange. This discipline has a number of advantages, including better liquidity characteristics for the portfolio, and an avoidance of immature business models and ‘concept stocks’.
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Themes & Issues
9
themes included
0
issues fully avoided
12
issues mostly avoided
0
issues partially avoided
Product Targets
Wholesale
Retail
Certified Since
2017
Last date certified
July 13, 2023
Primary RI Strategy
Impact Investing
Secondary RI Strategy
Sustainability themed