| Overall Rating | Silver |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 54.69 |
| Liaison | Trevor Ledbetter |
| Submission Date | Jan. 6, 2025 |
University of Arizona
PA-10: Sustainable Investment
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
1.25 / 5.00 |
Trevor
Ledbetter Director Office of Sustainability |
Part 1. Positive sustainability investment
Value of holdings in each of the following categories:
| Value of holdings | |
| Sustainable industries (e.g., renewable energy or sustainable forestry) | 0 US/Canadian $ |
| Businesses selected for exemplary sustainability performance (e.g., using criteria specified in a sustainable investment policy) | 0 US/Canadian $ |
| Sustainability investment funds (e.g., a renewable energy or impact investment fund) | 0 US/Canadian $ |
| Community development financial institutions (CDFIs) or the equivalent | 0 US/Canadian $ |
| Socially responsible mutual funds with positive screens (or the equivalent) | 0 US/Canadian $ |
| Green revolving funds funded from the endowment | 0 US/Canadian $ |
If any of the above is greater than zero, provide:
Percentage of the institution's investment pool in positive sustainability investments:
Part 2. Investor engagement
Sustainable investment policy
"The Committee and Board seek to ensure the Foundation and all related parties conduct business with ethical standards and ensure that our business practices comply fully, in appearance and deed, with all applicable laws and regulations. In managing the portfolio, all constituents and related parties who are affected by Foundation’s activities are treated fairly and without prejudice to gender, race, ethnic or national origin, socioeconomic status, age, religion or disability. We encourage and embrace the efficient use of natural resources and continuously look for and expect the leading environmental solutions to be executed by our investment managers for their underlying investments in companies or physical assets. The Foundation has invested in ESG strategies and managers since December 2003. Mindful of our goal for managing the endowment as noted at page 1, the Committee will consider the extent to which an investment is consistent with the principles and goals of the University. Where appropriate, the Foundation may seek to influence or avoid those investments that conflict with those principles and goals. Action will only be taken, however, if the Committee believes it would not cause harm to the investment objectives of the Fund, impair performance or place a material burden on the current resources of the Endowment." https://www.uafoundation.org/financials/investment-policy-statement.
A brief description of how the sustainable investment policy is applied:
Investment managers shall:
- Act as responsible fiduciaries in all matters involving their management of the Foundation
assets and comply with all applicable laws, rules, and regulations. - Operate at all times within the applicable law and regulations applicable to the industry/sector and consistent with their Environmental, Social, and Governance Policy, which has been drafted to incorporate best practices within the industry/sector
- Report all activity to the OCIO on a timely basis as agreed, but in no event will such report be provided on less than a quarterly basis. Such reports shall include a comparison of performance with the agreed-upon benchmark and will include details about the holdings and strategies of the applicable product.
- Vote, or cause to be voted, all proxies on securities held by the Foundation.
- Provide the CFO with copies of audited financial statements covering the investment product promptly.
- Make presentations to the Investment Committee when and as requested.
- Maintain a strict adherence to the mandate under which they were engaged.
- Provide the OCIO with a written report within five business days of the following matters: (a) change in ownership or legal entity status; (b) change in key personnel, including a change in anyone on the product portfolio management team; (c) change in investment philosophy or style (d) civil or criminal charges filed against the firm by a regulator.
Proxy voting
Neither the University of Arizona nor the University of Arizona Foundation engage in proxy voting.
Shareholder resolutions
Examples of how the institution has engaged with corporations in its portfolio about sustainability issues during the previous three years:
Neither the University of Arizona nor the University of Arizona Foundation have engaged with corporations in their portfolios about sustainability issues.
Divestment efforts and negative screens
A brief description of the divestment effort or negative screens and how they have been implemented:
Neither the University of Arizona nor the University of Arizona Foundation have participated in public divestment efforts nor have either provided a public investment policy with negative screens.
Approximate percentage of endowment that the divestment effort and/or negative screens apply to:
Investor networks
The University of Arizona Foundation works with Fund Evaluation Group (FEG) to guide its investments. FEG maintains a membership with Principles for Responsible Investing which supports the Foundation's investment decisions.
Optional Fields
Additional documentation to support the submission:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
The information presented here is self-reported. While AASHE staff review portions of all STARS reports and institutions are welcome to seek additional forms of review, the data in STARS reports are not verified by AASHE. If you believe any of this information is erroneous or inconsistent with credit criteria, please review the process for inquiring about the information reported by an institution or simply email your inquiry to stars@aashe.org.