Overall Rating Gold
Overall Score 73.80
Liaison Corey Peterson
Submission Date June 2, 2022

STARS v2.2

University of Tasmania
PA-10: Sustainable Investment

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 2.01 / 3.00 Sustainability Team
UTAS
Infrastructure Services and Development
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Part 1. Positive sustainability investment

Total value of the investment pool:
402,929,449 US/Canadian $

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) 101,014,639 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:

A brief description of the companies, funds, and/or institutions referenced above:
In 2021, Council approved a Responsible Investment Risk Appetite Statement to guide investment decisions that align with the Investment Policy. This statement describes the types of investments referenced above.

No Appetite: Do not do
• No appetite to invest in products with direct investment in fossil fuel (coal, oil and gas) extraction, production and thermal coal power generation.
• Investments will be managed to avoid anything more than negligible exposure. As the market transitions, investments in products with carbon solutions will be considered where there is a negligible exposure.

Low Appetite: Fix
• Low appetite to invest in products that would otherwise be categorised as high or moderate appetite except for their limited exposure to companies that derive revenues from the servicing of fossil fuel (coal, oil and gas) industries and infrastructure used to produce, transport and store fossil fuels (e.g. natural gas pipelines).
• This risk appetite is required to meet the investment portfolio’s strategic asset allocation, specifically infrastructure while the investment market matures.

Moderate Appetite: Enhance
• We will continue to hold products with direct investment in fossil fuel neutral industries that provide appropriate risk adjusted returns, or in companies that derive revenues from the transmission and distribution of power generated from oil and gas.
• Managers, Funds and activities that actively consider and adopt the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals when investing into these areas will be preferred.

High Appetite: Pursue
• High appetite for products that accelerate the transition to a zero carbon future. Investment decisions will consider:
o Climate mitigation and adaption
o The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals
o Alignment to net zero carbon emissions by 2050 (as set out in the Paris Agreement)

The University's portfolio is mainly comprised of investments in managed investment funds, and investments are diversified across environmental and impact themes including clean energy transition, climate change, sustainable processes and cities, water, food and waste conservation and recycling, transportation and social infrastructure, and the circular economy.

Percentage of the institution's investment pool in positive sustainability investments:
25.07

Part 2. Investor engagement

Sustainable investment policy 

Does the institution have a publicly available sustainable investment policy?:
Yes

None
A copy of the sustainable investment policy:
None
The sustainable investment policy:
https://www.utas.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0011/1466903/6.8-Treasury-and-Investment-Policy.pdf

None
Does the institution use its sustainable investment policy to select and guide investment managers?:
Yes

A brief description of how the sustainable investment policy is applied:
The University is committed to actively progressing sustainable outcomes with investment decisions governed by policy to achieve a zero-carbon future. Under this policy, the University has no appetite to invest in assets with direct investment in fossil fuels (coal, oil and gas) extraction, production and thermal coal power and is committed to investing in assets that accelerate the transition to a zero-carbon economy. The Responsible Investment Risk Appetite Statement guides investment decisions that align with Policy.

Proxy voting 

Has the institution engaged in proxy voting, either by its CIR or other committee or through the use of guidelines, to promote sustainability during the previous three years?:
No

None
A copy of the proxy voting guidelines or proxy record:
---

None
A brief description of how managers are adhering to proxy voting guidelines:
---

Shareholder resolutions 

Has the institution filed or co-filed one or more shareholder resolutions that address sustainability or submitted one or more letters about social or environmental responsibility to a company in which it holds investments during the previous three years?:
No

Examples of how the institution has engaged with corporations in its portfolio about sustainability issues during the previous three years:
---

Divestment efforts and negative screens

Does the institution participate in a public divestment effort and/or have a publicly available investment policy with negative screens?:
Yes

A brief description of the divestment effort or negative screens and how they have been implemented:
The University is committed to actively progressing sustainable outcomes with investment decisions governed by policy to achieve a zero-carbon future. Under this policy, the University has no appetite to invest in assets with direct investment in fossil fuels (coal, oil and gas) extraction, production and thermal coal power and is committed to investing in assets that accelerate the transition to a zero-carbon economy. The Responsible Investment Risk Appetite Statement guides investment decisions that align with Policy.

Approximate percentage of endowment that the divestment effort and/or negative screens apply to:
100

Investor networks 

Does the institution engage in policy advocacy by participating in investor networks and/or engage in inter-organizational collaborations to share best practices?:
No

None
A brief description of the investor networks and/or collaborations:
---

Optional Fields 

Website URL where information about the institution’s sustainable investment efforts is available:
---

Additional documentation to support the submission:
---

Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
Values are in Australian dollars.
The University achieved full divestment from fossil fuels in our direct and managed investment portfolios in 2021, coupled with a positive screen for investments that support the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

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.