Sustainable Investing
The University believes that, in investing its funds, regard must be made to social, environmental and governance issues.
In line with its general strategic direction, the University believes that its investments should mirror its own desire to be sustainable and promote sustainability and that a preference will be given to positive screening to proactively bring about sustainable positive change in the world.
Please see our Statement of Investments [PDF 252.88KB].
Actions and News:
Selection of Investment Manager - October 2017
Following Council’s approval of a Socially Responsible Investment Management Policy [PDF 73.16KB] the University selected Liontrust as its investment manager, and in October 2017 invested the University’s endowment funds in the Liontrust Sustainable Future Managed Fund.
Please read the Liontrust Fund Sustainability and Impact Report [PDF 493.18KB]
Open Letter to the Asset Management Industry - May 2023
In May 2023, the University of Sussex (among a number of other universities) issued a letter to the asset management industry urging them to halt support for the expansion of fossil fuels, as covered by the Guardian.
It follows 25 institutions including Sussex, in the leadup to the COP26 climate summit in Glasgow in 2021, releasing a set of climate-related minimum expectations for the asset management industry. These laid out core actions and principles necessary for the industry to support global efforts to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement.
Please read the full Open letter to the asset management industry [DOCX 40.79KB]
UK Universities propose new cash market to stop financing fossil fuel expansion - February 2024
The University of Sussex is among sixty leading institutions and trusts in UK Higher Education calling on finance companies to offer more sustainable products and avoid investing in fossil fuels.
Sussex is collaborating with the Universities of Cambridge, Edinburgh, Leeds, Oxford, Southampton, St Andrews and Westminster, on a new effort to create a market for cash products that do not contribute to the financing of fossil fuel expansion.
The institutions are especially keen to avoid financing companies that are constructing new coal and gas-fired power plants in OECD countries (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development). New fossil fuel infrastructure can lock in decades of fossil fuel demand and subsequent greenhouse gas emissions. Research has shown that fossil fuels are responsible for around 80% of greenhouse gas emissions globally.
The institutions have issued a Request for Proposals (RfP) to financial institutions for cash products such as deposits and money market funds.
Carey Mclaughlin, Assistant Director of Finance at the University of Sussex said:
“The elimination of fossil fuel exploration and production is a priority of the University’s socially responsible investment policy. Our collaboration with Cambridge and other leading universities aims to seek out cash investment products that do not contribute to the financing of fossil fuel expansion. This will provide us with environmentally sustainable options to better manage the University’s cash, which is hugely important to the success of our investment aims.”
For further information you can read the Request for Proposals Statement, the Mandate Description for Banks and Fund Managers, and this article in the Financial Times.
Update: In response to actions which Sussex has been involved in, e.g. the COP26 declaration, the open letter to asset managers and the Request For Proposals article to financial institutions and investment managers, Barclays have published an updated Climate Change Statement and Transition Finance Framework. You can read about this more in their press statement.
For any queries or further information
If you have any queries, please contact the Finance Service Desk at financeservicedesk@sussex.ac.uk, or on 01273 87(7172) between 9am and 4.30pm (closed 1pm to 2pm for lunch).