Socially responsible investment
We have a socially responsible approach to financial investment. Like many universities, we invest our funds carefully to get the best return – but we also look at the wider impact of those choices.
Our aims
Our goal is to make a positive contribution to environmental sustainability, human flourishing and ethical digital futures through both our strategy and our actions. By investing responsibly, we aim to use University funds in ways that reflect our values and help build a fairer, more sustainable future.
Purpose of the policy
The policy sets out the University’s socially responsible approach to its financial investments. For the purposes of the policy, investments are defined as the acquisition, management, and disposal of medium to long-term financial assets held to make a financial return. The policy is designed to support the University’s aim to invest in companies, organisations, and sectors that create positive environmental, social, and governance (ESG) outcomes, consistent with our values of collaboration, courage, inclusion, integrity, kindness, and openness.
Summary of the investment policy
The policy is prefaced by a Statement of Principles on socially responsible investment which sets out the investment ambitions of the University, with the detail covered in the policy itself.
In summary, the University will:
- invest in ways which promote and deliver the aims and objectives of our strategy, Sussex 2035: Creating progressive futures – flourishing, sustainability and progress for the whole world.
- be an active investor using a combination of positive and negative screening to invest in organisations who create positive ESG outcomes aligned to the United Nations Sustainability Goals
- not invest in certain sectors and activities, for example companies that are involved in illegal activities [see section below]
- appoint external expert investment managers to manage its investments in accordance with the policy.
- Sectors that we choose not to invest in
We do not invest in:
- companies that produce or finance illegal weapons and their components, including but not restricted to, those weapons prohibited by international conventions such as anti-personnel mines, cluster munitions, nuclear, chemical and biological weapons
- companies that are involved in, contribute to, profit from, or facilitate illegal activities including slavery, child labour, human rights or humanitarian law violations, occupation, apartheid or genocide, as determined by a competent court
- any organisation or pooled fund whose principal activities fall within the sectors and activities specified below in this paragraph. A revenue threshold will apply in determining whether excluded activities of a company are among its principal activities. Our aim is that the University will not invest in any organisation or pooled fund that generates more than 5% of its revenue in aggregate from activities in the following excluded sectors:
- fossil fuels – the extraction, production, processing and transportation of coal, oil, natural gas, shale oil/gas and tar sands.
- armaments and defence industry – the legal production and supply of weapons and their components
- gambling – management and ownership of gambling facilities and services
- tobacco – manufacture and sale of tobacco products
- pornography – production or distribution of pornographic materials and ownership of adult establishments.
- What is not included in the policy
Banking services are not covered by the policy. The Statement of Principles and Policy includes a clear statement that the University actively engages with all of its banking partners and works collaboratively in the higher education sector to establish cash products and services that align to our values, and to actively promote change in the banking sector. The University has long-term relationships with its banking partners due to the duration of loans and financing arrangements and it is important, therefore, to differentiate the University’s approach towards banking services.
- How the policy was created
The development of the updated policy was overseen by a subgroup of Council, led by the Vice-Chair of Council, Tony Bullman. See the Principles for Review [PDF 322.40KB]. The group consisted of Council Members, including the Students’ Union Council Member, and senior University leaders. The review built on the existing policy, which had been sector-leading when first launched, and drew on best practice from across the sector. There was an extended process of engagement and consultation on the underlying principles with students and staff, including academics with relevant specialisms, during the first half of 2025. Groups and organisations that engaged in this process included representatives of the University of Sussex Students’ Union, the student Friends of Palestine Society, and the local University and College Union branch, amongst many other interested individual staff and students. Read a full Consultation Report [PDF 231.55KB].
The approach was also tested with investment professionals to ensure its operability.