Has policies that consider (environmental and social) sustainability issues. Strategies vary but are likely to consider environmental issues like climate change, carbon emissions, biodiversity loss, resource management, environmental impacts; and social issues like equal opportunities, human rights, labour standards, diversity and adherence to internationally recognised codes. See individual entry information.

Aim to encourage higher sustainability standards through responsible ownership / stewardship / engagement / voting activity

Has policies which relate to environmental issues. These will typically set out their stance on issues such as pollution, climate change, resource management, biodiversity loss, carbon emissions, plastics and/or additional environmental impacts. Strategies vary.

Has policies designed to address involvement in irresponsibly managed palm oil or other forms of deforestation (typically exclusion led). Strategies vary.

Aims to avoid investing in companies that produce genetically modified seeds or crops. (This does not typically include avoiding companies such as supermarkets).

Avoids assets / companies directly involved in genetic engineering

Avoid investment in major coal, oil and/or gas (extraction) companies. Strategies vary.

Avoid companies involved in fracking and tar sands - which are widely regarded as controversial methods of oil and gas extraction. Strategies vary.

Avoid investing in companies / assets with coal, oil and gas reserves. See individual entry information for further details.

Encourage the transition to lower carbon activities through asset selection and / or responsible ownership activity.

Excludes companies and other assets with direct involvement in fossil fuel exploration (eg coal, oil and gas companies)

Has policies which set out their approach to social issues (e.g. human rights, labour standards, equal opportunities, child labour and/or adherence to internationally recognised codes such as the UN Global Compact). Strategies with social policies typically avoid companies with low standards and/or work to encourage higher standards. See fund information for detail.

Has a labour standards policy - likely to mean they will invest in / favour companies that have higher employment related standards and avoid those with low standards. Strategies vary. See eg https://www.ilo.org/international-labour-standards

Aims to invest in assets with high social values - this may include strong human rights, labour standards and equal opportunities or safety related practices.

Has policies or themes that set out their approach to health and wellbeing issues, typically aims to invest in companies with high standards - or encourage high standards.

Has a written diversity policy – where the manager will aim to select companies with a carefully considered, positive employment standards. This may cover a range of issues including gender, ethnicity, disability, beliefs and sexual orientation.

Has policies that set out their position on ethical or 'personal values' based issues. Strategies vary.

Companies are excluded if they are involved in any aspect of the production chain for tobacco products, including cigarettes, vaping, e-cigarettes, chewing tobacco and cigars.

Companies are excluded if they make more than 5% of their revenue from the manufacture, sale or distribution of tobacco products including cigarettes, vaping, e-cigarettes, chewing tobacco and cigars.

Excludes companies which make controversial weapons such as landmines, cluster munitions and chemical weapons.

Avoids companies that manufacture weapons intended specifically for military use. Strategies vary - may or may not include non-strategic military products.

Avoids companies that produce alcohol. Strategies vary; some may allow a small proportion of revenue to come from this area.

Avoids companies with significant involvement in the gambling industry. Some may allow a small proportion of revenues to come from this area.

Avoids companies that derive significant income from pornography and related areas. Strategies vary.

Has policies that require specific animal welfare standards to be met. These may reference well-known welfare standards (3Rs - Replace, Reduce, Refine) or certification schemes. Strategies vary.

Avoids companies that test their products on animals. Strategies may vary, eg where testing is required by law.

Has policies relating to human rights issues. Typically require companies to demonstrate higher standards, although some managers work to encourage improvements. Investee companies are often judged against internationally agreed norms or standards. Strategies vary.

Has policies or a theme that relates to the responsible management of supply chains. These may relate to employment issues, notably people employed by their suppliers, as well as the sourcing of materials and products.

Has a policy which excludes assets with involvement in Modern Slavery

Healthcare and or medical theme or area of investment - may have a single or many themes

Avoids investing in 'some' gilts or government bonds. Strategies vary, but this may relate to avoiding specific countries or particular reasons for bond issuance. 'Green gilts' for example would be likely to be acceptable.

Does not invest in, or excludes, gilts and/or government bonds.

Does not invest in / excludes 'sovereigns' - debt issued by governments. See eg https://www.investopedia.com/terms/s/sovereign-debt.asp

May invest in insurance companies.

Has policies that relate to corporate governance issues such as board structure, executive remuneration, bribery and/or corporate corruption. These funds will typically avoid companies with poor practices. Strategies vary.

Avoids investing in companies with poor governance practices.(e.g. board structure, management practices etc.) Views may however vary on what counts as 'poor' practices - and funds may not immediately divest as they may prefer to work to encourage higher standards.

Has policies explaining how managers will respond to assets / companies that do not comply with relevant anti-bribery and anti-corruption standards or laws. Strategies vary; options include stewardship/ engagement and divestment - or a combination.

Has policies explaining how the managers take into account digital/cyber security related risks. Cyber policies will typically favour companies with higher standards or that are helping to solve problems - but strategies vary.

Encourage the companies they invest in to have more diverse board structures (e.g. more women on boards)

Aim to encourage higher ESG standards through responsible ownership / stewardship / engagement /voting activity

Find fund / asset managers that factor in 'environmental, social and governance' issues as part of their investment decision making process. A focus on 'ESG' typically means a fund is carrying out additional research to help reduce ESG related risks. It does not necessarily mean a focus on sustainability. Strategies vary. See fund literature.

Invests more than half of their money in smaller or medium sized companies. (i.e. below around £5 -10 billion)

Has SRI strategies which focus their investment stock selection on small or mid cap companies / assets. (e.g. below circa £10bn)

Directs investment towards companies where a major part of their business is about solving environmental challenges. e.g. companies helping to address climate change.

Invest in companies where a major part of their business is specifically aimed at helping to address social challenges. e.g. companies helping to address poverty.

Aims to deliver positive environmental and or social impacts (real world benefits) through its engagement with investee assets

Focuses on finding and investing in companies with positive / beneficial attributes. This strategy can be applied in addition to exclusion criteria and engagement/stewardship activity.

Has principle 'ethical approach' to avoid companies by using negative screening criteria. Strategies vary.

Has principle approach to apply positive or negative ethical, social and / or environmental screens. Strictly screened investments are likely to exclude more companies than other related options. Strategies vary.

Aims to avoid companies that do significant harm. This originates from the EU’s sustainable finance ‘DNSH’ (do no significant harm) work, which is not necessarily used by UK investors.

Investment selection process uses internationally agreed 'norms' (e.g. United Nations Global Compact - UNGC - or the UN Sustainable Development Goals - SDGs) alongside additional SRI criteria such as positive or negative stock selection policies and/or stewardship strategies.

Invests in assets which have an ESG strategy (which is typically focused on avoiding companies that pose environmental, social or governance related risks) together with additional criteria such as positive and/or negative screens, themes and stewardship strategies.

Focuses on the careful management of environmental, social and governance (ESG) related risks - typically by avoiding or being underweight in companies seen as posing major risks in these areas (i.e. not necessarily by using themes, exclusions etc).

Publish explanations of their ethical, social and/or environmental policies online (i.e. investment decision making strategies/ buy/sell &/or asset management strategies).

Does not use stock lending for performance or risk purposes.

Holds between 70-79% of assets which align to the sustainability objectives; which are not being held purely for risk management purposes, such as derivatives and cash equivalent assets.

Only invests in cash to aid the practical management (buying and selling) of assets and so do not use additional financial instruments.

All assets - except cash - meet the sustainability criteria published in strategy documentation.

Designed to meet the needs of individual investors with an interest in sustainability issues.

Designed for clients who care about ethical and values-based issues, often alongside sustainability issues also.

Available via a tax efficient ISA product wrapper.

Find fund / asset management companies that are smaller or specialise in particular areas - notably, ideally ESG related. Strategies vary.

Finds fund / asset management companies that have a published company wide stewardship, engagement and / or responsible ownership policy or strategy that covers all investments. Stewardship typically involves encouraging higher ESG standards through voting and dialogue.

Find fund / asset management companies that actively encourage higher 'environmental, social and governance' and / or 'sustainable and responsible investment' practices across investee companies - typically where the aim is to encourage positive change that is aligned with the best interests of investors. Strategies vary. See additional information and options.

Find fund / asset managers that vote all* the shares they own at Annual General Meetings and Extraordinary General Meetings. A commitment to voting shares is a key indicator of 'responsible share ownership' demonstrating their support for or disagreement with management policy. (*situations can legitimately, occasionally occur where voting proves impossible, but in principle all shares should be voted.)

Find fund / asset managers that consider responsible ownership and ESG to be a key differentiator for their business.

Find options run by managers that apply Responsible ownership or 'Stewardship' policies to all or most of their investment assets. This means active involvement (e.g. voting, dialogue) with the companies across all or most funds, products and services.

Find fund / asset management companies that consider environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues when deciding whether or not to invest in a company for all / almost all of their funds and other assets. This is increasingly seen as part of sound risk management.

Find fund / asset management companies that encourage the companies they invest in to have strong diversity, race, gender and other equality policies across all assets held, not simply screened or themed SRI/ESG funds. (ie Asset Management company wide).

Find fund / asset management companies that have signed up to the UN backed 'Principles of Responsible Investment'.

Find fund / asset management companies that have partnered with Fund EcoMarket - meaning that they are helping to improve access to information on sustainable and responsible investment by paying an annual fee to us which enables us to publish information for free. Partner funds are listed ahead of other funds and have their logos displayed.

Find fund / asset management companies that employ people to steer and support fund managers in voting shares at company AGM's and EGMs in ways that are consistent with encouraging higher ESG/sustainability standards.

Find a fund / asset management company that directly employs specialist ESG/SRI/sustainability researchers or analysts. This allows asset managers to discuss environmental, social and governance risks and opportunities directly with companies.

Find fund / asset management companies that makes use of expert external research companies. This can help deliver specialist expertise and means resources are pooled with other investors.

Fund / asset manager has stewardship /responsible ownership strategy that is focused on addressing climate change with investee assets.

Fund / asset manager has stewardship /responsible ownership strategy with involves encouraging investee asset to reduce plastic waste and pollution.

Fund / asset manager has responsible ownership / stewardship strategy in place that aims to improve labour standards for the benefit of employees in investee companies (and potentially their suppliers)

Fund / asset managers have stewardship strategies in place that focus on improving governance standards across investee assets

Has a stewardship / responsible ownership strategy that encourages responsible supply chain - ie the managers will discuss environmental, social and governance issues with investee companies with the aim of raising standards

Escalation policies describe how a manager will proceed if stewardship / engagement activity is not successful in the short term.

Fund / asset management organisations that have pledged to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions to ‘net zero’. Strategies vary - this area is changing rapidly.

This fund / asset management company has set a date by which they plan to achieve net zero greenhouse gas / CO2e emissions.

Find fund / asset management companies that are working with the companies they invest in to encourage reductions in carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions.

Find fund / asset management companies that publish a report detailing their responsible investment ownership - also known as 'Stewardship' - activity.

Find fund / asset management companies that publish information about their sustainable and responsible investment strategies on their company website.

Find fund / asset management companies that will supply information about their sustainable and responsible investment activity on request.

Fund / asset management companies that publish a full record of how they vote their shares at AGMs (annual general meetings) and EGMs (extraordinary general meetings). Voting strategies have an important role to play encouraging higher environmental, social and governance standards.

This fund / asset management company has published a plan that explains how they are going to achieve net zero greenhouse gas / CO2e emissions.