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A collaborative approach to engagement: Tackling Plastic Waste in India

Every year we produce around 400 million tonnes of plastic waste worldwide. Of the seven billion tonnes of waste amassed to date, less than 10% of this has been recycled. The remaining 90% is buried in landfills, makes its way overseas to be burnt, or is lost into the environment where it can live for up to 400 years.

18 May 2023
Beyond Due Diligence: A multi-stakeholder approach to responsible mineral sourcing

An insight into our collaborative engagement on conflict minerals in the semiconductor supply chain.

20 Apr 2023
Sustainable Investing: Don’t forget the humans

Climate change is one of our greatest threats. At Stewart Investors we consider it a key investment risk, and an investment opportunity.

18 Apr 2023
News from the quarter

A round-up of news from the quarterly reports.

31 Mar 2023
P&I Interview: ESG Investing

Pablo Berrutti, Senior Investment Specialist speaks to Joshua Scott of P&I.

09 Mar 2023
Tech and Healthcare: Is correlation risk what it seems?

Investment Analyst Oliver Campbell discusses how we approach correlation risk.

06 Mar 2023
Our thoughts on the FCA’s proposed Sustainable Disclosure Requirements (SDR)

In October 2022 the UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) published its much anticipated consultation on proposed Sustainability Disclosure Requirements, investment labels and restrictions on the use of sustainability-related terms in product naming and marketing.

02 Feb 2023
Climate solutions update

In mid-2022, Project Drawdown announced 11 new solutions to their collection related to ocean resources, food production, methane management, and materials manufacturing and use.

20 Jan 2023
Why India: Investing in the Indian subcontinent

The Indian subcontinent has been a fantastic investment destination over the last few decades. Investment returns in the subcontinent have been primarily driven by India since she liberalised her economy in 1991.

16 Jan 2023
Why India: A favourable macro environment

India is a region which demands patience but rewards patient investors through steady compounding of returns.

15 Jan 2023
Why India: Home to high-quality companies

India is home to many high-quality companies. Our past decades of investing in the Indian subcontinent has demonstrated that exceptional businesses managed by competent, conservative stewards deliver disproportionately better returns through cycles.

14 Jan 2023
Why accounting choices matter

Commuters on the London Underground would be familiar with the warning to “mind the gap”. The investment industry is in dire need of a similar warning but with an extra A – “Mind the GAAP”.

30 Nov 2022
i3 interview: Sustainability myths in emerging markets

Jack Nelson speaks to the Investment Innovation Institute. In this insightful fireside chat, they discuss some of the common misconceptions about investing in emerging markets.

30 Nov 2022
Panel discussion: Active ownership

During Good Money Week in the UK, Senior Investment Analyst Chris McGoldrick sat down with Asset TV for a panel on active ownership.

23 Nov 2022
Responsible Investment Leader 2022

We are thrilled that for the second year running, Stewart Investors has been recognised as a Responsible Investment Leader 2022 by the Responsible Investment Association Australasia (RIAA).

17 Oct 2022
Tackling climate change in emerging markets

As the human effects of climate change continue to intensify around the world, asset owners and managers are rightly grappling with their responsibilities to help avoid catastrophe.

13 Oct 2022
Spotlight on sustainability: WEG

Portfolio Manager, Sujaya Desai, discusses energy efficient electrical motor manufacturer, WEG.

11 Oct 2022
Trip report: Europe

On a recent trip to Europe, Hanna Ranstrand visited various companies who are building their businesses through acquisitions. Here, Hanna discusses these companies in more detail.

04 Oct 2022
Spotlight on sustainability: Watsco

Sashi Reddy discusses Watsco, the largest distributor of HVACR (heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration) products in North America.

02 Oct 2022
Podcast: Sustainability and quality in investments

Pablo Berrutti, Senior Investment Specialist speaks to Vincent McCarthy, host of The ESG Factor in their latest podcast exploring sustainability and quality in investments.

16 Aug 2022
The importance of diversity

How do the Stewart Investors team seek to address diversity? Sashi Reddy discusses the investment team’s approach, and why fostering diversity of thought is not just important but crucial in implementing the team’s investment philosophy for the long term.

15 Aug 2022
Climate change statement

We launched our first sustainable investment fund in 2005. At that time we were convinced all companies would need to adjust to operating in an increasingly carbon-constrained world, and more companies would need to develop solutions to make economies less carbon intensive. Our conviction has never waned, nor has the urgency of the carbon-reduction challenge.

05 Aug 2022
Climate Report: The race to zero

Welcome to our climate report. In the report we share a baseline of our climate change-related risks, opportunities and impacts, from which our progress towards zero-carbon portfolios and operations can be assessed in the years ahead.

23 Jun 2022
Investment and sourcing through smallholder supply chains

Finding there was a lack of information on smallholder farmer supply chains and their environmental impact, we commissioned research with NIRAS-LTS International to learn more.

25 May 2022
Podcast: A sustainable conversation

Pablo Berrutti, Senior Investment Specialist at Stewart Investors, speaks to Wouter Klijn of the [i3] Investment Innovation Institute in Australia to discuss the likelihood of fossil fuel-based companies making the transition to low carbon business models and pose the question whether companies’ quick retreat from Russia during the invasion of Ukraine is a vindication for ESG.

08 Apr 2022
The problem with ESG scores

Some ESG data can be useful in certain circumstances, but can an over reliance on simplistic ESG scores be a dangerous strategy?

06 Apr 2022
Trip Report: US

The emergence of trends that will likely shape the next decade, including cloud computing, automation, connectivity and artifical intelligence (AI), has created some appealing honeypots for investors to dip their paws into. These companies are often well positioned in the face of broad sustainability tailwinds and characterised by steady growth streams, so one can understand the allure.

05 Apr 2022
Proxy Voting Policy and Guidelines

We believe judgement is a better guide to voting than a rules-based approach. Our voting policy is based on a parsimonious set of principles and key considerations that in our judgement are likely to be applicable to all companies in the vast majority of circumstances.

16 Mar 2022
Fund Manager of the Year – Sustainable Investing, Morningstar Australia

We are delighted that Stewart Investors has won the inaugural Fund Manager of the Year – Sustainable Investing category at the 2022 Morningstar Australia Awards.

02 Mar 2022
Diversity statement - what have we done so far?

Diversity is an integral part of sustainable development and has always been important to us as investors, employers and as members of society.

12 Jan 2022
How big is big enough?

Today’s technology giants may have many admirable qualities, but should we question their ongoing contribution to sustainable development?

06 Jan 2022
Company Interview: Watsco Inc

Heating and air conditioning usage account for a large percentage of the energy consumed in the average American home. By installing energy-efficient HVACR systems, Watsco, Inc. are assisting home owners to reduce their environmental footprint and tackle climate change.

09 Dec 2021
Exploring outside the lines

Our interactive tool, Portfolio Explorer is helping us share how impactful companies are contributing to sustainable investments.

12 Nov 2021
Our Human Development Pillars

Struggling to clearly articulate the world of ESG investing? You’re not alone. Learn more about our sustainable development framework. Jack Nelson explains.

11 Nov 2021
What makes us different?

Stewart Investors' portfolios differ from any other comparative index. Our active share is often above 80 or 90%. Watch the full video to learn more.

29 Oct 2021
The Power of Story

In a recent essay, Santa Fe economist Brian Arthur challenges economists to describe the world in more than algebraic terms. He believes they should extend their vocabulary (and minds) to include verbs, alongside their highly prized nouns, to allow the underlying processes, context and organic nature of complex systems to be described in full technicolour.

14 Oct 2021
Our position on harmful and controversial products and services

We invest in the shares of high quality companies that are well positioned to contribute to, and benefit from, sustainable development.

30 Sep 2021
Diversity statement

Diversity is an integral part of sustainable development and is important to us as investors, employers and as members of society.

09 Sep 2021
Ten years in emerging markets

If the last ten years investing in emerging markets has taught us anything it is that in the long run, quality wins.

03 Sep 2021
Why does stewardship matter in emerging markets?

Emerging markets have long been understood as geographies of uncertainty. Are good company stewards the answer?

06 Aug 2021
Making a difference through science and innovation

Sashi Reddy and David Gait of Stewart Investors speak to G. V. Prasad, Chairperson and Managing Director at Dr. Reddy’s an Indian pharmaceutical company.

28 Jun 2021
Good Old-Fashioned

Due to its consistent focus on the future, "old-fashioned" investing has stood the test of time.

08 Jun 2021
Emerging markets’ new generation of tech firms

Over the last decade, the role and prominence of technology companies in emerging markets has increased markedly. Emerging markets economies have proven themselves capable of producing truly world-leading tech firms. And as smartphone penetration has surged, the positive impact of technology on daily life in emerging markets has been very significant.

01 Jun 2021
Paying a fair corporate tax rate matters

When we come across a company proactively trying to minimise their tax payments, it is a red flag for us.

17 May 2021
Reasons to invest in Europe

Even investors who get excited about investing in European equities can understand why many people don’t. A great many savers think their investment options are limited to the average market return provided by an index-tracking fund. And the average returns of European index investments look very average, over almost any time period.

06 May 2021
Learning from success: CAMFED

Education is not freely available to everyone - and in many parts of the world girls are the first to be excluded from it. Girls are the first to drop out of school, and the first to be failed by the system, facing the perils of early marriage, early pregnancy, and abuse. Without the choice to write their own futures, their endless potential is wasted.

17 Feb 2021
Why do payable days matter?

‘Payable Days’ is the number of days a company takes to pay its suppliers. Investors often learn in ‘Finance 101’ courses that the longer a company takes to pay its suppliers the stronger its bargaining power is with them. Consequently, this is considered as key evidence of a strong franchise. We beg to differ.

15 Feb 2021
Diversity: An indicator of distinctive cultures

One of the key tenets of our investment philosophy has long been a focus on the cultures and people behind businesses. We believe that franchises that are successful over the long term are built on the backs of unique cultures that have the wherewithal to resist short-term pressure in favour of nurturing a sustainable business over decades, have the ability to think diversely about the opportunities ahead and the risks they might face, and the operational focus to deliver on their strategies year after year.

10 Feb 2021
Asia: Playing the Long Game

Time-horizons matter. In a world beset by an ever-expanding list of developmental, environmental and economic challenges, a long-term mind-set is crucial if companies are to not only survive, but contribute and benefit from the necessary changes required over the coming decades.

10 Feb 2021
Sustainable development in emerging markets

Why sustainable development and returns can be achieved in emerging markets.

21 Dec 2020
Company contributions to sustainable human development

Since our first sustainable development-focused strategy launched in 2005, human development has been a key focus area given our long history of investing in Asia Pacific and emerging markets.

08 Dec 2020
The Future of Food and Sustainable Agriculture

Agricultural techniques have changed dramatically over the last 50 years, particularly in more developed nations.

09 Nov 2020
Through the Looking Glass

In the sequel to Lewis Carroll’s ‘Alice in Wonderland’, Alice climbs ‘Through the Looking-Glass’ and finds another fantastical world, absent of reason and where everything is reversed. This crisis of logic is all too evident when in investing in Asia Pacific.

17 Sep 2020
Why climate change measures do not make sense, and how we can fix them

If asked to list climate change solutions, many of us would start with renewable energy. It is obviously a key one given the use of fossil fuels for energy is the largest contributor to greenhouse gas emissions globally.

16 Sep 2020
Statement on racism and racial diversity

We recognise the existence of inequality and institutional racism across the world – we share the horror felt by so many as we have witnessed events that highlight the inequality, prejudice and sheer injustice faced by members of the black community the world over.

27 Aug 2020
How we select companies

We have often been asked how we narrow down a universe of 15,000 Asian and Emerging Markets companies to a portfolio of approximately 50. It’s a good question, particularly as now that we invest globally, giving us an investible universe of 65,000 companies, the challenge has become even starker.

11 Dec 2017
Quarterly Client Update

We provide regular strategy updates including portfolio changes and proxy voting, and links to our investment rationales, latest articles, statements, webcasts and videos which explore our thinking on sustainable investment, including the challenges and issues we grapple with in our search for high-quality companies.