Maple-Brown Abbott again named a Responsible Investment Leader

Maple-Brown Abbott has been assessed as being in the top 20% of responsible investors in Australia and named a Responsible Investment Leader by the Responsible Investment Association Australasia (RIAA) in its landmark 22nd annual benchmark report.

This is RIAA’s highest possible standard for investors and recognises our commitment to responsible investing and attributes as an investment manager.

We are proud to receive recognition from RIAA during a milestone year in our responsible investment journey. This year marks 15 years since we signed the UN’s Principles for Responsible Investment, becoming one of the first Australian fund managers to do so, and this year we launched our first sustainably-themed fund, the Maple-Brown Abbott Australian Sustainable Future Fund.

The Responsible Investment Benchmark Report 2023 is the most comprehensive review of the responsible investment sector in Australia, with the 2023 report reviewing the investment practices of 272 investment managers. The report details industry data on the size, growth, depth and performance of the Australian responsible investment market over 12 months to 31 December 2022 and compares these results with the broader Australian financial market.

The report shows the portion of Australian assets managed using a rigorous, leading approach to responsible investment reached 36%, totaling $1.3 trillion in 2022.

Financial markets in Australia are fully embracing ESG and responsible investment. The report shows 93% of the professionally managed funds worth $3.3 trillion are managed by investors that have made public commitments to responsible investment, revealing a market in transition toward a new state of maturity, whereby only 36% or $1.3 trillion of these total assets are being managed in a way that can demonstrate a leading approach to responsible investment.

The 2023 report has revealed many advances in responsible investment, with money flowing to outcomes for people and the planet as investments into sustainability themes increased substantially in 2022, reaching $235 billion (from $161 billion in 2021). Norms-based screening is soaring in popularity, increasing by 85% to $255 billion as responsible investment managers mature and adhere to global norms like the Paris Agreement and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People. Natural capital is emerging as an increasingly popular positive screening theme, with 46% of survey respondents screening for biodiversity preservation and conservation, while climate change-related issues continue to be a priority.