Mindful Money Announces Finalists For 5th Annual Ethical & Impact Investment Awards
Press Release – Mindful Money
The finalists across 8 categories were selected from a competitive entry pool by a panel of 23 independent and expert judges. They generously donate their time & expertise to provide skilled & independent judging for the awards.
Mindful Money is announcing the finalists for the fifth annual Ethical and Impact Investment Awards. These awards celebrate outstanding investors and individuals who have shown strong commitment and expertise in advancing sustainability and impact through their investment approaches. These awards have become the standard for excellence in ethical and impact investing.
The finalists across eight categories were selected from a competitive entry pool by a panel of 23 independent and expert judges. They generously donate their time and expertise to provide skilled and independent judging for the awards. They are bound by strict rules on confidentiality and conflict of interest.
Mindful Money's Founder and Co-CEO, Barry Coates commented: 'The judges play a vital role in upholding the credibility and objectivity of these awards. We are grateful for the time and expertise they have dedicated to selecting the finalists. We now look forward to celebrating the winners in each category at the awards ceremony on 5th June in Auckland'.
:The finance sector stands at a pivotal crossroads where investment decisions today will shape both our climate future and the health of our natural world, issues that are under discussion in the conference that precedes the awards. Urgent change is needed to transition to net zero, build resilience and halt the destruction of New Zealand's biodiversity.'
The Mindful Money Awards celebrate the role that ethical and impact investing are playing in making money a force for good. They reflect the movement to re-orient investment finance towards sustainability and well-being, switching investment capital from financing harm towards solutions.
Mindful Money's Co-CEO, Kate Vennell explained: 'Our 2024 annual survey has shown that demand for ethical investment from Kiwis remains as strong as ever. Mindful Money awards go deeply into policies and practices of providers in each of the eight categories to identify those who consistently deliver best in class ethical investment outcomes.'
Best Ethical KiwiSaver Provider (sponsored by Public Trust)
This is a crucial category, with a total of over $110 billion invested by 399 KiwiSaver funds. The judges were looking for the fund provider embodying high standards across the main strategies of avoiding harm, engaging with companies to improve their performance, investing for positive impact and embodying an ethical approach.
The finalists in the awards (in alphabetical order) are:
Generate KiwiSaver
Pathfinder Asset Management
Best Ethical Investor
This category includes over $80 billion of funds under management in 548 retail managed funds, as well as private capital, venture capital and asset owner investments. Amongst a wide range of different funds, the judges were looking for providers that demonstrate high ethical standards and outcomes. The finalists are:
Harbour Asset Management
Pathfinder Asset Management
TAHITO
Trust Investments Management
Best New Ethical or Impact Fund
This category is for the fund launched over the past year that best embodies good ethical or impact practices. The judges were looking for innovation, delivering social and environmental benefits and providing New Zealand investors with new types of investment options. The finalists are:
Community Housing Funding Agency
Bay of Plenty Housing Equity Fund
Betashares NZ Sustainability Leaders Fund
Best Impact Investor
Surveys show that the New Zealand public are not only looking to avoid harm in their investments but growing numbers of investors are also seeking funds that contribute to positive social and environmental outcomes. The judges were looking for fund providers that demonstrate a strong impact purpose, a rigorous framework for measurement, examples of high impact investments and contributions by the investor to positive outcomes. The finalists are:
Community Housing Funding Agency
Purpose Capital
Soul Capital
Best Net Zero and Climate Action Investor (sponsored by Morningstar Sustainalytics)
This category covers both the mainstream investment that drives financed emissions towards net zero and dedicated funds investing in climate solutions. This year, the judges focused on funds that are innovating and mobilising capital to reduce and avoid emissions. were pleased to recognise the standout performance of the following two finalists:
Climate Venture Capital Fund series
Motion Capital
Best Ethical Overseas Fund
This category is open to the overseas funds that are actively marketed in New Zealand, generally available to investors through financial advisers and institutional investors. These funds add scale and diversity to investors, demonstrating high standards of sustainable investing. The finalists are:
Australian Ethical Australian Shares Fund
Betashares Global Sustainability Leaders Fund
Stewart Investors Worldwide Leaders Sustainability Fund
Best Ethical Financial Adviser
Financial advisers have an important role in providing informed, independent and appropriate advice on ethical and impact investment. They provide New Zealand investors with financial advice that reflects their values and financial aspirations, and those of their family. The judges were pleased to see the finalists providing strong capability for research into ethical options and an ability to match their clients with suitable products. The finalists are:
Carey Church, Moneyworks
Mark Holtom, Ethical Investing NZ
Dr. Rodger Spiller, Money Matters
Best Media Reporting on Ethical Investment
The judges were looking for high standards of journalism on ethical and impact investing, attuned to the interests of their audiences. One of the crucial criteria for the judges was the impact that the reporting has in terms of engagement, education and influence. These metrics are often difficult for journalists to measure, but provide an important measure of the benefits that are associated with the media reporting. Finalists are:
Susan Edmunds, RNZ
Joanna Mathers, Informed Media
Steven Moe, Seeds Podcast
David Callanan, Public Trust Corporate Trustee Services GM, says he's proud the organisation is returning as principal sponsor of the main awards for the second year in a row. 'The Mindful Money Awards do a fantastic job for raising awareness about the importance of ethical investing and celebrating excellence in the industry,' Callanan says.
As the supervisor for 13 KiwiSaver schemes, Public Trust plays a significant role in investment fund oversight. Public Trust also returns as sponsor of the Best Ethical KiwiSaver Provider award.
'Ethical and responsible investing is a growing focus for many KiwiSaver investors and there continues to be great innovation in New Zealand to meet demand. As a supervisor, Public Trust is proud to support and guide fund managers working in this space.'
Jono Broome, Morningstar Sustainalytics commented that 'Despite global headwinds, Aotearoa continues to be a bulwark of responsible investing, attracting consistent net-positive inflows into these funds. Morningstar Sustainalytics is pleased to support Mindful Money in acknowledging leaders in this industry in 2025.'
Barry Coates concluded: 'These are all worthy finalists and we look forward to revealing the winners at the awards celebration on 5th June. We are deeply grateful to all of those who submitted entries, including those who have not been shortlisted as finalists. The standard of entries was high and the judges had real difficulty in being able to shortlist a small number of finalists in each category. There were a number of promising entries that are early in their development and we encourage them, and others, to submit entries next year.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scoop
an hour ago
- Scoop
Federated Farmers Launches KiwiSaver Petition
Press Release – Federated Farmers Federated Farmers has launched this petition: to hold the Government accountable and send a clear message that its time to follow through on their promise. Federated Farmers has launched a nationwide petition calling on the Government to urgently change the KiwiSaver rules to help young farmers get their foot on the ladder. 'Accessing your KiwiSaver to buy your first farm, flock, herd or home has been an incredibly hot topic for farmers,' Federated Farmers dairy chair Richard McIntyre says. 'On the campaign trail of the 2023 election, Todd McClay stood up in front of young farmers in Morrinsville and made a promise that he would make it happen. 'I'm sure he had the best of intentions, but unfortunately farmers have been bitterly disappointed by the lack of action from the Government on the issue to date. 'That's why Federated Farmers has launched this petition: to hold the Government accountable and send a clear message that it's time to follow through on their promise.' The petition's launch has been timed to coincide with the National Fieldays, where thousands of farmers, industry leaders and politicians will gather at Mystery Creek. 'Politicians are always out in force at Fieldays, rubbing shoulders with farmers, and we really wanted to make sure KiwiSaver issues were a topic of conversation,' McIntyre says. 'Allowing young farmers to access their KiwiSaver to buy their first herd, home, farm or flock is the number one thing the Government could do to help our next generation of farmers. 'It would shave years of hard work and saving off their progression through the industry, and really turbocharge their farming careers. 'Why is the Government okay with that money being managed by stockbrokers and invested in Fortune 500 companies, but not by a farmer buying a herd to go sharemilking?' McIntyre says he can't see any reason the Government wouldn't throw their full support behind making this policy change happen. 'A lot of young urban people enter KiwiSaver because it's a good way to build a deposit for their first house. They're saving for a home early on – not for their retirement. 'We're asking for young farmers to have the same opportunity – a one-off withdrawal early in their careers to help them get ahead by purchasing their first home, farm, herd, or flock.' New Zealanders are encouraged to sign the petition online at or at Federated Farmers' Fieldays site D70.
Otago Daily Times
3 hours ago
- Otago Daily Times
NZ Rugby chief executive resigns
Mark Robinson. New Zealand Rugby chief executive Mark Robinson has resigned and will leave the organisation at the end of the year. Robinson took the role in January 2020, having previously spent seven years on the NZR board. He was leaving to relocate to Australia early next year, where his family has been based in recent months, and where all three of his children are studying. A nine-test All Black, Robinson said it had been "privilege" to lead NZR and believed its foundations were strong and well-placed for the future. However, the 51-year-old acknowledged his tenure had its challenging times, which has brought with it significant scrutiny. "That reflects the immense passion that so many Kiwis feel for our sport and the special place rugby has in our country," Robinson said in a release this morning. "The fact people can come up to me, share their views and talk with incredible knowledge and depth of feeling is something we never want to take for granted. "My focus now is on supporting the board and leading the organisation through a pivotal year, including ensuring the Black Ferns have the support they need to defend the Rugby World Cup in England. We also remain focused on implementing a new financial model for the game in New Zealand and completing the remaining work on what will be an exciting future international calendar." NZR chairman David Kirk acknowledged Robinson's contribution to the organisation over his six years in the role. "Mark has driven significant change, both in New Zealand and internationally, and the Board believes the organisation is well-placed to capitalise on this," Kirk said. "Of note was his leadership through a global pandemic that saw the game deal with an unprecedented crisis. "We also understand Mark's desire to relocate to Australia where his family are now all living. He will go with our best wishes when he moves there at the end of this year. Mark will continue to lead for the remainder of the year as we conclude key projects, and the Board will now commence recruitment for the new role." - APL
Scoop
3 hours ago
- Scoop
Tower Partners With Sedgwick
Press Release – Tower The new partnership means Tower will have access to additional support from Sedgwicks loss adjusters across New Zealand and the Pacific. External loss adjusters are typically used in the insurance industry for continuity of service in times of increased demand, … Tower has today announced a new partnership with Sedgwick, a global leader in loss adjusting, to ensure fast claims assessments for Tower customers during large weather events. The new partnership means Tower will have access to additional support from Sedgwick's loss adjusters across New Zealand and the Pacific. External loss adjusters are typically used in the insurance industry for continuity of service in times of increased demand, for example, during stormy weather. Tower Chief Claims Officer Steve Wilson says, 'As a forward-thinking insurer, we are thrilled to partner with Sedgwick to help ensure we continue to be there for our customers, no matter what.' 'The Tower team will still be with you every step of the way to progress and settle your claim. This partnership means we can assess damage and start the claims process faster during claims peaks, with more loss adjusting resource ready to go, if needed.' The new partnership will benefit all Tower customers throughout New Zealand and the Pacific, including in smaller locations where Tower may not have a large in-region assessing or loss adjusting team. The increased assessing resource also means specialist Tower assessors are focused on handling more complex claims. Sedgwick New Zealand CEO Philip van Zyl says, 'We're delighted to support Tower, as a trusted Kiwi business that shares our commitment to helping communities rebuild after a loss. Through this partnership, we will combine our strengths and expertise to drive better outcomes for all stakeholders. It is about making recovery smoother, more accessible, and more effective for everyone impacted.' About Tower Born and bred in New Zealand, Tower has been supporting Kiwis when they need it most for more than 155 years. In that time, we've grown to operate across New Zealand and the Pacific islands, providing our customers with cover for their houses, cars, contents, businesses and more. While our heritage is important to us, we've also set our sights on the future. Tower's focus on innovation and investment in large-scale digital transformation has enabled the business to evolve rapidly, in-line with the latest in technology and customer expectations. The result is customer-focused, digital-first insurance solutions – combined with joining forces with like minded partners, Tower has been able to create more, simpler products, to suit the modern lifestyles of its customers. For more information, see About Sedgwick Sedgwick is the world's leading risk and claims administration partner, helping clients thrive by navigating the unexpected. The company's expertise, combined with the most advanced AI-enabled technology available, sets the standard for solutions in claims administration, loss adjusting, benefits administration and product recall. With over 33,000 colleagues and 10,000 clients across 80 countries, Sedgwick provides unmatched perspective, caring that counts, and solutions for the rapidly changing and complex risk landscape. Sedgwick's majority shareholder is The Carlyle Group; Stone Point Capital LLC, Altas Partners, CDPQ, Onex and other management investors are minority shareholders. For more information, see
