In this guide
Although you might want your super fund to be a top performer, for many fund members it’s also increasingly important that their money is invested responsibly and in line with their personal values.
Thankfully, investing with a conscience doesn’t mean sacrificing returns (see Why are super funds using RI approaches below).
According to the report From Value to Riches 2022: Charting consumer demand for responsible investing in Australia by the Responsible Investment Association Australasia (RIAA), awareness of, and demand for, responsible and ethical investments is growing strongly and is now a mainstream issue. The study found the proportion of Australians with responsible investments has hit 17%, driven largely by Gen Xers and Millennials. Four out of five people now expect both their super and bank accounts to be invested responsibly and ethically, and 80% also expect their savings to have a positive impact on the world.
Super funds are responding to this desire, with many now offering members the opportunity to switch their super into a responsible investment (RI) option. If you feel uncomfortable with your retirement savings supporting activities like fossil fuel mining, armaments development or exploitation of employees in third-world countries, it might be time to check out these investment options.
