Policies and guidelines

Our Sustainability Risk Framework is based on the overarching principles of respecting human rights and protecting the environment, encapsulated in two umbrella policies that are valid for all our transactions. In addition, specific guidelines apply these overarching principles to seven sectors or issues in which we perceive major sustainability risks: the defence industry; oil and gas (including oil sands and hydraulic fracturing); mining; dams; animal testing; forestry, pulp & paper and oil palm; and nuclear weapons proliferation.

We regularly review all the policies and guidelines of our Sustainability Risk Framework to ensure they stay abreast of relevant new risk developments and stakeholder expectations (for recent refinements, see The Sensitive Business Risk process).

OUR MAIN CONCERNS IN KEY SECTORS

Respecting human rights and protecting the environment

  • Human rights violations and abuses such as murder, torture, deprivation of liberty, forced labour or harmful child labour;
  • Countries that lack an operational, effective and internationally recognised government;
  • Companies that are causing ongoing, severe and unmitigated damage to the environment, flora and fauna of a particular place and biodiversity in general, especially in industries and activities that have had a problematic track record in this area in the past.

Defence industry

  • Particularly cruel weapons that inflict indiscriminate harm to humans and the environment, often after a conflict has ended;
  • The provision of certain services by private security companies.

Oil and gas

  • Human rights abuses;
  • Significant adverse environmental or social impacts, particularly where critical natural habitats, vulnerable groups and/or critical cultural heritages are impacted.

Mining

  • Human rights abuses;
  • Significant adverse environmental or social impacts, particularly where critical natural habitats, vulnerable groups and/or critical cultural heritages are impacted;
  • Poor occupational health & safety record and risk of increasing HIV penetration.

Dams

  • Human rights abuses;
  • Significant adverse environmental or social impacts, particularly where critical natural habitats, vulnerable groups and/or critical cultural heritages (in particular, indigenous people) are impacted;
  • Non-involvement of relevant stakeholders;
  • Non-involvement of affected neighbouring states.

Animal testing

  • Unethical and inhumane treatment of animals.

Forestry, pulp & paper and oil palm

  • Illegal logging;
  • Uncertified logging and timber/oil palm processing in sensitive regulatory environments;
  • Greenhouse gas emissions from peatland conversion, timber processing activities and/or forest clearance using bushfires;
  • Significant adverse environmental or social impacts, particularly where critical natural habitats, vulnerable groups and/or critical cultural heritages are impacted.

Nuclear weapons proliferation

  • Activities associated with nuclear energy or similar in countries that are outside the established framework and international regime of global non-proliferation efforts.