Touting itself as a certified carbon neutral fund, CareSuper has been pressed on its commitment to net zero emissions, which the fund says it is ‘working’ on.
Speaking at the Australian Council of Superannuation Investors (ACSI) conference, Julie Lander, CareSuper chief executive, said: “Let’s just say we’re working on it very, very fast and I’m sure you’ll hear something soon.
“But another thing CareSuper did was get carbon neutral accreditation through the Government’s Climate Active initiative.
“We wanted our commitment to be just not about investments – which is hugely important – but to emphasise to our members as an organisation we are committed to being carbon neutral in an operational sense.
“We’ve had that for three years and were one of the first funds to do that, which was a significant commitment we made.”
When asked whether her members understood the difference between divestment versus engagement, Lander said the fund had to explain the nuances of the process.
“The challenge is as investors, we want to transform investments at a faster pace than reality,” Lander said.
“Therefore, sometimes we have to be patient and educate our members that it’s not just a line in the sand.”
Jim Chalmers has defended changes to the Future Fund’s mandate, referring to himself as a “big supporter” of the sovereign wealth fund, amid fierce opposition from the Coalition, which has pledged to reverse any changes if it wins next year’s election.
In a new review of the country’s largest fund, a research house says it’s well placed to deliver attractive returns despite challenges.
Chant West analysis suggests super could be well placed to deliver a double-digit result by the end of the calendar year.
Specific valuation decisions made by the $88 billion fund at the beginning of the pandemic were “not adequate for the deteriorating market conditions”, according to the prudential regulator.