University of Liverpool
Ethical Investment in Action: How the University of Liverpool is driving positive change through its investment portfolio
Finalist, Money for Good
About
In 2024, the University of Liverpool introduced an annual accountability process to assess fund managers’ ethical and sustainable investment performance in line with its Ethical Investment Policy. Fund managers must complete a mandatory questionnaire and evidence the ESG performance of their funds across several key themes, including alignment with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, carbon footprints of investment portfolios, biodiversity considerations, board diversity and composition, and records of voting against practices or policies that conflict with ethical investment principles. This process enables us to monitor their ESG performance, encourages transparency, and ensures investment activities reflect our sustainability and governance commitments. Having just completed the third annual cycle of the process, there is clear evidence of year-on-year improvements across all funds, demonstrating the positive power of fund manager engagement and the University of Liverpool’s influence on the external investment sector.
Top 3 learnings
- Active engagement with fund managers delivers measurable ESG improvements, beyond our
standard policy/compliance requirements. - Clear frameworks and governance are essential for consistent fund manager reporting across our
investment portfolio. - Collaboration across sustainability, finance, and students has strengthen the impact of our Ethical
Investment work.
What it means to win
Although the University of Liverpool was relatively late to embed sustainability at scale, the establishment of a dedicated sustainability team in 2022 has accelerated transformative change across the institution. In just four years, we have integrated sustainability into institutional strategy, governance, and decision-making, delivering measurable impacts through our ambitious Sustainability Strategy and supporting plans. A Green Gown Award would recognise this rapid progress, strengthen the profile of sustainability across the University, and enable us to share our learning and drive wider sector-wide change.
Sustainable Development Goals
| 2026 | |
| Money for Good | |
| Finalist, UK and Ireland |
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Green Gown Award Regions
Australasia
