Money makes the world go round.

£50 trillion of it is invested in the companies that we buy from, that employ us, and that shape the world we live in.

A lot of this money belongs to ordinary people and we all have a stake in the way that it is spent.

But; many of the decisions on how it is invested are made behind closed doors.

We believe that the investment system can be a force for good. But only if these decisions are made openly and with more than short term profit in mind.

A responsible investment system will look different from the system we see today. It will be geared towards the long-term interests of savers, society, and the environment and will be recognisable for the following features:

• Transparent, meaning people with assets in the investment system, including pension savers, can see where and how their money is put to work across the world. The impacts of investments as well as financial returns will be measured, managed, and reported and all of the players in the system will have clear roles and accountabilities.
• Accountable, meaning people with assets in the system have a voice in the system, with the right to influence what happens to their money and to question those making decisions on their behalf.
• Delivering sustainable economic and human development, meaning institutional investors will allocate and steward capital with a focus on achieving good financial returns over the long-term whilst delivering positive social and environmental impacts through the businesses they invest in.
• Delivering value for money, meaning the investment industry charges no more than is necessary to invest well on behalf of those who entrust assets to the system.

We believe a dynamic movement of people committed to change, including people working inside and people on the outside of the investment system, is a pre-requisite for progress towards a truly responsible system.

Our movement demands reform in the ways large investors make decisions and account for them. This in turn helps to unlock more enlightened investor dialogue with underlying companies. ShareAction’s demand for a legal framework that gives citizens’ rights to information about where and how their assets are invested is designed to achieve a virtuous circle in which people can see what happens to their money and become more engaged with the workings of the investment system.

All of the above is needed if we are to unlock the immense power vested in the capital markets so that companies operate sustainably and responsibly.

ShareAction’s way of delivering impact involves three mutually reinforcing elements that are woven into all our programmes. To bring about the change we want to see we are:

1. Building a movement for responsible investment;
2. Reforming the rules, governance, and incentives inside the investment system; and
3. Unlocking the power of investors to catalyse positive social and environmental change.

ShareAction grew out of a campaign by People & Planet that helped Britain’s largest single pension scheme adopt a responsible investment policy.

Civil Society helped us set up as FairPensions. We made our name ranking big UK pension funds on responsible investment.

Over time, we added more strings to our bow. We’ve called for change on important issues. We’ve shaped public policy. And we’ve built a diverse movement of savers and investors.

We’ve done a huge amount, but there’s a long way to go. Join the movement and help us transform the investment system.

ShareAction will not seek or accept funds from listed companies or from any for-profit investment firms.

We will sometimes accept, and are grateful for, support in kind from commercial entities in the form of venues for events. This form of support will be accepted only where it clearly furthers the charitable aims of the organisation (for example hosting a training or seminar on responsible investment).

All funding received by the organisation, including in-kind support, will be publicly disclosed on our website. With the informed consent of the donor, we will also disclose on our website any individual donation over £2500.

We welcome not-for-profit asset owners becoming paying members of investor networks that work collaboratively on responsible investment projects and are serviced by ShareAction. The sole purpose of such networks is to improve those investors’ performance and impacts as responsible investors. For the avoidance of doubt, membership of ShareAction is only open to not-for-profit civil society organisations. These members have voting rights and elect the board of trustees.

Our policy on ethical funding does not preclude ShareAction from receiving fees for conferences or specialized training.

This policy and its implementation is subject to trustee oversight and will be reviewed annually by the board of trustees’ Governance and Risk Committee.