Deforestation-free investment mandate for family offices and foundations
Global Canopy has developed an investment mandate to help family offices and foundations to ensure that their portfolios are free from commodity-driven deforestation, conversion and associated human rights abuses.
The mandate is designed as a supplement to existing investment mandates, which are intended to continue to be the primary, formal and legally binding documents under which investments are managed.
Asset owners can be instrumental in the transition to a deforestation-free economy. Family offices are powerful vehicles for change, since asset-owning families are in direct control of decision-making and have broad spheres of influence.
Foundations are also increasingly aware of the positive role they can play via the investment of their endowments. They also face the risk that unseen impacts of their current investments may be directly at odds with the goals of their philanthropic giving.
The mandate acts as a practical guide for what family offices and foundations can reasonably expect from their banks, investment consultants and asset managers. It is intended to spark a conversation between asset owners and asset managers on this crucial topic and provide support to achieve deforestation-free portfolios by sign-posting key tools, datasets and examples of best practice.
Collaborate with us
This guidance was created in consultation with a wide range of family offices and foundations, asset managers and other key stakeholders. It is user-friendly and aligned with best practice. This has also ensured that the standards set out in the mandate are realistic and achievable, so the banks, investment consultants and asset managers receiving it can confidently put it into action.
We are continuing to build the uptake of and engagement with the mandate in practice with a focus on assisting family offices and foundations to learn from each other and help create change together. It’s only through collective action that we will begin to see the systemic change we need.
We are interested to hear feedback from and provide support to users of the Mandate. To find out more and collaborate with us on this topic, please contact [email protected].
