Learn 3 Ways Your Investments Are Making a Real-World Impact!

Whether you’ve been investing with Wespath for weeks, decades, or somewhere in between, your retirement savings are making a real difference in the world around you.

Wespath aspires to support a global economy characterized by social cohesion (reliable access to basic necessities), long-term prosperity for all (equal opportunity for advancement), and environmental health. We call this vision our Sustainable Economy Framework. This Framework guides our efforts to invest sustainably and deliver the long-term returns you need to reach your financial goals.

We detail these efforts in our recently released Sustainable Investment Report. Here are several highlights:

1. Innovative Investment Strategies and Programs

Wespath co-created an investment strategy focused on companies best-positioned for the transition from an economy that depends heavily on fossil fuels to generate energy, to one that uses low-carbon energy. We often call this the “low-carbon transition.”

Wespath also has a long history of “impact investing.” For example, our Positive Social Purpose (PSP) Lending Program invests in loans that support affordable housing and community development for underserved areas in the U.S.

You may have exposure to both the low-carbon transition strategy and the PSP Lending Program through investments in the Wespath funds!

2. Encouraging Corporate Concern for Society

Wespath seeks to promote corporate responsibility in its sustainable investment activities, including through “engagement dialogues” focused on issues directly impacting people and communities. When we engage, we use our influence as an investor to enter constructive dialogues and offer suggestions to companies in which we invest, policymakers and our external asset managers who manage investments on our behalf. Two recent examples:

• To address the risks stemming from the opioid crisis, Wespath co-leads the Investors for Opioid and Pharmaceutical Accountability, which engages companies involved in opioid production and distribution.
• Wespath also was part of a coalition of investors that engaged seven of the world’s largest meat processors on their working conditions.

In managing your funds, we bring our values to the table to influence (or drive) positive societal change.

3. Engaging to Support a Healthy Planet

Not only does Wespath use investment strategies such as the previously mentioned low-carbon transition strategy, Wespath also works diligently on engagement and stewardship efforts to support environmental health.

Wespath co-leads the engagement initiatives of the Net-Zero Asset Owner Alliance, a group of pension funds, insurers and other asset owners committed to transitioning their investment portfolios to net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

In addition, Wespath co-chairs the United Methodist Interagency Just and Equitable Net-Zero Coalition. The Coalition website explains that net-zero means “cutting greenhouse gas emissions to as close to zero as possible, with any remaining emissions re-absorbed from the atmosphere, by oceans and forests.”

We’re always excited to represent you in our collaborations with others!