Rest, one of Australia's largest profit-to-member superannuation funds, believes its nearly two million members have much to gain from impact investments, and will continue to work closely with government and industry to encourage a robust pipeline of investment opportunities.
Rest will be a founding member of a new Expert Advisory Group of government, banks and super funds dedicated to supporting the social enterprise sector in accessing finance with a focus on ways to develop further impact investment opportunities in Australia.
Vicki Doyle, Chief Executive Officer, Rest, said today’s meeting of the Treasurer’s Investor Roundtable featured constructive discussions on impact investing and how it can benefit members, as well as the environment and society.
"Rest represents around one million Australians aged 30 or younger. We are always looking for investment opportunities that deliver long-term financial benefits, while also contributing to improved social and environmental outcomes," said Ms Doyle.
"Many of our members are decades from retirement, and we seek quality investment opportunities that enhance their financial interests and help them retire into a better, fairer and more sustainable world.
"Rest is targeting a one per cent allocation to impact investments by 2026. These are assets that aim to generate strong financial returns while also having a secondary aim of providing a positive and measurable impact to society and the environment.
"In the past year, we have made our first impact investments into the Palisade Impact Fund and with specialist private equity firm ARCHIMED, and are actively looking for further opportunities.
"I’m glad we were able to share our experiences with our colleagues on the Roundtable and contribute to efforts to further develop this sector. As a founding member of the new Expert Advisory Group, we look forward to working together with the Government, industry and social enterprises to help cultivate a strong environment for impact investments in Australia."
Rest also believes the sectoral decarbonisation plans and guiding principles announced by the Treasurer today will help investors manage risks and opportunities in the transition to a lower- carbon economy.
"Rest recognises the historic opportunity to support the transition to a lower-carbon economy in line with members’ long-term financial interests and took part in discussions on the proposed plan to create sector-by-sector decarbonisation plans," said Ms Doyle.
"The sector-by-sector plans will also support a long-term pipeline of good quality investments for the transition to net zero, and assist us in finding new investment opportunities today. This can only be a good thing for our members, many of whom will retire in a post-2050 world."
Earlier this month, Rest announced a new AUD $1 billion commitment with renewable and clean energy infrastructure manager Quinbrook Infrastructure Partners. This commitment includes exposure to green data storage centres, including the Supernode green data campus in Brisbane.
About Rest
Established in 1988, Rest is one of Australia’s largest profit-to-member superannuation funds, with more than 1.96 million members and around $75 billion in funds under management as at 30 June 2023.
For further information please visit out media centre or contact:
Michael Mills
Senior Manager, Communications – Media Relations
michael.mills@rest.com.au
m: 0428 499 722
This information has been prepared without taking account of your objectives, financial situation or needs. Before acting on the information or deciding whether to acquire or hold a product, consider its appropriateness and the relevant PDS and TMD which is available at rest.com.au/pds. Issued by Retail Employees Superannuation Pty Limited ABN 39 001 987 739, AFSL 24 0003 (Rest), trustee of Retail Employees Superannuation Trust ABN 62 653 671 394.
For more information on Rest’s approach to responsible investment, please visit the Responsible Investment at Rest page on our website or refer to our Sustainability, Responsible Investment and Climate Supplement. You can also refer to the Responsible Investment section of Rest’s Investment Guide or Rest Pension PDS.
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