Many people I speak to express concern about global issues such as social injustice, war, climate change, and natural resource depletion/degradation. Some of these people seem to have given up believing that they personally can make a difference. Fears are voiced about the well being of children and grand children. Such thinking is understandable, but it is fundamentally wrong. Much can be achieved to rescue a reasonable future with widespread collective and individual effort. It is not too late.
With this in mind I sent the following letter to my superannuation fund this week;
‘This letter is to explain why I recently rolled my balance out of your fund recently’.
‘My superannuation will be used to enable me to have a happy and healthy retirement. In keeping with this I wish to live in a society with a high quality environment and fair employment opportunities for my daughters. It would be a society with businesses producing goods and services which meet genuine consumer needs, not addictions’.
‘On researching your fund I am disappointed to find that you do not provide for my super to be invested away from products and activities such as gambling, armaments, tobacco, poor labour practices, and fossil fuels. I don’t want my money supporting these things. Screening against these factors is a sound financial decision. Such screening has resulted in higher returns than mainstream (non screened) funds for each of the last 10 years according to the 2013 benchmark report on ethical investment of the Responsible Investment Association of Australasia’.
‘I would have preferred to stay. I request that the Trustees consider the benefits of introducing an option to meet your members ethical considerations’.
Yours etc..
I await a reply with interest.
