OVERVIEW
Nanuk Asset Management was established in 2009 to develop world-leading expertise in the investment opportunities and risks associated with environmental sustainability and resource use efficiency.
Our focus is global and we invest in listed companies associated with the broad themes of clean energy, energy efficiency, industrial efficiency, waste management, pollution control, food & agriculture, advanced & sustainable materials, water and healthcare technology.
We are active, fundamental investors with a valuation based and research driven investment approach. We incorporate positive and negative screening, ESG factors and values-based norms into our decision-making process.
Nanuk is an independent firm, privately owned by its founders and staff located in Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne and London. We are committed to investing sustainably and managing responsibly on behalf of our clients.
In 2022 the Nanuk New World Fund was recognised by Money Magazine as ‘Australia’s best international shares ESG Fund.’
BELIEFS
Nanuk believes that resource constraints and environmental challenges like climate change, pollution and water scarcity necessitate significant changes to business practices globally and that these changes will present significant long-term investment opportunities and risks. Large parts of the global economy are already undergoing such transitions in industries such as clean energy, energy efficiency, industrial efficiency, water and waste management.
Nanuk believes that specialist focus can be applied to investing successfully in these industries, which are often influenced by the complex interaction of government policy, new technology and changing industry structure, and which generally demonstrate higher volatility and inefficiency when compared with the broader equity market.
Nanuk acknowledges that “winning” products and technologies do not necessarily translate into successful businesses, nor indeed into good investments. Our research is thus directed towards developing a deep understanding of individual companies and industry dynamics. We combine this with a valuation based investment approach to identify good quality businesses that are both benefiting from evolving industry trends and have attractive return potential.
VALUES
Nanuk’s commitment to managing responsibly is grounded in the firm’s Statement of Values which emphasizes the cultural and business principles by which the firm stands.
Trust and Integrity are the foundation of all of our actions.
Responsibility is first and foremost to our clients who have entrusted us with their capital, and also in positively contributing towards a more sustainable world for future generations.
Transparency and Clarity are central to our relationships with our clients and the way we work within our firm.
Open-mindedness and Independence of thought, combined with analytical rigor, are critical in developing and applying our investment insights.
Respect for others and Diversity of opinion allows us to challenge and sharpen our perspective, helping us to make the best decisions and achieve the best outcomes.
Collaboration and Teamwork are central to how our investment ideas are formed and translated into investment actions.
Our Passion for investing and our pursuit of Excellence compels us towards the achievement of long-term investment success for our clients.
RESPONSIBILITY
Responsible & Sustainable Investment
Nanuk’s approach to responsible and sustainable investment is inherent in the firm’s values and beliefs, and in our clearly defined focus on investing in companies having a material* proportion of their activities in industries that are contributing to or benefiting from the global transition to greater global environmental sustainability and resource efficiency.
We believe that successful investment in these areas is critical in facilitating this global transition, through improving the efficiency of capital allocation and facilitating better long-term decision-making through broad engagement with stakeholders, including corporate leaders and the public.
Nanuk considers environmental sustainability in a holistic and global context, investing in companies that are contributing positively at an extrinsic level. Our focus naturally and explicitly precludes investment in many industries that do not align with the firm’s values and its sustainability focus, and many companies whose practices we believe contravene environmental, social and ethical norms.
Nanuk’s approach to responsible and sustainable investment, and the manner in which environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors and values-based norms are integrated into the firm’s approach and investment process, are detailed in Nanuk’s Sustainability and ESG Policies and summarised in the firm’s Responsible and Sustainable Investment Statement
* the investment universe of the Nanuk New World Fund is limited to companies assessed by Nanuk to have more than 25% of their enterprise value derived from industries and technologies that we believe are contributing to or benefiting from improving global environmental sustainability with such assessment being necessarily subjective but typically based on forecast operating profits.
Nanuk utilises ESG and governance research from ISS and specialist sustainability analytics from Sustainable Platform.
The outcomes of Nanuk’s sustainability focused approach are detailed in our annual Impact and ESG Report and a full report of voting activity is provided in our annual Proxy Voting Report.
The Nanuk New World Fund has been certified by the Responsible Investment Association of Australasia as a Responsible Investment according to the strict operational and disclosure practices required under the Responsible Investment Certification Program.
Nanuk is pleased to be a signatory to the UN Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI).