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Finance Division

Sustainable Investing

Find out about the University’s sustainable investing.

Policy

Read our Socially Responsible Investment Management Policy.

Statement of Investments

Please see our Statement of University Investments - January 2026 [PDF 179.09KB]

The University believes that, in investing its funds, regard must be made to social, environmental and governance issues. In line with its general strategic direction, the University believes that its investments should mirror its own desire to be sustainable and promote sustainability and that a preference will be given to positive screening to proactively bring about sustainable positive change in the world.

Actions and News

See recent action and news regarding the University’s investments.

ßÏßÏÊÓƵ one of 83 UK universities to identify banks and building societies that do not support fossil fuel expansion - February 2026

Seven leading financial institutions that do not contribute to financing fossil fuel expansion have been identified as a panel suitable to hold billions in deposits for 83 British higher education institutions. The Co-operative Bank, Coventry Building Society, Handelsbanken, Leeds Building Society, Skipton Building Society, Unity Trust Bank and Yorkshire Building Society have all met the strict fossil fuel-related criteria necessary to be accepted as part of the consortium. 

The initiative was instigated and co-ordinated by the University of Cambridge alongside collaborators at 82 fellow Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in the UK, one of which was the ßÏßÏÊÓƵ, with the aim of identifying financial institutions that avoid contributing to fossil fuel expansion. With seven deposit-taking institutions on board, it opens the way for billions in funding to be allocated in accordance with the International Energy Agency’s Net Zero Emissions scenario.

In November 2025, ßÏßÏÊÓƵ updated its Socially Responsible Investment Policy (SRIP), setting out the University’s socially responsible approach to its financial investments. While the SRIP does not cover banking services, this initiative is an important step that supports our University aims to invest in companies, organisations and sectors that create positive environmental, social and governance (ESG) outcomes, consistent with our values of collaboration, courage, inclusion, integrity, kindness, and openness.

In February 2024, the HEI consortium challenged the UK banking sector to come up with new products that met stringent criteria relating to fossil fuel expansion. The Request for Proposals invited banks and other financial institutions to present cash products that met stringent, research-based requirements, in a deliberate attempt to stimulate banks and debt markets to shift capital away from fossil fuel expansion.

Jacinda Humphry, Chief Financial Officer at the ßÏßÏÊÓƵ said:

“This is an important step towards establishing the practical options necessary to manage the University’s finances in a way that is consistent with our environmental sustainability aims. The work of this group of universities led by Cambridge University demonstrates that change is possible within the financial services sector through collaborative effort, and we are committed to supporting the initiative and others to achieve the environmental, social and governance objectives we share with many higher education institutions.” 

Heather Davis, Head of Group Treasury in the University of Cambridge Finance Division, said:

“Our affiliate institutions use a huge array of banking and investment services across a number of financial institutions. For many, their banking relationships are historic, going back centuries, but there was nothing in the market that met our requirement to avoid financing fossil fuel expansion. We challenged the banking sector to bring new ideas, and we are delighted to say that the banking institutions now part of the consortium have all delivered.” 

Erin Squires, UCL’s Head of Treasury Management & Sustainable Finance, said:

“It has been a welcome outcome to see this collaboration grow as it has, especially given the pressures facing the higher education sector and the broader global context. The level of engagement speaks to a shared sense of purpose and urgency on climate.”

UK Universities propose new cash market to stop financing fossil fuel expansion - February 2024

The ßÏßÏÊÓƵ is among sixty leading institutions and trusts in UK Higher Education calling on finance companies to offer more sustainable products and avoid investing in fossil fuels.  

ßÏßÏÊÓƵ is collaborating with the Universities of Cambridge, Edinburgh, Leeds, Oxford, Southampton, St Andrews and Westminster, on a new effort to create a market for cash products that do not contribute to the financing of fossil fuel expansion. 

The institutions are especially keen to avoid financing companies that are constructing new coal and gas-fired power plants in OECD countries (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development). New fossil fuel infrastructure can lock in decades of fossil fuel demand and subsequent greenhouse gas emissions. Research has shown that fossil fuels are responsible for around  of greenhouse gas emissions globally.  

The institutions have issued a Request for Proposals (RfP) to financial institutions for cash products such as deposits and money market funds.

Carey Mclaughlin, Assistant Director of Finance at the ßÏßÏÊÓƵ said:

“The elimination of fossil fuel exploration and production is a priority of the University’s socially responsible investment policy. Our collaboration with Cambridge and other leading universities aims to seek out cash investment products that do not contribute to the financing of fossil fuel expansion. This will provide us with environmentally sustainable options to better manage the University’s cash, which is hugely important to the success of our investment aims.”

For further information you can read the Request for Proposals Statement, the Mandate Description for Banks and Fund Managers, and this article in the .

Update: In response to actions which ßÏßÏÊÓƵ has been involved in, e.g. the COP26 declaration, the open letter to asset managers and the Request For Proposals article to financial institutions and investment managers, Barclays have published an updated Climate Change Statement and Transition Finance Framework. You can read about this more in their . 

Open Letter to the Asset Management Industry - May 2023

In May 2023, the ßÏßÏÊÓƵ (among a number of other universities) issued a letter to the asset management industry urging them to halt support for the expansion of fossil fuels, as covered by .

It follows 25 institutions including ßÏßÏÊÓƵ, in the leadup to the COP26 climate summit in Glasgow in 2021, releasing a set of climate-related  for the asset management industry. These laid out core actions and principles necessary for the industry to support global efforts to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement.

Please read the full Open letter to the asset management industry [DOCX 40.79KB]

Selection of Investment Manager - October 2017

Following Council’s approval of a Socially Responsible Investment Management Policy [PDF 73.16KB] the University selected  as its investment manager, and in October 2017 invested the University’s endowment funds in the .

Please read the Liontrust Fund Sustainability and Impact Report [PDF 493.18KB]

For any queries or further information

If you have any queries, please contact the Finance Service Desk at financeservicedesk@sussex.ac.uk, or on 01273 87(7172) between 9am and 4.30pm (closed 1pm to 2pm for lunch).