Ethical Investment

Aston takes the welfare of its suppliers' staff and internal staff seriously as well as looking to invest our funds as ethically as possible.

Workers' rights are a core issue in our ethical procurement and we have set out to reward best practice across a range of approaches.

Ethical Investment

The university has taken the decision not to invest directly in fossil fuel companies with immediate effect. It follows a review of the university's Ethical Investment Policy, concerns of staff and students and a decision to support the Student Union campaign to divest from fossil fuels. The policy goes to include other aspects that are not to be invested as shown below: In order to ensure investments meet appropriate ethical values, the University will not invest directly in:

• The core activities of fossil fuel companies
• Activities that lead to environmental degradation
• Production of landmines, cluster bombs, nuclear and conventional weapons (arms companies)
• Tobacco manufacture, alcohol, pornography, gambling
• Support of oppressive regimes, or those covered by International sanctions
• Anti-social sales and marketing practices relating to alcohol and tobacco; nor
• Funds associated with violations of international conventions and norms in the areas of human rights, employment practices and climate change.

View the full Ethical Investment Policy below:

Supplier Engagement

The University has invested in the NetPositive Supplier Engagement HE Tool. This tool allows suppliers to create a Sustainability Action Plan that they share with their customers. The University has a target to engage with its top ten high-risk suppliers using such a tool.

The Sustainability Team also have a target to map the supply chain of one of its main suppliers a year.