Epworth Invests in Gold: “The Gold, the bad and the ugly”
Epworth has long avoided investing in gold due to its ethical challenges, including environmental damage from mining, high carbon emissions, and exploitative labor practices. Despite these concerns, gold remains a strong portfolio diversifier, particularly during financial and geopolitical instability, due to its low correlation with other assets.
Following extensive research, Epworth has approved an investment in gold reserves held by the UK’s Royal Mint (RM), which prioritizes sustainability. RM recycles gold waste from coin production, significantly reducing its carbon footprint, and has committed to net-zero targets. Epworth’s fund manager, Matthew Jones, visited RM to assess its practices firsthand, including its efforts to align suppliers with sustainable sourcing policies. Moving forward, Epworth will continue engaging with RM to push for broader improvements in the precious metals industry
GLP-1 Drugs: A Double-Edged Sword in the Fight Against Obesity
Epworth’s latest research in the pharmaceutical sector explores the rise of GLP-1 drugs, such as Ozempic and Wegovy, as a promising tool for weight management. These medications offer significant health benefits, including reduced obesity-related illnesses and improved well-being, aligning with our ethical investment focus on ‘Health & Wellbeing.’
However, concerns remain. High costs limit accessibility for lower-income communities, and the growing demand has led to shortages for diabetes patients. Additionally, the societal implications – ranging from dependency on medication to shifts in body image perceptions – warrant careful consideration.
Children: The Forgotten Constituency in Investment Stewardship
Despite growing focus on ESG issues like climate change and human rights, children remain largely ignored in investment stewardship. They lack financial agency and lobbying power, yet businesses significantly impact them—whether through exploitative marketing in sectors like food, alcohol, and technology or through child labor in global supply chains. Epworth Investment Management, continuing its ethical investment approach, will explore these issues in a 2025 article series, building on its parent organization’s 2009 advocacy for children’s rights in investment policies.
Marking the 35th anniversary of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, Epworth aims to push for stronger investor engagement on child-related concerns. The upcoming IPO of Shein, facing allegations of child labor, underscores the urgency of addressing children’s rights in investment decisions. Future articles will examine how global frameworks like the UN Convention and Sustainable Development Goals can guide responsible investment practices.
Safeguarding Children: Investor Tools for Empowering Engagement
Children are often overlooked in responsible investment strategies, despite being a key audience for many businesses. This article explores how investors can incorporate children’s welfare into their engagement efforts by using established frameworks like the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and key industry benchmarks.
From tackling malnutrition and improving education access to ensuring digital safety and ethical supply chains, these tools help investors drive meaningful change. As part of a wider series, this piece sets the stage for deeper discussions on how businesses impact children’s lives—and what investors can do about it.
Safeguarding Children: The Impact of Technology
This series examines the often-overlooked role of children in responsible investment strategies, highlighting the urgent need for investors to engage on issues that significantly affect young people. In particular, the next three articles will focus on the risks and opportunities posed by the fast-moving digital landscape, where technology, while offering educational benefits, also exposes children to addiction, harmful content, and mental health challenges. As digital tools become increasingly embedded in children’s lives from a young age, regulatory frameworks and corporate responsibility have lagged behind. Investors, the series argues, have a vital role to play in pressing for more accountable and ethical technology practices to protect the well-being of children and young people.