Manulife Investment Management Shares Analysis and Investment Insights within Natural Capital, TCFD and SRI Reports

TORONTO, August 22, 2024 – Manulife Investment Management (Manulife IM), the world's largest manager of natural capital with over $16 billion in assets under management in timberland and agriculture¹, has recently released three reports detailing how it incorporates financially material climate- and nature-related investment considerations into its asset management and portfolio construction capabilities. Interested market participants can use the insights from Manulife IM’s Natural Capital Sustainability report,  Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) report and Sustainable and Responsible Investing (SRI) report, for deeper awareness about sustainable investing and to assess various investment risks and opportunities across public and private market asset classes.

The reports highlight Manulife IM’s commitment in seeking to deliver strong long-term investment performance, the importance of natural capital to human health, and the opportunity for timberland and agriculture assets to bring value to portfolios and to the planet.  As an example, within its climate and natural capital investment solutions, Manulife IM has a strategy that provides investors with an opportunity to invest in timberlands in a way that creates high integrity carbon credits through enhanced management practices which purposefully add to the stored carbon in the forest. 

“We are excited to share these reports with market participants as we believe that climate-related risks and other sustainability factors can have a material effect on long-term financial value and, as a result, on our clients’ investment objectives,” said Paul Lorentz, President & CEO of Manulife IM. “Throughout all of our investment processes, we seek to incorporate all financially material risks, including sustainability factors, as our primary goal is to enhance the returns of the capital we manage on behalf of our clients.”

Manulife IM’s most recent Natural Capital Sustainability report highlights the importance of natural capital to institutional investment portfolios, the dependency the world has on these assets, and how these investments can create value beyond the physical products they generate. Highlights include:

Manulife IM’s timberland investment properties planted over 50 million seedlings, produced lumber to build more than 100,000 houses, enough fiberwood to make approximately 2.2 million tons of paper, and yielded enough biomass to produce electricity for the equivalent of 1,500 American homes for a year;

• Manulife IM’s integration of regenerative practices across its agriculture portfolio continues to focus on producing more food with a smaller footprint. During 2023, 100% of client properties reported using at least one regenerative practice and 78% of properties use four or more regenerative practices; and
• Progress reports on the firm’s five nature targets, aligned with the Finance for Biodiversity Pledge that are on track to be fulfilled by 2025. The targets include improving collaboration and knowledge sharing on assessment methodologies, incorporating biodiversity into ESG policies, assessing the impact of investments on biodiversity, using science-based targets to improve biodiversity impact, and annual reporting to measure and assess progress toward biodiversity goals.

“Natural capital is not just a concept; it's a measurable and monetizable reality that has intrinsic value in supporting the global economy,” said Brian Kernohan, Chief Sustainability Officer, Manulife Investment Management. “We believe nature is a mispriced asset that provides true economic and societal value for the benefit of all.”

The latest TCFD report outlines how Manulife IM incorporates climate-related risks and opportunities into investment decisions through appropriate governance, strategy, risk management, and metrics and targets.

Highlights from the TCFD report include:

•  90% of Manulife IM ‘s global real estate equity portfolio earning certification of a green building standard, such as LEED, ENERGY STAR, or BOMA BEST;²
• Manulife IM removing an estimated 1.5 million tons of CO2e from the atmosphere by its managed forests and farms on a five-year rolling average; and
• Manulife IM seeks to increase access to the number and variety of sustainable investing options available to its clients.

Manulife IM’s latest SRI report provides insight into the firm’s approach to sustainable investing, including its governance, stewardship information, its scorecard from the Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI), and other sustainability milestones and outcomes.

Highlights from the SRI report this year include the firm’s:

• Publication of its inaugural nature report aligned with the recommendations of the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD), outlining the firm’s approach to managing nature-related risks and opportunities in its timberland and agriculture businesses;
• Achievement of a GRESB 5 Star rating for the sixth consecutive year;³
• Formalization of its sustainable investing strategy for its private equity and credit platform, which included establishing near-term priorities and longer-term commitments;
• Development of a firmwide client-directed exclusions framework; and
• Publication of its water statement, which recognizes the fundamental importance of water to human health, livelihoods, ecosystems, the global economy, and the future of asset management.

“As we navigate this dynamic space, our reporting looks to provide comprehensive insights to help drive positive change and foster long-term sustainability through our investment strategies. We’re committed to continue enhancing our reporting so that all our stakeholders can get a clear picture of our efforts to manage climate impact and risk exposures as well as enhance long-term value creation,” concluded Mr. Kernohan.

Please find more information about Manulife IM’s approach to sustainable investing online here:  https://www.manulifeim.com/institutional/global/en/sustainability.

About Manulife Investment Management
Manulife Investment Management is the brand for the global wealth and asset management segment of Manulife Financial Corporation (NYSE: MFC). Our mission is to make decisions easier and lives better by empowering investors for a better tomorrow. Serving more than 19 million individuals, institutions, and retirement plan members, we believe our global reach, complementary businesses, and the strength of our parent company position us to help investors capitalize on today's emerging global trends. We provide our clients access to public and private investment solutions across equities, fixed income, multi-asset, alternative, and sustainability-linked strategies, such as natural capital, to help them make more informed financial decisions and achieve their investment objectives. Not all offerings are available in all jurisdictions. For additional information, please visit manulifeim.com.

It should not be assumed that any ESG or sustainability initiatives, standards, or metrics described herein will apply to each asset in which Manulife Investment Management invests or that any ESG or sustainability initiatives, standards, or metrics described have applied to any individual prior investment of Manulife Investment Management. There is no guarantee that any initiatives or anticipated developments described herein will ultimately be successful or achieve anticipated outcomes. Environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors are only some of many considerations that Manulife Investment Management takes into account when making investment decisions, and other considerations can be expected in certain circumstances to outweigh ESG considerations. Any ESG or sustainability initiatives described will be implemented with respect to a portfolio investment solely to the extent Manulife Investment Management determines such initiative is consistent with its broader investment goals. Individual portfolio management teams may hold different views and make different investment decisions for different clients, and views may change over time. Investors should always read the current investment services information or fund offering documents before deciding to select an investment manager or to invest in a fund.

1.      IPE research, as of February 2024. Ranking is based on total natural capital assets under management (AUM), which includes forestry/timberland and agriculture/farmland AUM. Firms were asked to provide AUM and the as of dates vary from 12/31/2022 to 12/31/2023.

2.      Based on square footage of the gross floor area or building size, of properties in the global portfolio. Totals from different certification standards do not sum as properties with multiple certifications are only counted once. Certifications are provided by LEED, ENERGY STAR Certification, BOMA BEST, GBCA Green Star, BCA Green Mark, NABERS, CASBEE, BOMA 360, and Fitwel.

3.      Based on GRESB results released October 2023 that cover the 2022 time period. Manulife Investment Management paid a per fund submission fee, per year. The GRESB Rating is an overall measure of how well sustainability issues are integrated into the management and practices of companies and funds. For more information about the GRESB Real Estate Assessment, please see gresb.com/nl-en/real-estate-assessment.