Natural capital sustainable investing report
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What we produce
Investments in timberland and agriculture are investments in assets that meet basic human needs—food, feed, fuel, fiber, and shelter—all of which we can expect demand to grow in line with population and income growth.
Timberland benefits
Renewable raw materials, providing for basic human needs (housing, furniture, paper)
Forest carbon sequestration
Protect soil, air, and water quality
Protect biodiversity and high conservation value forest
Contribute to sustainable development through economic growth and rural employment
Recreation opportunities
Agriculture benefits
In 2023, our agriculture assets produced:
Over 24 million pounds of almonds
equivalent to 390 million servings¹
Over 13 million pounds of walnuts
equivalent to more than 210 million servings¹
41 million pounds of pistachios
equivalent to 660 million servings¹
Over 1 million pounds of cherries
equivalent to more than 4 million servings²
Over 48 million pounds of cranberries
equivalent to more than 220 million servings³
8 million pounds of grapes
enough to produce almost 19 million bottles of wine⁴
229,855 bins of apples
equivalent to more than 505 million apples⁵
5,671 bins of citrus
equivalent to more than 13 million oranges⁶
Healthy nutritious food, contributing to food security
Soil carbon sequestration
Pollinator habitat
Recreation opportunities
Contribute to sustainable development through economic growth and employment in rural areas
Renewable energy opportunities
1 Assumes a 1oz serving size. 2 Assumes a 5oz serving size. 3 Assumes a 3.5oz serving size. 4 Assumes 3lbs of grapes needed per 750ml bottle of wine. 5 Assumes 2,200 apples per bin. 6 Assumes 3,000 mandarins and 2,200 navels per bin.
Our stewardship approach focuses on three core thematic considerations—climate, nature, and people
Our integrated property management capabilities aim to reduce costs, enhance alignment of interests, and ensure that commitment to sustainability carries through from investment strategy to on-the-ground execution.
Climate
We take climate change seriously, as it presents material risks—and opportunities—for our managed forests and farms. Our goal is to mitigate the risks to the extent we’re able, adapt to the risks that cannot be fully mitigated, and realize as many of the opportunities as we can.
Nearly 1.8 million metric tons of C02 removed annually
Nearly 2.5 million metric tons of C02 stored
Nearly 6.1 million metric tons of forest carbon credits sold
More than 1.4 billion trees planted
Important disclosures
Source: Manulife Investment Management. All data is as of December 31, 2023. Please refer to the 2023 natural capital sustainable investing report for details.
Nature
We view nature as our business. The forests and farms we manage are ecosystems that provide immense value and vitality to communities and economies. We believe it's our job to keep them healthy and productive over the longterm by protecting sensitive lands and biodiversity, adhering to strict water and land management policies and best practices, and supporting forest growth.
100%
of our managed global forests7 and U.S. and Australian farmland8 is certified sustainable
100%
of our farms with regenerative agriculture practices9
492,000
cumulative acres of our managed sensitive forest lands are protected10
295
acres of pollinator habitat managed across our California orchards
23%
of our timberland has a conservation designation11
100%
our investments account for water risk and opportunity
Important disclosures
Source: Manulife Investment Management. All data is as of December 31, 2023. Please refer to the 2023 natural capital sustainable investing report for details.
7 100% of our forests were certified under either the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) or Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), and some of our forests in Australia and New Zealand carry dual FSC and Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC) accreditation. As a condition of certification, forests must have management plans, including consideration of biodiversity. 8 Certification is by Leading Harvest and is based on an annual assessment of the conformation to its Farmland Management Standard. Most current data is shown. 9 Includes farms employing one or more of the following practices: conservation tillage or no till, cover vegetation/crop; crop residues, crop rotation, intercropping, nonproductive vegetation, rotational grazing, and soil amendment. 10 Sensitive lands are defined as lands whose attributes may lend themselves to management for purposes not related to timber production. They typically are deemed critical habitat for sensitive or endangered species or are lands with high scenic, historical, cultural, or recreational values. We actively seek out and work closely with public agencies and environmental groups to consummate conservation transactions and initiatives that will protect these lands. As a fiduciary, we cannot simply give away our investors’ lands, but we work diligently to conclude transactions that preserve the lands while providing a fair return to our clients. Protection may include moving the land into public or conservation group ownership or placing permanent restrictions on how it can be managed, such as through a conservation easement. 11 Forests with conservation designation include land bearing one or more of the following designations: old growth forest, forest ecosystem of high conservation value, high-conservation value forest, conservation easements, areas with restricted management due to presence of threatened and endangered species, areas of culture or historical significance, and buffer areas such as stream management zones and riparian management zones. Year-on-year change may be affected by asset acquisitions and/or dispositions in addition to new conservation designations on the existing land base.
People
We value our people, employees, and contractors and work to ensure that we're offering not only safe and healthy working environments but the tools, training, and support they need to thrive. We're also committed to supporting and strengthening the local and indigenous communities in which we operate, providing rural employment opportunities and public use of our land and support for local causes.
5.0 million
acres of land are open for public access12
29%
women staff representation
19%
racially and ethnically diverse individuals staff represention13
70th
percentile employee engagement survey score (with 89% of employees responding)14
Important disclosures
Source: Manulife Investment Management. All data is as of December 31, 2023. Please refer to the 2023 natural capital sustainable investing report for details.
12 Access of any type, including by permit, exclusive recreation lease, or open public access. 13 Includes North America staff only. Based on employee self-identification. 14 Combined result for timberland and agriculture in 2023 Gallup employee engagement survey.
Collaboration
As a steward of natural resources, we're committed to collaboration as a cornerstone of our business, and we seek to establish mutually beneficial relationships with organizations that can complement our strengths.
Important disclosures
Source: Manulife Investment Management. All data is as of December 31, 2022. All logos are registered trademarks of the respective organizations/firms represented. Manulife Investment Management is prompting each of the ESG actions shown through becoming a member of the respective programs or a partner with the organizations on these endeavors.
Transparency
Our commitment to transparency includes reporting on the outcomes of our sustainable investing efforts. We support the adoption of industry-wide standards for disclosure, including the framework outlined by the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD).
Our sustainability reports, policies, and disclosures for timberland and agriculture
Looking ahead
Even as we practice good stewardship, we remain focused on continuous improvement. By setting targets for what concrete steps we can take across our global forests and farms, we aim to ensure that the lands we manage today are productive for generations to come.
Increase postive and reduce negative impact on biodiversity
by setting and disclosing science-based targets
Expand Leading Harvest farmland certification
building on certification in Australia and expanding into Canada and Chile
Actively target increased diversity in our workforce
We recognize the importance—culturally, ethically, competitively, and financially—of diversity and inclusion.
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Stewardship in action
As a steward and manager of some of the world’s largest forestry and agricultural properties, we’ve been dedicated to enhancing and improving the communities and environments in which we work and live since our founding in 1985.
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