We are pleased to announce that TAM has signed the internationally recognised United Nations-supported Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI). This collaboration goes far in demonstrating our commitment to acting in the best long-term interests of our valued clients. It defines our acknowledgment that it is critical to embed environmental, social and governance risks within our everyday practice but also recognise the opportunities where we can make a tangible positive difference. The PRI are working to achieve an economically efficient, sustainable global financial system, by encouraging adoption of the principles and collaboration on their implementation, utilising the wealth of experience and resource that the PRI offers. By signing the principles, TAM will be able to build on our great work so far, benefitting from a global collaborative network, cutting-edge research and resources, and transparent reporting.
TAM’s journey to this point began over a decade ago when we launched our first investment portfolios with a responsible mandate. Our Sustainable World portfolios were incepted in 2013, in a slightly different guise, then branded ‘ethical’ due to their sole focus on avoiding harm through investments via ‘negative screening’. This remains a critical tool to investing responsibly, still embedded today, and forms the foundations we have built on by investing to ‘do good’. The 'harm avoidance' iteration of responsible investing extends into our Sharia portfolios, launched in 2014. Where the Sustainable World portfolios look to avoid harm by not investing in assets that lead to social and environmental issues, Sharia-compliant investments are governed by Sharia law, which is an Islamic religious law that acts as a code for living that all people of the Muslim faith should adhere to, including finances and investments.
These responsibly focused roots have undulated within the makeup of our company, permeating many different facets of the way we look today. For example, 2015 saw the launch of our workplace pension solution which now operates under a fully responsible investment mandate, taking our wealth of experience in harm avoidance investing and threading in the best ideas of environmentally and socially impactful investments. At present, TAM house £250m of assets within portfolios that sit within the responsible investment mandates outlined, not even considering the allocations to ESG and sustainability-focused investments which play a part in our flagship Active and Enhanced Passive portfolios. Or all those clients who opt in to offset their average carbon footprint each year, via our accredited offset initiative.
Our commitment to embedding responsibility within the fabric of our approach extends beyond our investments. Every year we run a range of charity events and initiatives with our clients and partners. Together, we have raised over £340,000 for a variety of local and international causes. This includes £205,000 donated via our unique You Give We Give initiative, which provides clients with an effortless way to boost donations to their favourite cause. Direct TAM GIA and ISA investors have the opportunity to donate up to 20% of their annual portfolio gain to a charity entirely of their choice, then TAM will increase that donation with an equal percentage of our management fee. Financial advisers can choose to support too, by donating an equal percentage of their ongoing fee.
We are tackling some huge fundraising challenges this year, including the #TAMCharityRide from Brussels to Amsterdam for Elizabeth’s Smile, and the National Three Peaks Challenge as part of our #4for2024 campaign for The Childhood Trust. If you needed evidence that the whole firm is onboard with this pursuit, then you’ll be pleased to see it is none other than our CEO jumping out of an aeroplane in September!
We have taken great strides in the sustainability space already this year, with the launch of our new hub solidifying our commitment to bringing clients along on TAM's sustainability journey.
Although we began this journey over a decade ago, we feel like we are only just getting started.
