Australian Ethical wins global UN PRI award for innovation in system stewardship

Congratulations to Australian Ethical for winning the United Nations 2026 Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI) Award for Innovation in system stewardship, recognising the company's multi-year climate stewardship strategy that targeted major Australian banks and insurers. The award, announced during PRI Investor Day at New York Climate Week, places the Australian fund manager among a global group of investors being recognised for efforts to turn responsible investment commitments into measurable real-world impact.

At the centre of the winning initiative was Australian Ethical’s work with Market Forces to redesign shareholder resolution strategies aimed at curbing fossil-fuel expansion finance. According to PRI, the approach helped lift investor support for climate-related resolutions at Australian financial institutions from as low as 6.7% to between 28% and 35% in some cases, including resolutions involving banks including NAB, Westpac and Macquarie Group.

The team at the PRI described Australian Ethical’s entry as an exceptionally strong example of system-level stewardship, combining a clear theory of change, strategic escalation, investor collaboration and measurable influence on financial-sector climate practices. For ethical investors in Australia, the award is a further sign that shareholder pressure, when sustained and carefully targeted, can move beyond symbolic protest and help reshape the policies of major financial institutions.