Sustainable Finance and Responsible Investments

Sustainable Finance

The Sustainability Financing Framework outlines a set of parameters regarding the use and classification, process of evaluation and selection, management, and transparency of Sustainable Financing undertaken at the University of Melbourne.

Students sitting on grass with clocktower in background

To ensure regulatory compliance, the University has also sought Second Party Opinions (SPOs) to verify that:

  1. The Sustainability Financing Framework aligns with Green Bond Principles (“GBP”), Social Bond Principles (“SBP”), Sustainability Bond Guidelines (“SBG”), Green Loan Principles (“GLP”) and Social Loan Principles (“SLP”).
  2. All issued green bonds adhere to the Sustainability Financing Framework.

Sustainability Financing Framework

The Sustainability Financing Framework (SFF) has been developed to demonstrate how the University intends to enter into Green, Social or Sustainability (“GSS”) transactions with proceeds earmarked to finance, or refinance, projects, assets and expenditures that will deliver positive environmental and/or social outcomes to support the University’s strategy, vision and purpose.

Download the SFF

Sustainability Financing Framework Second Party Opinion

The Sustainability Financing Framework Second Party Opinion is an independent assessment of the suitability and soundness of the Sustainability Financing Framework.

Download the Second Party Opinion

Green Bond Second Party Opinion

The Green Bond Second Party Opinion is an independent assessment that verifies the alignment of the green bond issuance with principles established in the University of Melbourne’s Sustainability Financing Framework.

Responsible Investments

The University’s Sustainable Investment Framework (SIF) outlines the University's approach to sustainability, particularly climate change, in its investment portfolios and processes. In line with the commitments set out in the previous Sustainability Plan 2017–2020, the SIF ensures that we integrate climate change risk more systematically into investment management.

The SIF is currently under review and will be updated in the first half of 2024 to reflect the Responsible Investment commitments in the Sustainability Plan 2030. This includes enhanced transparent reporting on our investment portfolio. Responsible Investment metrics are published in the annual Sustainability Report.

Contact

For queries or feedback relating to sustainable finance, please contact us at:
corporate-finance@unimelb.edu.au