Depending on your super fund, this information may be easy or difficult to obtain. You will need to know your super fund and the underlying investment option/s you are invested in.
You will firstly need a list of the fossil fuel companies you are concerned about and then you simply compare the details of your underlying investment option to these.
In most cases the funds will be able to give you a listing of the top 10 Australian and international shares that they are currently invested in. Unless specifically noted that the fund does not invest in fossil fuel companies or the energy sector, you can expect that most Australian Super funds will have exposure to these companies, especially if the companies are in the top 100 on the ASX.
A lot of underlying investment options will have a fund fact sheet or fund profile that will provide you with the information you are seeking. You should be able to get this information off the super fund website or simply search for the investment fund via google etc. Most retail fund investment options will have this information readily available. You may have more difficulty getting it from Industry and corporate super funds.
Most funds will have some details on their website, look for investment options and it should link you to the required information or look for the Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) or fact sheet, if they have one. If you cannot locate it, call the super fund direct.
You may not be able to get a full list of shares that the funds invest in, as some fund managers will want to keep this information private as part of their intellectual property. It will really depend on the fund.
If you are with an industry fund, you may find it more difficult to obtain this information as they do not tend to provide the level of detail you are after, and if you do get the information it may be some months old.
If this is an area that concerns you, you may want to look at Ethical funds that exclude these types of companies or at a product that allows you to select your own investment options or direct shares to invest in.
If you would like help with the investments you select, speak to your financial adviser or contact one today.
