Mutual fund
TIAA-CREF Social Choice Low Carbon Equity Fund
TickerTLWCXsocially responsible
Fund manager
TIAA Investments/Nuveen
Deforestation grade: Fund is invested in deforestation-risk agricultural commodity producer/traders, above the threshold of 0.5% and below 1.5%. Assigned a grade of D.
How we track deforestation-risk investments
D
13.56%
INVESTED IN DEFORESTATION-RISK COMPANIES
producers
AGRIBUSINESS
deforestation-risk producers and traders of palm oil, paper/pulp, rubber, timber, cattle, and soy
banks
BANKS AND LENDERS
that finance deforestation-risk agribusiness producers via lending and underwriting
consumers
MAJOR CONSUMER BRANDS
that use deforestation-risk agribusiness commodities in products
23
holdings flagged
14%
of assets flagged
This fund contains
 $144.43 MILLION invested 
in holdings flagged for deforestation risk
Along with its subsidiary Nuveen, TIAA is one of the largest pension funds in the U.S. Despite its reputation for social responsibility, TIAA is also one of the world's largest investors in fossil fuels and agribusiness, and the largest investor of farmland in the world, with almost 2 million acres of farmland on four continents worth as much as $10 billion. But TIAA's agribusiness investments and farmland deals are causing more harm than it lets on. These deals are driving land grabs, deforestation, and human rights violations, and they're squeezing out family farmers and rural communities. Demand that TIAA stop buying farmland and institute a No Deforestation Policy!
Sign the petition
producers
Commodity producers
3 holdings
0.95% of assets
$10.13 MILLION invested
banks
Banks and lenders
3 holdings
2.94% of assets
$31.35 MILLION invested
consumers
Major consumer brands
20 holdings
11% of assets
$113.09 MILLION invested
Commodity producers
Commodity producers
3 HOLDINGS
Companies that produce and trade palm oil, paper/pulp, rubber, timber, cattle, and soy, and have a past record or a significant risk of contributing to deforestation, land grabbing, and human rights abuses. Investing in any of these companies assigns a fund a grade of C if total producer exposure is below the threshold of 0.5%; a grade of D if below 1.5%; and a grade of F if above 1.5%.
3 HOLDINGS
  • % of portfolio
    $ invested
  • 1. Archer-Daniels Midland Co
    Soy producerPalm oil producer
    0.62%0.62% of portfolio
    $6.59M$6.59M invested
    Soy producerPalm oil producer
  • 2. Bunge Ltd
    Soy producerPaper/pulp producerPalm oil producer
    0.17%0.17% of portfolio
    $1.79M$1.79M invested
    Soy producerPaper/pulp producerPalm oil producer
  • 3. Hormel Foods Corp
    Soy producerCattle producer
    0.16%0.16% of portfolio
    $1.75M$1.75M invested
    Soy producerCattle producer
Banks and lenders
Banks and lenders
3 HOLDINGS
Financial institutions directly and indirectly involved in underwriting and lending to deforestation-risk producers and traders. Investing in any of these companies assigns a fund a grade of B (assuming there are no investments in producers).
3 HOLDINGS
  • % of portfolio
    $ invested
  • 1. JPMorgan Chase & Co
    1.52%1.52% of portfolio
    $16.22M$16.22M invested
  • 2. Morgan Stanley
    0.74%0.74% of portfolio
    $7.87M$7.87M invested
  • 3. Citigroup Inc
    0.68%0.68% of portfolio
    $7.25M$7.25M invested
Major consumer brands
Major consumer brands
20 HOLDINGS
Consumer goods retailers that source palm oil, paper/pulp, rubber, timber, cattle, and soy from deforestation-risk producers and traders and sell it to consumers worldwide. Investing in any of these companies assigns a fund a grade of B (assuming there are no investments in producers).
20 HOLDINGS
  • % of portfolio
    $ invested
  • 1. Procter & Gamble Co
    Paper/pulp major consumer brandPalm oil major consumer brand
    1.43%1.43% of portfolio
    $15.24M$15.24M invested
    Paper/pulp major consumer brandPalm oil major consumer brand
  • 2. The Home Depot Inc
    Cattle major consumer brandTimber major consumer brandRubber major consumer brandPaper/pulp major consumer brand
    1.33%1.33% of portfolio
    $14.17M$14.17M invested
    Cattle major consumer brandTimber major consumer brandRubber major consumer brandPaper/pulp major consumer brand
  • 3. PepsiCo Inc
    Soy major consumer brandPaper/pulp major consumer brandPalm oil major consumer brand
    1.13%1.13% of portfolio
    $12.09M$12.09M invested
    Soy major consumer brandPaper/pulp major consumer brandPalm oil major consumer brand
  • 4. Nike Inc Class B
    Cattle major consumer brandPaper/pulp major consumer brand
    0.88%0.88% of portfolio
    $9.34M$9.34M invested
    Cattle major consumer brandPaper/pulp major consumer brand
  • 5. Starbucks Corp
    Soy major consumer brandPaper/pulp major consumer brandPalm oil major consumer brand
    0.79%0.79% of portfolio
    $8.36M$8.36M invested
    Soy major consumer brandPaper/pulp major consumer brandPalm oil major consumer brand
View next 5
View more info
DATA AS OF 12/31/22
Financial performance
Performance data provided byMorningstarFind more financial data on TLWCX at Morningstar.com
Current fund
TLWCX
TIAA-CREF Social Choice Low Carbon Equity Fund
Family
TIAA Investments/Nuveen
Category
Large Blend
vs.
Benchmark
IVV
iShares Core S&P 500 ETF
Family
iShares from BlackRock
Category
Large Blend
Fund comparison settings
Investment timeline
Performance as of: 2/28/23
1 year
3 years
5 years
10 years
Benchmark
Suggested: S&P 500
IVV - iShares Core S&P 500 ETF
Fund comparison results
Compared to the benchmark, this fund has:
Higher 5-yr returns 
0.03% more in annualized returns
More invested in commodity producers 
0.67% more invested
More invested in banks and lenders 
0.29% more invested
Less invested in major consumer brands 
2.18% less invested
Current fund
TLWCX
TIAA-CREF Social Choice Low Carbon Equity Fund
Family
TIAA Investments/Nuveen
Category
Large Blend
vs.
Benchmark
IVV
iShares Core S&P 500 ETF
Family
iShares from BlackRock
Category
Large Blend
Fund comparison settings
Investment timeline
Performance as of: 2/28/23
1 year
3 years
5 years
10 years
Benchmark
Suggested: S&P 500
IVV - iShares Core S&P 500 ETF
Fund comparison results
Compared to the benchmark, this fund has:
Higher 5-yr returns 
0.03% more in annualized returns
More invested in commodity producers 
0.67% more invested
More invested in banks and lenders 
0.29% more invested
Less invested in major consumer brands 
2.18% less invested
Current fund
TLWCX
TIAA-CREF Social Choice Low Carbon Equity Fund
Family
TIAA Investments/Nuveen
Category
Large Blend
vs.
Benchmark
IVV
iShares Core S&P 500 ETF
Family
iShares from BlackRock
Category
Large Blend
Fund comparison settings
Investment timeline
Performance as of: 2/28/23
1 year
3 years
5 years
10 years
Benchmark
Suggested: S&P 500
IVV - iShares Core S&P 500 ETF
Fund comparison results
Compared to the benchmark, this fund has:
Higher 5-yr returns 
0.03% more in annualized returns
More invested in commodity producers 
0.67% more invested
More invested in banks and lenders 
0.29% more invested
Less invested in major consumer brands 
2.18% less invested
Month-end trailing returns  
Annualized returns
Deforestation analysis
1-yr
3-yr
5-yr
10-yr
Commodity producers
This fund
TLWCX - TIAA-CREF Social Choice Low Carbon Equity Fund
-5.78%
12%
9.82%
/
0.95% 
Benchmark
IVV - iShares Core S&P 500 ETF
-7.72%
12%
9.79%
12%
0.28% 
Fund compared to benchmark
 
1.94%
0.31%
0.03%
/
0.67%  higher
Find more financial data on TLWCX at Morningstar.com
Take Action
Call on U.S. investment firms to implement Deforestation and Land Grab-Free investment policies.
Find top-graded funds that avoid deforestation-risk investments.
Use Fossil Free Funds to check this fund's fossil fuel investments and carbon footprint.
More from Invest Your Values
See how mutual funds and ETFs are rated on issues ranging from fossil fuels, to deforestation, gender equality, guns, prisons, weapons, and tobacco: