Stockholm (NordSIP) – On Wednesday, Union Bancaire Privée (UBP) announced the launch of a new Positive Impact Equity strategy, as the demand for investment solutions that combine ethical aspects with performance continues to grow.
“We believe that listed equities can play an important role in the impact space. The fund provides access to many companies with world-leading technologies, truly inspirational businesses and a genuine desire to create change for the good,” says Victoria Leggett, Head of Responsible Investments at UBP, in a comment to NordSIP. Leggett will be responsible for managing the new fund together with another London-based European equity managers, Rupert Welchman.
As illustrated on UBP’s website, the strategy invests in companies with revenue streams which address the world’s most pressing environmental and societal challenges. “Every day confronts us with pictures and information highlighting the dramatic changes and problems that our world is facing. Climate change, and scarce resources and drinking water supply are just the beginning of a whole series of challenges. We cannot choose simply to brush aside these concerns, which could substantially change our own lives as well as those of the coming generations. Impact investing means engaging with businesses that demonstrate a clear intention to tackle these issues and contribute to change,” the managers comment.
One of the new product’s key characteristics is the integration of a measurement of non-financial performance alongside financial results, in a long-term approach. The portfolio will contain 25 to 35 stocks, and will express global themes through companies which meet measurable impact criteria. In order to develop the right tools, UBP has worked together with the Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL), a pioneering institution within the University of Cambridge working with influencers to build a sustainable economy.
“This strategy underlines our continued commitment to responsible investment. We are convinced that we are at a tipping point in demand, both from society and from nations, and that companies which help to solve society’s and the planet’s acute challenges are ideally positioned for steady growth over the coming decades,” says Nicolas Faller, Co-CEO of Asset Management at UBP, in a press release.
Leggett will discuss this new strategy together with two other experts on impact investing: Shade Duffy from global player AXA Investment Managers and Philip Rau from boutique private debt and equity manager responsAbility, at a lunch seminar on November 29 in Copenhagen. Email us if you would like to participate.
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