The aim of the Positive Impact Equity strategy is to generate superior long-term returns by investing in companies with revenue streams which address the world’s most pressing environmental and societal challenges. The measurement of non-financial performance alongside financial results, in a long-term approach, will be one of the strategy’s key characteristics. The portfolio of 25–35 stocks will primarily be invested in global themes through companies which meet measurable impact criteria. UBP has therefore developed its measurement framework in collaboration with the Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL), a pioneering institution within the University of Cambridge working with influencers to build a sustainable economy.
Commenting on the launch, Nicolas Faller, Co-CEO of Asset Management at UBP said:
“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.”
The strategy will be managed by London-based European equity managers Victoria Leggett and Rupert Welchman. Victoria Leggett, also Head of Responsible Investment for Asset Management at UBP, added:
“Impact investment in listed equity is a compelling and accessible way for the investor to allocate capital wisely, and genuinely ‘move the needle’ in the fight to restore our planet and bring balance to society. The Positive Impact Equity strategy is comprised of carefully selected, often little-understood companies with exciting business models and strong prospects.”
As part of its ongoing commitment to responsible investment, UBP has been a signatory of the United Nations Principles for Responsible Investment (UN PRI) since 2012. More recently, the Bank joined the CISL’s ‘Investment Leaders Group’, a global network of pension funds, insurers and asset managers committed to advancing the practice of responsible investment. UBP is also a member of Swiss Sustainable Finance (SSF) and of Sustainable Finance Geneva (SFG).