Summary
The principal objective of this Sub-Fund is to responsibly capture investment opportunities by investing its assets in a diversified portfolio of funds having a sustainability component in order to provide investors with regular return, stability of the value while respecting the principle of diversifying investment risks.
It promotes environmental (E) and social (S) characteristics but does not have as its objective sustainable investment. However, it will have a minimum proportion of 10% of sustainable investments.
To promote these characteristics, the Sub-Fund will invest at least two thirds of its assets in funds classified as Article 8 and 9 products under the EU Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation (SFDR). It monitors the underlying funds to make sure they promote E/S characteristics, have sustainability indicators to measure the attainment of those E/S characteristics and respect their own principles towards E and S.
This Sub-Fund invests part of its assets in sustainable investments whose objectives may include
- environmental objectives such as climate change mitigation through resource efficiency: for example, through investments in funds with revenues from products or services that help reduce the consumption of energy, raw materials, and other resources
- social objectives such as major disease treatment: for example, through investments in funds with revenues from products or services for the treatment or diagnosis of major diseases of the world.
As part of its due diligence selection process, the investment manager seeks to select funds which have set up a proper process to ensure that the sustainable investments they invest in do no significant harm. In addition, the Investment Manager will monitor that the aggregate Sub-Fund and the selected underlying funds comply with the EU’s “Do No Significant Harm” principle applicable to sustainable investments.
It is part of the process to select funds which take into account the possible adverse impacts on sustainability factors when selecting sustainable investments. In addition, the Investment Manager will monitor the indicators chosen by the relevant selected funds.
It is part of the process to select funds which include norm-based screening in their investment process. In addition, the Investment Manager will monitor the exclusion policy - including norm-based exclusion - chosen by the relevant selected funds.
Funds are selected in a multi-level review process based on both positive and negative criteria (exclusion). Sustainability research relies on the Investment Manager’s proprietary ESG analysis which focuses on a thorough understanding of how responsible the selected funds and their asset managers are.
At least two thirds of the Sub-Fund’s exposure to underlying funds will be made of funds classified as Article 8 and 9 products under the EU Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation (SFDR), including a minimum of 10% in environmentally and/or socially sustainable investments.
The binding criteria used to attain each
of the environmental and/or social characteristics promoted by the Sub-Fund are integrated in control systems, to ensure pre- and post‑trade checks. Compliance is monitored by the Risk department on an ongoing basis.
The Investment Manager uses data from different sources, including information reported directly by fund providers or gathered through indirect engagement or third-party data providers such as, but not limited to, MSCI ESG Research, Morningstar/Sustainalytics or Bloomberg Finance L.P..
Depending on the metric considered, some data may be estimated by data providers. Although the Investment Manager applies a thorough selection process of third-party providers, their processes and proprietary ESG methodology may be flawed. As a result, there is a risk of incorrectly assessing an issuer, resulting in an inappropriate capture of ESG risks and potential incorrect inclusion or exclusion in the product. This is expected to have limited impact on the overall environmental and/or social characteristics promoted by the product.
The investment due diligence process ensures that the investment decisions comply with the objectives and the investment strategy of the Sub-Fund. The consideration of sustainability-related risks is integrated into the investment decision-making process to ensure better-informed investment decisions as well as awareness of the risk exposure. The first level of due diligence is conducted by the Investment Manager, while the second level is conducted by the Risk department.
As the Sub-Fund is a fund of funds, the Investment Manager does not directly engage with issuers. However, it engages with fund providers when it identifies that a holding may be conflicting with UBP’s Responsible Investment policy.
Moreover, the Investment Manager also monitors the engagement activities of the investee funds.
No reference benchmark has been designated for the purpose of attaining the environmental or social characteristics promoted by this Sub-Fund.
For more information, please see the fund’s Sustainability-related disclosures.
