Fund Name | SRI Style | Product | Region | Asset Type | Launch Date | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Sarasin IE Sustainable Global Real Estate Equity Fund |
Sustainability Select | OEIC/Unit Trust | Global | Property | 06/12/2004 | |
Total assets under management: £18745.70 As at: 31/03/23 Contact: Christopher.cade@sarasin.co.uk |
||||||
OverviewThe Fund provides global exposure to prime real estate through predominantly investing in Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) and other listed property companies around the world. It's a compelling option for the 'concerned' investor, as it sets a higher threshold on environmental, social and governance issues when making investment decisions.
We believe property securities that meet our ESG threshold are attractive investment vehicles for investors wishing to gain exposure to this asset class:
Companies that take seriously their responsibilities to their customers, staff, local communities, the environment, and their shareholders will, we believe, tend on average to outperform operationally those that do not over the long term. |
||||||
FiltersFund informationSustainabilityEnvironmental policy Sustainability policy Limits exposure to carbon intensive industries Resource efficiency policy or theme Sustainability theme or focus Waste management policy or theme Favours cleaner, greener companies Sustainability focus Report against sustainability objectives Encourage more sustainable practices through stewardship Nature & BiodiversityDeforestation / palm oil policy Plastics policy / reviewing plastics Unsustainable / illegal deforestation exclusion policy Climate Change & EnergyNuclear exclusion policy Coal, oil & / or gas majors excluded Climate change / greenhouse gas emissions policy Invests in clean energy / renewables Fracking and tar sands excluded Fossil fuel reserves exclusion Energy efficiency theme Require net zero action plan from all/most companies Encourage transition to low carbon through stewardship activity Human RightsHuman rights policy Child labour exclusion Responsible supply chain policy or theme Social / EmploymentSocial policy Health & wellbeing policies or theme Labour standards policy Favours companies with strong social policies Meeting Peoples' Basic NeedsWater / sanitation policy or theme Demographic / ageing population theme Ethical Values Led ExclusionsEthical policies Animal welfare policy Animal testing exclusion policy Tobacco and related product manufacturers excluded Armaments manufacturers avoided Pornography avoidance policy Animal testing - excluded except if for medical purposes Civilian firearms production exclusion Banking & FinancialsPredatory lending exclusion Governance & ManagementGovernance policy Anti-bribery and corruption policy Avoids companies with poor governance Digital / cyber security policy Encourage board diversity e.g. gender Encourage TCFD alignment for banks & insurance companies UN sanctions exclusion Encourage higher ESG standards through stewardship activity Fund GovernanceESG integration strategy ESG factors included in Assessment of Value (AoV) report External (fund) committee has veto powers Asset Size & MetricsOver 50% small / mid cap companies How The Fund WorksBalances company 'pros and cons' / best in sector Negative selection bias Combines norms based exclusions with other SRI criteria Combines ESG strategy with other SRI criteria ESG weighted / tilt Focus on ESG risk mitigation SRI / ESG / Ethical policies explained on website Labels & AccreditationsSFDR Article 8 fund / product (EU) Intended Clients & Product OptionsIntended for investors interested in sustainability Bespoke SRI / ESG portfolios available (DFMs) Fund management company informationAbout The BusinessESG / SRI engagement (AFM company wide) Responsible ownership / stewardship policy or strategy (AFM company wide) Responsible ownership policy for non SRI funds (AFM company wide) Responsible ownership / ESG a key differentiator (AFM company wide) Diversity, equality & inclusion engagement policy (AFM company wide) Boutique / specialist fund management company Integrates ESG factors into all / most fund research In-house diversity improvement programme (AFM company wide) ResourcesIn-house responsible ownership / voting expertise Employ specialist ESG / SRI / sustainability researchers Use specialist ESG / SRI / sustainability research companies ESG specialists on all investment desks (AFM company wide) Collaborations & AffiliationsPRI signatory Climate Action 100+ or IIGCC member Fund EcoMarket partner GFANZ member (AFM company wide) AccreditationsUK Stewardship Code signatory (AFM company wide) PRI A+ rated (AFM company wide) Engagement ApproachRegularly lead collaborative ESG initiatives (AFM company wide) Encourage responsible corporate taxation (AFM company wide) Company Wide ExclusionsControversial weapons avoidance policy (AFM company wide) Tobacco avoidance policy (AFM company wide) Fossil fuel exclusion policy (AFM company wide) Do not invest in companies with fossil fuel reserves Climate & Net Zero TransitionEncourage carbon / greenhouse gas reduction (AFM company wide) Net Zero commitment (AFM company wide) Working towards a ‘Net Zero’ commitment (AFM company wide) Net Zero - have set a Net Zero target date (AFM company wide) TransparencyPublish full voting record (AFM company wide) Publish responsible ownership / stewardship report (AFM company wide) Full SRI policy information available on request Net Zero transition plan publicly available (AFM company wide) Sustainability transition plan publicly available (AFM company wide) |
||||||
PolicyThe Fund seeks to achieve long-term growth though investment in the shares of global real estate companies and the global real estate investment trust markets with an overlay of sustainable criteria. Sustainable research is undertaken on all real estate equities. This leads to many companies being excluded from the investible universe. The main criteria for the assessment of sustainability are the risks and opportunities linked with an investment. For example, this may relate to social issues, products and production methods on one hand and the opportunities arising out of environmentally friendly and/or socially favourable products and technologies on the other hand. The application of exclusion criteria and the best-of-class approach help avoid certain activities and industries with an unfavourable return/risk-profile. The best-in-class-approach helps us to identify companies which are not only lower risk but also better prepared/placed for a future (more sustainable) industry. |
||||||
ProcessThe sustainability analyst is responsible for interpreting information on the basis of a comprehensive list of criteria. The results are converted into scores and entered into a proprietary database (Sustainable Value Builder). It is then assessed using a numerical scoring system. The analyst conducts a plausibility check and refines it where required. Finally, there is a peer review. The scoring is then put into the Sarasin Sustainability Matrix®. The SRI criteria include the following:
|
||||||
Resources, Affiliations & Corporate StrategiesInternal Resources All of our analysts and portfolio managers consider ESG factors when discussing stock ideas and building an investment case. Thus, we consider the entire team an ESG resource.
The stewardship specialists are directly responsible for engagement efforts, and work with the analysts to help them develop their ESG analysis and ratings for stocks.
Whilst the analysts own their ratings, this must be approved by the stewardship team to ensure joint accountability. It is important to note that our stewardship specialists are part of the global equity team, and are involved in team discussions and decisions.
We utilise our own framework and ratings systems to represent our proprietary ESG analysis. This analysis is bottom-up and driven by extensive primary research carried out by our analysts, supplemented with ESG data from MSCI, ISS and other sources.
Affiliations and Memberships In addition to the UN PRI, we are signatories to the 2020 UK Stewardship Code – and passed the Financial Reporting Council’s assessment for this in September 2021s. Other memberships / initiatives including those listed below, are often the forum in which we work to improve ESG standards and taxonomy:
ENVIRONMENTAL
SOCIAL
GOVERNANCE
We also support The Local Authority Pension Fund Forum (LAPFF).
Many of these commitments provide us with a network of peers and supporters for key ESG related issues. It is important for us to remain engaged with group advocacy work, collaborative endeavours, such as engagements, but also to keep aware of best practice.
Often, we find these networks to be useful sources of data and information either on a broad ESG related issue or on company specific metrics that may not be found in other sources. While the majority of our company engagements are pursued on our own, as outlined in later responses, we will collaborate with other investors where we are seeking to escalate due to resistance from the board or executives. Often having a larger shareholding united on a matter of concern can be more impactful. Wherever we explore collaboration, we ensure the steps we take are consistent with local laws and regulations. In certain cases, these collaborations link into broader initiatives that we support, such as ICCR Covid-19 engagement; the Workforce Disclosure Initiative; the Ellen MacArthur global commitment on recycling; or Climate Action 100+. |
||||||
DialshifterThis fund is helping to ‘shift the dial from brown to green’ by… …through our belief that the most crucial way in which we as a firm can have an impact on sustainability is through our stewardship work with investee companies. Responsible investment has the power to deliver enduring value to clients in a way that benefits society. Equally, wealth creation at society’s expense is likely to be ephemeral. Our approach has three tenets:
Our organisation is helping to support the Paris Climate Agreement and the Race to Net Zero by… … pressing investee companies to align with the Paris climate goals:
We also promote policy through policy outreach and public statements. |
||||||
Literature
Disclaimer: This document is for investment professionals only and should not be relied upon by private investors. This information has been issued by Sarasin & Partners LLP, a limited liability partnership registered in England & Wales with registered number OC329859, and which is authorised and regulated by the UK Financial Conduct Authority with firm reference number 475111. information on which the document is based has been obtained from sources that we believe to be reliable, and in good faith, but we have not independently verified such information and no representation or warranty, express or implied, is made as to their accuracy. All expressions of opinion are subject to change without notice. The value of your investments and any income derived from them can fall as well as rise and you may not get back the amount originally invested. If investing in foreign currencies, the return in the investor’s reference currency may increase or decrease as a result of currency fluctuations. Past performance is not a reliable guide to future returns and may not be repeated. Neither Sarasin & Partners LLP nor any other member of the J. Safra Sarasin Holding Ltd group accepts liability or responsibility whatsoever for any consequential loss of any kind arising out of the use of this document or any part of its contents. The use of this document should not be regarded as a substitute for the exercise by the recipient of his or her own judgement. Sarasin & Partners LLP and/or any person connected with it may act upon or make use of the material referred to herein and/or any of the information upon which it is based, prior to publication of this document. © 2023 Sarasin & Partners LLP – all rights reserved. Proprietary and confidential. Do not distribute without written permission. Last amended: 13/06/23 09:28 |
This report is for information purposes only and is intended to complement existing services used by UK based financial advisers only. sriServices is not authorised to give investment advice. The information on this site does not in any way constitute advice, recommendation or endorsement of any product or service. Investment decisions should not be based on this information alone. sriServices cannot be held in any way responsible for decisions made or advice offered as a result of using this site.
Whilst we take care to ensure information is as accurate as possible at time of publication we recommend you/financial advisers confirm specific fund details with fund providers. Please see www.sriServices.co.uk for additional information and for our contact details.
© Copyright sriServices 2024
05/01/2024