Fund Name | SRI Style | Product | Region | Asset Type | Launch Date | |
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BNY Mellon Sustainable Real Return Fund |
ESG Plus | OEIC/Unit Trust | Global | Mixed Asset | 24/04/2018 | |
Fund Size: £405.16m Total screened & themed / SRI assets: £3633.63 Total Responsible Ownership assets: £83318.10 Total assets under management: £83318.10 As at: 31/03/23 Contact: Ryan Grey, Sales - Intermediary (UK) ryan.grey@bnymellon.com |
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OverviewThe Fund seeks a balance between the current and future requirements of stakeholders. It aims to encourage a better allocation of capital that leads to the generation of sustainable risk-adjusted returns for clients alongside improved long-term global outcomes for society and the environment. The Fund looks to invest in well-run businesses that both have durable financial and competitive positions and manage positively the impacts of their operations and products on the environment and society. It seeks to avoid investment in companies that are involved in market failures. Market failures include harmful monopolies, companies which have a negative impact on the environment and companies which produce goods or services that can have a negative impact on society. |
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FiltersFund informationSustainabilityLimits exposure to carbon intensive industries Sustainability theme or focus UN Global Compact linked exclusion policy Sustainability focus Encourage more sustainable practices through stewardship Transition focus Climate Change & EnergyClimate change / greenhouse gas emissions policy Invests in clean energy / renewables Clean / renewable energy theme or focus Energy efficiency theme Require net zero action plan from all/most companies Paris aligned fund strategy Encourage transition to low carbon through stewardship activity Social / EmploymentFavours companies with strong social policies Ethical Values Led ExclusionsAnimal welfare policy Tobacco and related product manufacturers excluded Armaments manufacturers avoided Alcohol production excluded Gambling avoidance policy Pornography avoidance policy Civilian firearms production exclusion Governance & ManagementAvoids companies with poor governance Encourage board diversity e.g. gender UN sanctions exclusion Encourage higher ESG standards through stewardship activity Fund GovernanceESG integration strategy Asset Size & MetricsInvests in small, mid and large cap companies Invests mostly in large cap companies How The Fund WorksBalances company 'pros and cons' / best in sector Limited / few ethical exclusions* Positive selection bias ESG weighted / tilt SRI / ESG / Ethical policies explained on website Intended Clients & Product OptionsIntended for investors interested in sustainability 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) Vote all* shares at AGMs / EGMs (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 Collaborations & AffiliationsPRI signatory Climate Action 100+ or IIGCC member Fund EcoMarket partner TNFD forum member (AFM company wide) Investment Association (IA) member AccreditationsUK Stewardship Code signatory (AFM company wide) Engagement ApproachRegularly lead collaborative ESG initiatives (AFM company wide) Engaging on climate change issues Engaging with fossil fuel companies on climate change Engaging to reduce plastics pollution / waste Engaging to encourage responsible mining practices Engaging on biodiversity / nature issues Engaging on human rights issues Engaging on labour / employment issues Engaging on diversity, equality and / or inclusion issues Engaging on governance issues Engaging on responsible supply chain issues Engaging to encourage a Just Transition Company Wide ExclusionsControversial weapons avoidance policy (AFM company wide) 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) Carbon transition plan published (AFM company wide) Carbon offsetting - offset carbon as part of our net zero plan (AFM company wide) In-house carbon / GHG reduction policy (AFM company wide) Net Zero - have set a Net Zero target date (AFM company wide) Committed to SBTi / Science Based Targets Initiative TransparencyPublish full voting record (AFM company wide) Publish responsible ownership / stewardship report (AFM company wide) Full SRI policy information on company website Full SRI policy information available on request Net Zero transition plan publicly available (AFM company wide) |
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PolicyThe mainstay of our Sustainable product range is to generate sustainable risk-adjusted returns for clients alongside improved long-term global outcomes for society and the environment. The process is derived from a combination of ‘exclusions’ of what we would always seek to avoid and ‘inclusions’ of what we consider to be part of our Sustainable investment spectrum (solution providers, balance stakeholders, and transition businesses). In our Sustainable portfolios, we seek to identify and select businesses that demonstrate the following attributes (and are classified accordingly):
The overall framework is reviewed regularly and may evolve/shift over time.
Red lines/hard exclusions** The Fund is subject to a set of exclusion criteria referred to as the ‘Red Lines’. These Red Lines include companies that are deemed to be harmful from an environmental or social perspective. The red lines consist of:
Precautionary pool For areas that have been identified as having controversies or the potential to cause harm (such as fossil fuels other than thermal coal, animal welfare, conventional defense, and nuclear power) but are not covered by the red lines, sustainable portfolio managers are alerted, when considering such investments, to review the controversial activity through what is referred to as the “precautionary pool”. The precautionary pool includes companies that have been flagged in relation to their involvement in heavy-emitting industries, hold exposures to activities that are red lined, but at lower revenue thresholds, and areas such as nuclear power and animal welfare, where there may be nuances in the investment case that are deemed important to be highlighted.
**We use a combination of external ESG service providers (currently MSCI, Sustainalytics and Vigeo Eiris).
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ProcessInvestment themes* Fundamental research is the lifeblood of Newton, and our multidimensional research platform looks to deliver world-class insights in pursuit of the best outcomes for our clients. One of the key inputs to our research process is our investment themes, which help to shape our research agenda and support our portfolio construction. We believe that themes – which represent powerful transformational ‘micro’ and ‘macro’ shifts across economies and industries – are only growing in importance, and that their influence on our investment landscape has never been greater. Themes can provide our investment team with a long-range lens to view clearly the structural changes that are taking place across the globe, and to look beyond often-superficial classifications like sectors or countries of domicile. They can alert the team to the new opportunities that change creates and help us to identify the emerging risks that threaten to impair the value of investments.
Investment decisions The Real Return team builds the portfolio from the best ideas from across the house. The analysts’ recommendations are framed in the context of themes which they believe will drive the global economy going forward. The context provided by these themes* can be global or region-specific. If a theme has particular prominence, it is likely to influence (among other factors such as the point in the market cycle) how much exposure there is to an individual security. The portfolio is structured such that it has a return-seeking core and a stabilizing layer. The return-seeking core is designed to generate the lion’s share of the returns and is comprised of asset classes such as equities, corporate bonds, emerging market debt and alternatives. The stabilizing layer is comprised of both direct protection (derivative instruments) and indirect protection (for example government bonds and gold). The allocation between the two layers is determined by the team’s views on the global macroeconomic backdrop. Once the allocation to the return-seeking core and stabilizing layer has been established, the team focuses on the composition of those areas. There is no predetermined asset allocation and individual securities are evaluated on a case-by-case basis in the context of the overall portfolio. There are also a number of additional portfolio construction considerations that feed into the process: security valuations are assessed, as well as how individual holdings fit together within the core. Moreover, as each new idea is added to the portfolio, the team evaluates whether it is providing genuine diversification or if they are doubling up on our risk exposure in a particular area. We are constantly evolving the breadth of asset classes held in the strategy as the market itself develops. The ultimate aim of the return-seeking core construction process is to harvest alpha. Once the return-seeking core is assembled, the stabilizing layer is used to either dampen or increase the volatility and equity risk beta, based on where we are in the market cycle. The team identifies the risks in the portfolio that it wants to hedge and considers the cost of doing so as well as the opportunity cost. The simplest strategy used is to buy put options or futures on equity indices to hedge out market risk. Depending on the team’s view of the market, it may use shorter-term put options to hedge a varying proportion of the market risk in their equity holdings. The team also buys government bonds to provide a layer of downside protection. Depending on the team’s view of interest rates and level of protection, the team will buy different global government bonds and manage the duration. Gold is another asset used to act as a diversifier to hedge against a fall in equity markets. The Newton Sustainable Real Return strategy depends on the input, perspective and interaction of a large number of individuals. However, the final capital allocation decisions for the strategy are the collective responsibility of Philip Shucksmith and Matthew Brown, along with input from the research analysts.
At different points in time, we see certain business, investment and portfolio characteristics as important when seeking returns. We seek particular investment characteristics according to our long-term view on the global investment environment. Different environments lead us to change dynamically the size of the return-seeking core and to favor different security characteristics. The strategy is actively managed, and we are confident in our ability to meet our long-term objective in different market conditions, as a result of a very flexible and pragmatic investment approach. The flexibility afforded by the strategy's unconstrained nature allows the portfolio managers to adjust the portfolio's allocations nimbly to reflect changes in the market backdrop. The strategy is not compelled to invest in all asset classes at all times; instead, it takes a selective approach to investment in different asset classes on the basis of their underlying investment characteristics.
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Resources, Affiliations & Corporate StrategiesRI Team Newton has a dedicated team of full-time RI analysts. The four-person team is embedded within Newton’s global research team and is led by Newton's head of sustainable investing, Andrew Parry. Andrew is responsible for developing our sustainable investment offering and communicating our approach to responsible investment to our global client base. The RI team further includes Ian Burger, head of responsible investment, and two RI analysts (Lloyd McAllister and Rebecca White). Additionally, Sakshi Bahl, an employee of BNY Mellon Operations India (based in Pune), provides research support to Newton’s RI team.
The RI team collaborates closely with the rest of our centralised global research team (which also consists of thematic, quant and strategy analysts as well as equity industry and credit analysts) to ensure that ESG risks and opportunities are fully understood and factored into the investment case for a company. The team also engages with portfolio managers to contribute to investment decisions, particularly within the sustainable strategy range.
List of Newton’s RI related memberships
PRI membership Newton have been a signatory of the UN Principles of Responsible Investment (PRI) since 2007, and we are ranked A+ across all areas of the PRI’s annual assessment.
Collaboration Where appropriate and aligned with the interests of our clients, we work with others across our industry and civil society (including other investors, industry bodies, non-governmental organisations, academics and other specialists) to ensure good oversight and regulation, and to drive the positive change that leads to better outcomes for stakeholders. This makes us better-informed and engaged participants in the broad dialogue on social and environmental issues.
In addition to our annual engagement priorities discussed in part one of the document, broad areas of focus for collaboration include promoting climate resilience, supporting diversity and inclusion, and preventing acts of modern slavery and human trafficking.
Among the many organisations with which we play an active role are the UN PRI, the International Corporate Governance Network, the Workforce Disclosure Initiative, the Transition Pathway Initiative, The Institutional Investors Group on Climate Change, and the Investment Association’s Stewardship Working Group. . Please Note: PRI A+ rated (AFM Company Wide): We were rated A+ in 2020 but recently PRI has changed their types of ratings. Please refer to our latest scores are detailed on our website here: https://www.newtonim.com/uk-institutional/responsible-investment/ |
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DialshifterOur organization is helping to support the Paris Climate Agreement and the Race to Net Zero by...
NIM became a signatory to the Net Zero Asset Managers Initiative in March 2021. We have published details of our approach here: https://www.newtonim.com/uk-institutional/insights/net-zero/. We have aligned ourselves with an independent methodology produced by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi). We are committing to having 50% of our financial emissions covered by credible net-zero plans by 2030, with the aim of reaching 100% by 2040. We seek to meet these headline targets via a range of transparent measures around investments in climate ‘solution providers’, engagement with fossil-fuel companies to support their energy transition and advocating for supportive government and industry regulation. |
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Literature
Dislaimer IMPORTANT INFORMATION BNY Mellon is the corporate brand of The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation and its subsidiaries. Issued in the UK by BNY Mellon Investment Management EMEA Limited, BNY Mellon Centre, 160 Queen Victoria Street, London EC4V 4LA. Registered in England No. 1118580. Authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Assets under management (AUM) relates to the combined assets managed by the Newton Investment Management group. From 1 September 2021, Newton group of companies includes Newton Investment Management Limited (NIM) and Newton Investment Management North America LLC (NIMNA). For a full list of risks applicable to this Fund, please refer to the Prospectus or other offering documents. Please refer to the prospectus and the KID/ KIID before making any investment decisions. Documents are available in English and an official language of the jurisdictions in which the Fund is registered for public sale. Go to www.bnymellon.com. The Fund can invest more than 35% of net assets in different Transferable Securities and Money Market Instruments issued or guaranteed by any EEA State, its local authorities, a third country or public international bodies of which one or more EEA States are members. Benchmark: The Fund will measure its performance before fees against SONIA (30-day compounded) +4% per annum over five years as a target benchmark (the "Benchmark"). SONIA is a nearly risk-free rate meaning no bank credit risk is included, the rate can rise or fall as a result of central bank policy decisions or changing economic conditions. The Fund will use the Benchmark as a target for the Fund's performance to match or exceed because, in typical market conditions, it represents a target that will be equal to or greater than UK inflation rates over the same period and is commensurate with the Investment Manager's approach. The Fund is actively managed, which means the Investment Manager has discretion over the selection of investments, subject to the investment objective and policies as disclosed in the Prospectus. The Fund is a sub-fund of BNY Mellon Investment Funds, an open-ended investment company with variable capital (ICVC) with limited liability between sub-funds. Incorporated in England and Wales: registered number IC27. The Authorised Corporate Director (ACD) is BNY Mellon Fund Managers Limited (BNY MFM), incorporated in England and Wales: No. 1998251. Registered address: BNY Mellon Centre, 160 Queen Victoria Street, London EC4V 4LA. Authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Fund performance calculated as total return, including reinvested income net of UK tax and charges, based on net asset value. All figures are in GBP terms. The impact of an initial charge (currently not applied) can be material on the performance of your investment. Further information is available upon request. Returns may increase or decrease as a result of currency fluctuations. Costs incurred when purchasing, holding, converting or selling any investment, will impact returns. RISK WARNING - Performance Aim Risk: The performance aim is not a guarantee, may not be achieved and a capital loss may occur. Funds which have a higher performance aim generally take more risk to achieve this and so have a greater potential for returns to vary significantly. A complete description of risk factors is set out in the Prospectus in the section entitled "Risk Factors".
Last amended: 06/10/23 09:35 |
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05/05/2024