Ratings Roundup

The fund’s manager seeks to invest in a portfolio of 70-100 companies which not only achieve the fund’s financial objective, but also possess favourable environmental, social and governance (ESG) characteristics. This has mostly been achieved through the due diligence ensured by the team’s investment process which includes an ESG dashboard, QESG Score and input from the group’s in-house stewardship team, EOS. The fund scores well from a perspective of the engagement work undertaken by EOS and the investment team, however, because the investment team can make financially-led investment decisions, and are able to invest in companies that are at the early stages of transition to more sustainable practices, our analysis identifies a significant body of exposures to controversial activity, as well as a low alignment to the 3D Solutions. This, alongside a reporting protocol with room for improvement, sees the fund’s rating limited to Bronze.