RLP Sustainable World Trust Pn

SRI Style:

Sustainable Style

SDR Labelling:

-

Product:

Pension

Fund Region:

Global

Fund Asset Type:

Mixed Asset

Launch Date:

25/06/2018

Last Amended:

Aug 2024

Dialshifter ():

Fund Size:

£711.62m

(as at: 30/06/2024)

ISIN:

GB00BFFK8W73

Sustainable, Responsible
&/or ESG Overview:

This Pension product is linked to the ""Royal London Sustainable World Trust" fund. The following information refers to the primary (OIEC) fund.

 

We believe that owners and managers of capital play a strong role as a catalyst for positive social and environmental change. The Sustainable investment process is fundamentally based on positive screening, through a holistic analysis of a company’s sustainability, focusing on its products, services, and operations. Through this, we seek to find companies providing a positive contribution to society. We seek to invest in companies compliant with the UN Global Compact and its ten principles which cover human rights, labour, environment, and anti-corruption.

Products and services undergo extensive desk-based research and are assessed alongside an exclusionary policy, with a 0% revenue tolerance applied to armaments manufacturing, tobacco manufacturing, nuclear power generation, and animal testing (other than for purposes of human or animal health). Companies with inadequate policies or systems in animal welfare, pornography, gambling, and alcohol are also excluded.

Primary fund last amended:

Aug 2024

Information directly from fund manager.

Fund Filters

Sustainability - General
Sustainability policy

Funds that have policies that consider (environmental and social) sustainability issues. Strategies vary but are likely to consider environmental issues like climate change, carbon emissions, biodiversity loss, resource management, environmental impacts; and social issues like equal opportunities, human rights, labour standards, diversity and adherence to internationally recognised codes. See fund information.

Sustainability focus

Find funds which substantially focus on sustainability issues

Sustainability theme or focus

Find funds where there is a significant emphasis on (environmental and social) sustainability. Funds with a 'sustainability theme' typically place more emphasis on the area than funds with a 'sustainability policy' - meaning that it is more likely to drive investment selection. Strategies vary. See fund information for further detail.

Sustainable transport policy or theme

Find funds that have documented policies or thematic investment approaches relating to investment in more sustainable, greener transport methods. These will typically set out a preference for companies that run, enable or support more sustainable methods of transport. See fund information for further detail.

Encourage more sustainable practices through stewardship

A core element of these funds aim to encourage higher sustainability standards across business practices through responsible ownership / stewardship / engagement / voting activity

UN Global Compact linked exclusion policy

Find funds that use the UN Global Compact to inform or help direct where they can or cannot invest and will typically not invest in companies with significant breaches (low standards) - although strategies vary. (The UNGC covers a wide range of issues - search 'UNGC'). See https://unglobalcompact.org/

Circular economy theme

Fund has a theme or investment strand focused on the shift to a circular economy (where products are reused and recycled not incinerated or dumped). See eg https://www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/topics/circular-economy-introduction/overview

Environmental - General
Environmental policy

Funds that have policies which relate to environmental issues. These will typically set out the fund's stance on issues such as pollution, climate change, resource management, biodiversity loss, carbon emissions, plastics and/or additional environmental impacts. Strategies vary. See fund information for further information.

Limits exposure to carbon intensive industries

Funds that limit or 'reduce' their exposure to carbon intensive industries (ie sectors which are major contributors to climate change. Funds vary - some funds may be 'underweight' in this area which means they may have some investment in highly carbon intensive areas. Funds of this kind may choose companies they consider to be 'best in sector' and encourage ever higher standards. Strategies vary. See fund information for further details.

Environmental damage and pollution policy

Funds that have written policies explaining the approach they take when companies damage the environment or are significant polluters. Funds of this kind may work with companies to encourage higher standards, or exclude companies - sometimes dependent on the situation. Strategies vary. See fund information for further detail.

Favours cleaner, greener companies

Funds that aim to invest in companies with strong or market leading environmental policies and practices. Strategies vary - in particular the balance between 'financial' aspects and environmental benefits. Some may invest substantially in solutions or 'positive impact' companies - others may invest in more conventional companies providing certain environmental criteria are met. See fund information for further detail.

Climate Change & Energy
Coal, oil & / or gas majors excluded

Funds that avoid investing in major coal, oil and/or gas (extraction) companies. Funds vary: some may exclude all companies that extract oil. Others may have exposure to oil extraction via more diversified energy companies. See fund literature to confirm details.

Fracking and tar sands excluded

Funds that avoid companies involved in fracking and tar sands - which are widely regarded as controversial methods of oil and gas extraction. Strategies vary. See fund information for further information.

Arctic drilling exclusion

Funds that avoid companies that are involved in extracting oil from the Arctic regions. See fund literature for further details.

Fossil fuel reserves exclusion

Funds that avoid investing in companies with coal, oil and gas reserves. See fund information for further details.

Clean / renewable energy theme or focus

Find funds where investment in clean / renewable energy companies an other assets is central to their investment selection strategy. The proportion of the fund that is directly or indirectly invested in renewable energy varies between funds and over time. See fund information for further details.

Encourage transition to low carbon through stewardship activity

A core element of these funds will aim to encourage the transition to lower carbon activities through responsible ownership / stewardship / engagement / voting activity

Energy efficiency theme

Fund funds that have an energy efficiency theme - typically meaning that a fund manager is focused on investing in organisations that manage - or help others to manage - energy use more carefully and less wastefully - and so reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Invests in clean energy / renewables

Funds that hold companies in the clean energy and renewable energy sectors (at the time research was supplied). Fund strategies vary, in particular the proportion of investment in these areas may vary significantly. Check fund literature for details.

Nuclear exclusion policy

Find funds that have policies which say they avoid or limit their investment in the nuclear industry. Strategies vary. See fund information for further detail.

Fossil fuel exploration exclusion - direct involvement

The fund manager excludes companies with direct involvement in fossil fuel exploration (eg coal, oil and gas companies)

Social / Employment
Social policy

Find funds that have policies which set out their approach to social issues (e.g. human rights, labour standards, equal opportunities, child labour and adherence to internationally recognised codes such as the UN Global Compact). Funds with social policies typically avoid companies with low standards or work to encourage higher standards. See fund information for detail.

Ethical Values Led Exclusions
Ethical policies

Find funds that have policies that set out their position on ethical or 'personal values' based issues. Strategies vary. See fund information for further detail.

Tobacco and related product manufacturers excluded

Companies are excluded if they are involved in any aspect of the production chain for tobacco products, including cigarettes, vaping, e-cigarettes, chewing tobacco and cigars.

Armaments manufacturers avoided

Find funds that avoid companies that manufacture products intended specifically for military use. Fund strategies vary - particularly with regard to non-strategic military products. See fund literature for fund specific details.

Civilian firearms production exclusion

Find funds with a written civilian firearms exclusion policy - meaning that they will not invest in companies that make (or perhaps also sell) handguns made for non-military users.

Gambling avoidance policy

Find funds that avoid companies with significant involvement in the gambling industry. Some funds may allow a small proportion of profits to come from this area. See fund policy for further details.

Pornography avoidance policy

Find funds that avoid companies that derive significant income from pornography and related areas. Strategies vary. See fund details for further information.

Animal welfare policy

Find funds with policies that require specific animal welfare standards to be met. These may reference well-known welfare standards (3Rs - Replace, Reduce, Refine) or certification schemes. Strategies vary. See fund information for further detail.

Animal testing - excluded except if for medical purposes

Find funds that avoid companies that test their products on animals for purposes other than medical benefit (e.g. for cosmetics). Strategies vary. See fund literature for further information.

Meeting Peoples' Basic Needs
Healthcare / medical theme

Healthcare and or medical theme or area of investment - the fund may have a single theme or many themes

Gilts & Sovereigns
Invests in gilts / government bonds

Find funds that invest in loans issued the government, commonly known as gilts or government bonds. These may or may not be ringfenced for specific projects (see additional options). See fund literature for any selection criteria.

Invests in sovereigns as an unscreened asset class

Find funds that invest in financial instruments issued by governments, typically for risk reasons, but do not screen them for environmental and social characteristics. See fund literature for more information.

Banking & Financials
Invests in banks

Find funds that include banks as part of their holdings / portfolio.

Invests in financial instruments issued by banks

Finds funds that include financial instruments (cash, derivatives and / or foreign exchange) issued by banks. See fund literature for further information as strategies vary.

Governance & Management
Governance policy

Find fund options that have policies that relate to corporate governance issues such as board structure, executive remuneration, bribery and/or corporate corruption. These funds will typically avoid companies with poor practices. Strategies vary. See fund literature for further information.

Avoids companies with poor governance

Find funds that aim to avoid investing in companies with poor governance practices.(e.g. board structure, management practices etc.) Views may however vary on what counts as 'poor' practices - and funds may not immediately divest as they may prefer to work to encourage higher standards. See fund literature for further information.

Encourage board diversity e.g. gender

Fund managers encourage the companies they invest in to have more diverse board structures (e.g. more women on boards)

Encourage higher ESG standards through stewardship activity

A core element of these funds will aim to encourage higher ESG standards through responsible ownership / stewardship / engagement /voting activity

Fund Governance
Employ external (fund) oversight or advisory committee

Find funds that have an external committee that helps steer or advise fund managers on SRI policy or strategy related issues. These people may be paid for their time but are not employees of the fund manager.

ESG integration strategy

Find funds that factor in 'environmental, social and governance' issues as part of their investment decision making process. A focus on 'ESG' typically means a fund is carrying out additional research to help reduce ESG related risks. It does not necessarily mean a focus on sustainability. Strategies vary. See fund literature.

Impact Methodologies
Aims to generate positive impacts (or 'outcomes')

Funds that aim to help or support the delivery of positive social or environmental impacts (or societal/real world outcomes) by investing in companies they regard as beneficial to people and / or the planet. Strategies vary. See fund literature for further information.

How The Fund Works
Positive selection bias

Find funds that focus on finding and investing in companies with positive / beneficial attributes. This strategy can be applied in addition to exclusion criteria and engagement/stewardship activity.

Significant harm exclusion

Aims to avoid companies that do significant harm. This originates from the EU’s sustainable finance ‘DNSH’ (do no significant harm) work, which is not necessarily used by UK investors.

Combines ESG strategy with other SRI criteria

Find funds that have an ESG strategy (which is typically focused on avoiding companies that pose environmental, social or governance related risks) with additional criteria such as positive and/or negative screens, themes and stewardship strategies.

Balances company 'pros and cons' / best in sector

Find funds that consider both the 'positive' and 'negative' aspects of company behaviour and make balanced, considered decisions as part of their investment approach. May apply to a range of different issues and policy areas.

Focus on ESG risk mitigation

A major focus of these funds is the careful management of environmental, social and governance (ESG) related risks - typically by avoiding or being underweight in companies seen as posing major risks in these areas (i.e. not necessarily by using themes, exclusions etc).

SRI / ESG / Ethical policies explained on website

Find funds that have published explanations of their ethical, social and/or environmental policies online (i.e. fund decision making strategies/ buy/sell &/or asset management strategies).

Use stock / securities lending

This fund uses, or can use, specialist strategies to aid performance which involve ‘lending’ fund assets to others at specific points in time.

Unscreened Assets & Cash
Assets typically aligned to sustainability objectives 70 - 79%

The percentage of assets held within the fund that match the fund’s sustainability objectives and are not being held purely for risk management purposes, such as derivatives and cash equivalent assets.

Assets typically aligned to sustainability objectives 80 – 89%

The percentage of assets held within the fund that match the fund’s sustainability objectives and are not being held purely for risk management purposes, such as derivatives and cash equivalent assets.

Assets typically aligned to sustainability objectives > 90%

The percentage of assets held within the fund that match the fund’s sustainability objectives and are not being held purely for risk management purposes, such as derivatives and cash equivalent assets

All assets (except cash) meet published sustainability criteria

All assets held in the fund - except cash - meet the sustainability criteria published in fund documentation.

Intended Clients & Product Options
Intended for investors interested in sustainability

Finds funds designed to meet the needs of individual investors with an interest in sustainability issues.

Available via an ISA (OEIC only)

Find funds that are available via a tax efficient ISA product wrapper.

Fund Management Company Information

About The Business
Responsible ownership / stewardship policy or strategy (AFM company wide)

Finds fund management companies that have a published company wide stewardship, engagement and / or responsible ownership policy or strategy that covers all investments. Stewardship typically involves encouraging higher ESG standards through voting and dialogue.

ESG / SRI engagement (AFM company wide)

Find fund management companies that actively encourage higher 'environmental, social and governance' and/or 'sustainable and responsible investment' practices across investee companies - typically where the aim is to encourage positive change that is aligned with the best interests of investors. Strategies vary. See additional information and options.

Vote all* shares at AGMs / EGMs (AFM company wide)

Find fund managers that vote all* the shares they own at Annual General Meetings and Extraordinary General Meetings. A commitment to voting shares is a key indicator of 'responsible share ownership' demonstrating their support for or disagreement with management policy. (*situations can legitimately, occasionally occur where voting proves impossible, but in principle all shares should be voted.)

Responsible ownership / ESG a key differentiator (AFM company wide)

Find fund managers that consider responsible ownership and ESG to be a key differentiator for their business.

Sustainable property strategy (AFM company wide)

Find fund management companies that take sustainability criteria into account when selecting and/or managing all of their property / real estate investments.

Integrates ESG factors into all / most (AFM) fund research

Find fund management companies that consider environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues when deciding whether or not to invest in a company for all / almost all of their funds and other assets. This is increasingly seen as part of sound risk management.

In-house diversity improvement programme (AFM company wide)

Finds organisations / fund managers that have an in-house (company wide) diversity improvement programme - meaning that they are working to ensure that within their own businesses they employ people from diverse backgrounds - often typically focused on ethnicity and/or sex.

Invests in newly listed companies (AFM company wide)

This asset management company invests in companies which have recently listed on a stock exchange (which is important as it can help grow new businesses).

Invests in new sustainability linked bond issuances (AFM company wide)

Asset management company has investments in bonds designed to meet sustainability requirements - however these assets may not be 'ringfenced' for this purpose. See fund manager website for details.

Collaborations & Affiliations
PRI signatory

Find fund management companies that have signed up to the UN backed 'Principles of Responsible Investment'.

UKSIF member

Find fund management companies that are members of UKSIF - the UK Sustainable Investment and Finance association

Fund EcoMarket partner

Find fund management companies that have partnered with Fund EcoMarket - meaning that they are helping to improve access to information on sustainable and responsible investment by paying an annual fee to us which enables us to publish information for free. Partner funds are listed ahead of other funds and have their logos displayed.

Investment Association (IA) member

Fund management entity is a member of the Investment Association https://www.theia.org/

Resources
In-house responsible ownership / voting expertise

Find fund management companies that employ people to steer and support fund managers in voting shares at company AGM's and EGMs in ways that are consistent with encouraging higher ESG/sustainability standards.

Employ specialist ESG / SRI / sustainability researchers

Find a fund management company that directly employs specialist ESG/SRI/sustainability researchers or analysts. This allows asset managers to discuss environmental, social and governance risks and opportunities directly with companies.

Use specialist ESG / SRI / sustainability research companies

Find fund management companies that makes use of expert external research companies. This can help deliver specialist expertise and means resources are pooled with other investors.

Accreditations
UK Stewardship Code signatory (AFM company wide)

Find fund managers that are signatories to the FRC UK Stewardship Code, which sets out a framework for constructive investor / investee relations where fund managers are encouraged to behave like responsible, typically longer term 'company owners'.

Engagement Approach
Regularly lead collaborative ESG initiatives (AFM company wide)

Find fund management companies that regularly initiate or run industry wide (collaborative) investor projects aimed at raising environmental, social and governance standards amongst investee companies.

Engaging on climate change issues

Fund manager has stewardship /responsible ownership strategy that is focused on addressing climate change with investee assets.

Engaging with fossil fuel companies on climate change

Asset manager has a stewardship /responsible ownership strategy that involves working with fossil fuel companies on climate change related issues. See fund manager website for details.

Engaging to encourage responsible mining practices

Asset manager has a stewardship / responsible ownership policy that means they are working to encourage more responsible mining practices - where environmental and social issues are properly dealt with by the companies they invest in.

Engaging on biodiversity / nature issues

The asset manager has a responsible ownership / stewardship strategy that focuses on biodiversity and nature issues relating to the assets they invest the aim of which will be to reduce harm and or deliver improvement. Strategies vary. https://tnfd.global

Engaging to encourage a Just Transition

Asset manager has a responsible ownership / stewardship strategy which means they are working to encourage the shift to more sustainable business practices in ways that respect and are sensitive to social issues and the impact change has on people effected by the changes that are taking place. https://www.transitionpathwayinitiative.org/ https://transitiontaskforce.net/

Engaging on human rights issues

Asset manager has responsible ownership / stewardship strategy in place which aims to address human rights issues in investee companies (and potentially their suppliers) with the aim of raising standards

Engaging on labour / employment issues

Asset manager has responsible ownership / stewardship strategy in place that aims to improve labour standards for the benefit of employees in investee companies (and potentially their suppliers)

Engaging on diversity, equality and / or inclusion issues

Asset management company has a stewardship strategy in place which involves working to raise diversity, equality and inclusion standards across investee assets

Engaging to stop modern slavery

working with the assets they hold to help stamp out modern slavery - where direct or indirect company employees are exploited for business benefits.

Engaging on governance issues

Fund managers have stewardship strategies in place that focus on improving governance standards across investee assets

Engaging on mental health issues

Asset manager has stewardship strategy in place which involves discussing mental health issues with investee companies - with the aim of raising standards

Engaging on responsible supply chain issues

Has a stewardship / responsible ownership strategy that encourages responsible supply chain - ie the managers will discuss environmental, social and governance issues with investee companies with the aim of raising standards

Engaging on the responsible use of AI

Working to address sustainability, ESG and related concerns around artificial intelligence.

Company Wide Exclusions
Controversial weapons avoidance policy (AFM company wide)

Find fund management companies (not funds) that avoid investment in 'controversial weapons' across all of their funds and other investment vehicles.

Climate & Net Zero Transition
Net Zero commitment (AFM company wide)

Fund management organisations that have pledged to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions to ‘net zero’. Strategies vary - this area is changing rapidly.

Voting policy includes net zero targets (AFM company wide)

Fund manager AGM / EGM voting strategy has processes in place that mean they will normally be expected to vote in a way that will encourage the transition to net zero greenhouse gas emissions.

Publish 'CEO owned' Climate Risk policy (AFM company wide)

Find fund management companies that have published a Climate Risk policy or statement that is signed / owned by their Chief Executive.

Net Zero - have set a Net Zero target date (AFM company wide)

This asset management company has set a date by which they plan to achieve net zero greenhouse gas / CO2e emissions.

Encourage carbon / greenhouse gas reduction (AFM company wide)

Find fund management companies that are working with the companies they invest in to encourage reductions in carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions.

‘Forward Looking Climate Metrics’ published / ITR (AFM company wide)

Finds organisations / fund managers that have published ‘forward looking climate metrics’ e.g. 'implied temperature rise' data that are a total of the asset management company's share (% owned) of all the investee company emissions of the assets they manage, as well as their own direct and other indirect emissions.

Carbon offsetting – do NOT offset carbon as part of net zero plan (AFM company wide)

This asset management company plans to achieve net zero greenhouse gas (CO2e) emissions by reducing their emissions. Calculations and scope vary.

Working towards a ‘Net Zero’ commitment (AFM company wide)

Finds organisations / fund management companies that are in the process of working out how to make a ‘net zero commitment’ - meaning that when that is finalised they will have started the process of reducing their total greenhouse gas emissions to'zero'.

Transparency
Publish responsible ownership / stewardship report (AFM company wide)

Find fund management companies that publish a report detailing their responsible investment ownership - also known as 'Stewardship' - activity.

Full SRI / responsible ownership policy information on company website

Find companies that publish information about their sustainable and responsible investment strategies on their company website.

Publish full voting record (AFM company wide)

Fund management companies that publish a full record of how they vote their shares at AGMs (annual general meetings) and EGMs (extraordinary general meetings). Voting strategies have an important role to play encouraging higher environmental, social and governance standards.

Dialshifter statement

Find fund management companies that have supplied Dialshifter information. See Dialshifter tab within record for more information.

Sustainable, Responsible &/or ESG Policy:

Our process is fundamentally one of positive screening; however, we think it desirable to make explicit where will not invest in companies in certain sectors or activities that have failed this approach. In particular, the portfolios avoid investment in any company that is or is likely to be exposed to:

  • Human rights abuses
  • Tobacco and armaments manufacture
  • Products which involve experiments on animals, except for those conducted for the benefit of human or animal health.
  • The generation of nuclear power.


We also avoid companies that generate over 10% of their turnover from any one or a combination of the following five categories:

  • Animal fur products
  • Pornography
  • Irresponsible gambling
  • Irresponsible drinking
  • Worker exploitation or exploitative consumer practices.

 


Fossil Fuels

As sustainable investors, we are committed to using capital to support the transition to a more sustainable society by investing in those companies making:

  • Products and services which help address major environmental and social challenges, including climate change
  • Industry leading efforts to mitigate their environmental impact


We also avoid companies in sectors with extremely high environmental impacts unless there are strong mitigating factors.

In this context, and dividing ‘fossil fuels’ into extraction, power generation and services, our policy is:

  • Extraction – we will not invest in oil and gas or coal mining companies due their high environmental impact and contribution to climate change
  • Power generation – where we see companies with material exposure to renewable energy and a demonstrable commitment to evolve away from gas and coal, we will consider investing
  • Services – for those companies providing services to extractive industries that make them safer and materially improve their environmental impact, we will consider investing

 

Process:

The integration of sustainability factors into investment decisions requires significant expertise and resource. We believe it is also best done internally as this allows the best decisions and greatest flexibility. We supplement our internal expertise with a high quality External Advisory Committee, which provides independent challenge and insight and ensures we implement our principles in a dynamic and fast changing world.

It is a process that is inherently flexible across both equities and fixed income, capable of meeting client needs on both a segregated and a pooled basis. The process has a clear identity, both in the way it selects holdings and in the way it builds portfolios.

 


Measure/Identify

Equity

It is important we focus our time on those areas most likely to yield strong investment ideas. We use our own knowledge and extensive experience of sustainable risks and opportunities: these allow us to identify companies with socially and environmentally useful products and services.

We supplement this with MSCI, to assist in identifying companies with good ESG standards, and CSFB Holt (a research tool of Credit Suisse First Boston, a broker/research provider), to identify companies with inherent value creation and strong competitive advantages.

 

Fixed Income

Initial sector research is undertaken by the credit analysts, who work closely with the Sustainable team in order to identify socially positive industries and sectors. A number of bespoke and external systems are used to identify the sustainable issues that could plausibly affect our outlook on a sector or help distinguish securities with lower risk. We use external data from MSCI and Bloomberg as appropriate to supplement our research effort and enable the teams to focus their primary analysis and financial modelling on lower profile corporate bonds which we consider to be less extensively researched by the wider market.

 


Avoidance Criteria and Do No Significant Harm

The Sustainable Team Investment Process is fundamentally based on positive screening; looking for companies providing a net benefit for society through their products and services (the “what”) and/or demonstrating leading sustainable practices in the way they operate (the “how”).

The team has also developed avoidance criteria (negative screening) to ensure the investments are compatible with the Sustainable objective of the portfolios and meet the Do No Significant Harm principle.

As such, the Sustainable Investment Team will not invest in any company that is or is likely to breach the UN Global Compact 10 Principles1 or any company that fails or is likely to fail to satisfactorily mitigate its negative environmental or social impact (e.g. fossil fuel extraction).

Specifically, for companies operating in the fossil fuel and mining industries, the team is committed to support the transition to a more sustainable society and has divided ‘fossil fuels’ into extraction, power generation and services and has the following policy for companies involved in:

  • Extraction – not to invest in oil and gas or coal mining companies due to their high environmental impact and contribution to climate change
  • Power generation – are deemed investable if companies have material exposure to renewable energy and a demonstrable commitment to evolve away from gas and coal
  • Services – are deemed investable if those companies providing services to extractive industries make them safer and materially improve their environmental impact.

In addition, the sustainable investment team avoids investments in companies involved or likely to be involved in

  • Armament manufacturing
  • Tobacco production
  • Nuclear Power Generation
  • Animal testing for anything other than human or animal health purposes
  • Pornography
  • Sale of animal fur products
  • Irresponsible gambling
  • Irresponsible drinking

 


Bespoke Analysis

After we have mapped out the universe, for each investment that is considered, we undertake a thorough analysis, independent of third-party systems, to assess the suitability of a potential investment from both a financial and sustainability standpoint.

The sustainability analysis is common to both equity and fixed income investments while the financial analysis is tailored to each asset class.

Within our investment decision-making process, financial and sustainability analysis have equal weight although we always start by considering whether a potential investment is sustainable or not.

We believe our process which combines qualitative and quantitative analysis is repeatable and auditable and demonstrates the interaction of financial and sustainable considerations in our investment decision-making.

 


Sustainability-specific analysis

The sustainable research framework is based on a holistic approach of a company’s sustainability focusing on its products and services as well as its operations. After the analysis we then complete a scorecard giving us aggregate Sustainable score of 50 made of products and services (out of 25) and operations (out of 25) as shown below.

  • Products and services – we look at the products and services of the entity and its role in supporting the transition to a more sustainable society. We include a detailed assessment of the industry’s impact, company specific impact as well as detailed checks against all our avoidance criteria and controversies.
  • Operations – we analyse the way a company manages its operations and the environmental and social issues it faces (scored out of 25) as well as its corporate governance. The analysis includes
    • Corporate Governance: board composition, remuneration, audit and accounting practices
    • SASB Materiality: assess company’s practices against the most relevant environmental, social and governance issues
    • Climate: carbon footprint & intensity, energy management policies

In addition, the analysis identifies company specific engagement points which feeds our engagement agenda.

 


Equity-specific analysis

Our analysis of equity investments is based on the goal of paying a fair price for long-term structurally value creating businesses. Similar to the sustainability analysis our framework is divided into two parts; Value Creation and Valuation.

  • Value Creation – we apply clear principles about the type of companies we wish to invest in from a financial perspective. Our fundamental principle is that the companies we invest in will be able to create shareholders’ value over the long-term by combining returns above cost of capital and structural growth. The primary way we judge this is through an assessment of a company’s competitive advantage, industry’s attractiveness, management strategy, capital allocation and risks (scored out of 25)
  • Valuation – we use discounted cashflow and multiples-based valuation methods to judge the growth and returns implied by the current share price, enabling us to understand market expectations and if we are paying a fair/attractive price for an investment. We also assess the resiliency and adaptability of the business and use valuation to assess the risk of permanent capital loss. (scored out of 25)

The scoring process gives us an aggregate financial score (out of 50) which when combined with the Sustainability analysis give us a full picture of the attractiveness of an investment.

 


Fixed Income-specific analysis

In broad terms, our credit research framework centres on an identification of the opening lender position (e.g. key financial ratios) at the point we purchase a bond and a forward assessment of potential balance sheet volatility and fluidity of that lending position. Our focus on the sustainability of the opening lender position reflects two specific bond characteristics.

  • Risk and return are asymmetric: bonds have capped upside (they do not participate in the profit growth of a company) but full exposure to capital loss.
  • Future deterioration, whether through increased leverage or increased subordination, is very difficult to price.

These characteristics support our view that understanding the covenant, structure and security of a bond and focusing on more fundamental corporate characteristics makes it easier for us to evaluate potential outcomes and therefore to determine an appropriate valuation level.

Our approach to security selection combines three distinct stages:

Stage 1 involves an assessment of our opening lender position. This includes current leverage, adjusted for RLAM’s view of the true ‘economic’ liability position (‘off balance sheet’ items such as pension and lease liabilities and other contingent liabilities), balance sheet liquidity and our perception of a company’s control over cashflows. In addition, our analysts focus on the actual borrowing entity with a consideration of seniority and structural subordination (how close we are to the assets and cashflow generation of our borrowers).

Stage 2 is a consideration of the potential fundamental volatility of this historic snapshot; key elements include capital intensity (short and long term), operational gearing, pricing power and volume variability. Furthermore, we will evaluate management incentives to ascertain board motivation and the extent to which a company’s strategy may diverge from the interests of creditors. At this stage, our analysts, whether the inputs have been derived internally (in the case of private companies, small/mid-caps and Special Purpose Vehicles) or captured from external sources, should have a clear understanding of a company’s fundamental balance sheet volatility.

Stage 3 is an assessment of true credit enhancements (e.g. covenants, structure and security). These factors can provide the greatest certainty that our initial lending position will be maintained and not compromised through additional leverage or subordination. In our opinion, this step is the most crucial. Not only are these features, where present, the most permanent and protective of possible credit characteristics but their objectivity allows for extremely high conviction evaluation. Probably most compelling is that, because these enhancements are not reflected within ratings, benchmark position or bond liquidity, they are often overlooked and undervalued by the market. In addition, as these features tend to remain constant over the life of the bond, unlike Stage 2, which requires much greater ongoing maintenance, we believe that this stage is the single most efficient use of our credit research resource.

Only once all three stages have been assessed can the team make a fully informed decision as to whether a credit spread is providing sufficient compensation for overall credit risk, encapsulating both probability of default and severity. Indeed, if we can increase conviction that the opening lender position will be maintained then this supports our ability to more accurately price the specific credit risk each bond exhibits.

As a manager of fixed income Sustainable funds, RLAM believes that ESG issues are vital in all credit research. As such, we combine rigorous financial analysis with assessments of how ESG factors could influence the risk profile of the issuers. We have to judge whether the overall risk profile, based on financial and ESG factors, is appropriately reflected in the valuation of a bond.

We combine this analysis with a number of other features, in particular, a bias towards secured debt or bonds with strong covenant protections and an emphasis on portfolio diversification. Overall, our approach allows us, as active managers, to take advantage of credit market inefficiencies arising from over reliance on credit ratings and benchmark composition.
The Sustainable funds which contain fixed income give preference to issuers where the provision of debt financing will support the move toward a more sustainable society. Like with equities, this can be through supporting entities with socially and environmentally useful products and services, or those with strong ESG management. To this end we include four themes which we believe benefit society:

  • Community: covering education, health and social care.
  • Housing: with a focus on social and affordable housing.
  • Utilities & Environment.
  • Infrastructure.

These themes focus on those areas where we believe there is a clear benefit to society and also a clear long term investment case. This means that we will look for opportunities in a wide range of areas e.g. social & affordable housing, hospitals, transport, roads, schools & universities, water infrastructure, electricity distribution and telecommunication. We will aim to have at least half of the Fund’s bond holdings in securities linked to one of these themes, subject to sufficient portfolio diversification being achieved.

Our work is then considered by our Advisory Committee which provides independent challenge and insight and ensures we always implement our principles.

 


External oversight – RLAM External Advisory Committee

RLAM benefits from an independent External Advisory Committee which independently oversees the investment universe for RLAM’s range of sustainable funds. This committee is multi-disciplinary, consisting of academics and industry experts, and meets at least three times a year. The committee receives reports on sectors and companies and advises on the approval and exclusion of companies as well as topical issues relevant to the sustainable investment universe. The committee is responsible for ensuring that the criteria and spirit of our sustainable philosophy are observed. It is, however, an advisory body and so stock selection and portfolio decisions are not subject to approval or sign-off. Biographies of the Committee were included earlier in this document.

Resources, Affiliations & Corporate Strategies:

Please note, the following is for informational purposes only and does not necessarily reflect our response to SDR reporting.

Royal London Asset Management’s in-house Responsible Investment (RI) team of 17 professionals is led by Head of Responsible Investment, Ashley Hamilton-Claxton. The RI team works with the investment teams to monitor, assess and analyse ESG factors, vote our shares and engage with companies to encourage better social and environmental outcomes, or better risk management. This team is also responsible for helping to set out our approach and policies around systemic issues such as climate change, providing guidance, feedback and coaching to fund managers and analysts on the latest data, research, policy and industry practices.

Governance of Responsible Investment at Royal London Asset Management is integrated at varying levels of the organisation however is led by senior leadership. The Board has ultimate responsibility for setting Royal London Asset Management’s risk appetite and reviewing our strategic risks. Our Chief Investment Officer (CIO) is a regulated Senior Management Function (SMF) and is the Executive team member that is accountable for setting the investment strategy, and overseeing our Responsible Investment function, including our approach to stewardship and climate investment risk. The CIO, with support from the investment teams, updates the Board and monitors responsible investment in line with Royal London Asset Management’s risk tolerance threshold. The CIO is also responsible for ensuring responsible investment, stewardship and climate change risk management is embedded across Royal London Asset Management’s investment strategies. The CIO is a member of Royal London Asset Management’s Executive Committee and also chairs the Investment Committee.

Royal London Asset Management is a member of the following initiatives:

  • United Nations Principles For Responsible Investment (UNPRI) (2008)
  • Global Real Estate Sustainability Benchmark (GRESB) (2013)
  • 30% Club Investor Group 2016 UK Stewardship Code (2016)
  • UK Sustainable Investment and Finance Association (UKSIF) (2016)
  • Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) (2018)
  • Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility (ICCR) (2018)
  • Climate Action 100+ (2019)
  • Institutional Investor Group on Climate Change (IIGCC) (2019)
  • Investment Association (IA) (2019)
  • Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB) (2019)
  • Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) (2020)
  • Climate Financial Risk Forum - FCA and PRA (CFRF) (2020)
  • Financing the Just Transition Alliance (FJTA) (2020)
  • Ceres (2020)
  • Investor Alliance for Human Rights (2020)
  • Better Buildings Partnership (2020)
  • UK Green Building Council 2020 Better Buildings Partnership Climate Commitment (2021)
  • Net Zero Asset Manager initiative (NZAM) (2022)
  • FAIRR Initiative (2022)
  • Workplace Mental Health Benchmark (CCLA) (2022)
  • FCA Vote Disclosure Forum (2022)
  • FCA Disclosures & Labelling Advisory Committee (2022)
  • Church of England Pensions Board - Executive Pay (2022)
  • International Labour Organisation (ILO) (2022)
  • International Labour Organisation (ILO) - United Nations Environment Programme - Finance (UNEP-Fi) (2022)
  • The Investor Agenda (2022)
  • International Sustainability Standard Board (ISSB)(2022)
  • Transition Plan Taskforce (TPT) (2022)
  • World Benchmarking Alliance (WBA) (2022)
  • Access to Medicine Foundation (2023)
  • Net Zero Engagement Initiative (NZEI) organised by Institutional Investment Group on Climate Change (IIGCC) (2023)
  • Swedish Council of Ethics - Human Rights in Technology (2023)
  • Nature Action 100 (NA100) (2023)

Source: Royal London Asset Management, correct as of 31 March 2024, Year in brackets indicates date joined.

Voting Record

Disclaimer

Important Information

For further information, please contact:

Royal London Asset Management Limited
80 Fenchurch Street
London, EC3M 4BY
Telephone: 020 3272 5594
E-mail: alice.bennett@rlam.co.uk
Telephone Calls may be recorded

For professional clients only. This document may not be distributed to any unauthorised persons and is not suitable for retail clients.

This document is for information purposes only and it is not intended as promotional material in any respect. The views expressed are the author’s own and do not constitute investment advice. The material is not intended as an offer or solicitation for the purchase or sale of any financial instrument. It does not provide, and should not be relied on for, accounting, legal or tax advice, or investment recommendations.

Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results. The value of investments and the income from them is not guaranteed and may go down as well as up and investors may not get back the amount originally invested. Portfolio characteristics and holdings are subject to change without notice. For more information concerning the risks of investing, please refer to the Prospectus or Key Investor Information Document (KIID), available via the relevant Fund Price page on www.rlam.co.uk

All confidential information relating to any Royal London Group company must be treated by you in the strictest confidence. It may only be used for the purposes of assessing the proposal to engage Royal London Asset Management Limited (RLAM). Confidential information should not be disclosed to any third party and should only be disclosed to those of your employees and professional advisers who are required to see such information for the purpose set out above. You should ensure that these persons are made aware of the confidential nature of such information and treat it accordingly. You agree to return and/ or destroy all confidential information on receipt of our written request to do so.

Issued in June 2024 by Royal London Asset Management Limited, 80 Fenchurch Street, London EC3M 4BY. Authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, firm reference number 141665. A subsidiary of The Royal London Mutual Insurance Society Limited.

The Royal London Mutual Insurance Society Limited is registered in England and Wales number 99064. Registered Office: 80 Fenchurch Street, London EC3M 4BY. The Royal London Mutual Insurance Society Limited is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority. The Royal London Mutual Insurance Society Limited is on the Financial Services Register, registration number 117672. Registered in England and Wales number 99064. Our ref: Q RLAM EM 2051.

 

Fund Name SRI Style SDR Labelling Product Region Asset Type Launch Date Last Amended

RLP Sustainable World Trust Pn

Sustainable Style - Pension Global Mixed Asset 25/06/2018 Aug 2024

Fund Size: £711.62m

(as at: 30/06/2024)

ISIN: GB00BFFK8W73

Contact Us: bdsupport@RLAM.co.uk

Sustainable, Responsible &/or ESG Overview

This Pension product is linked to the ""Royal London Sustainable World Trust" fund. The following information refers to the primary (OIEC) fund.

 

We believe that owners and managers of capital play a strong role as a catalyst for positive social and environmental change. The Sustainable investment process is fundamentally based on positive screening, through a holistic analysis of a company’s sustainability, focusing on its products, services, and operations. Through this, we seek to find companies providing a positive contribution to society. We seek to invest in companies compliant with the UN Global Compact and its ten principles which cover human rights, labour, environment, and anti-corruption.

Products and services undergo extensive desk-based research and are assessed alongside an exclusionary policy, with a 0% revenue tolerance applied to armaments manufacturing, tobacco manufacturing, nuclear power generation, and animal testing (other than for purposes of human or animal health). Companies with inadequate policies or systems in animal welfare, pornography, gambling, and alcohol are also excluded.

Primary fund last amended: Aug 2024

Information received directly from Fund Manager

Please select what you would like to read:

Fund Filters

Sustainability - General
Sustainability policy

Funds that have policies that consider (environmental and social) sustainability issues. Strategies vary but are likely to consider environmental issues like climate change, carbon emissions, biodiversity loss, resource management, environmental impacts; and social issues like equal opportunities, human rights, labour standards, diversity and adherence to internationally recognised codes. See fund information.

Sustainability focus

Find funds which substantially focus on sustainability issues

Sustainability theme or focus

Find funds where there is a significant emphasis on (environmental and social) sustainability. Funds with a 'sustainability theme' typically place more emphasis on the area than funds with a 'sustainability policy' - meaning that it is more likely to drive investment selection. Strategies vary. See fund information for further detail.

Sustainable transport policy or theme

Find funds that have documented policies or thematic investment approaches relating to investment in more sustainable, greener transport methods. These will typically set out a preference for companies that run, enable or support more sustainable methods of transport. See fund information for further detail.

Encourage more sustainable practices through stewardship

A core element of these funds aim to encourage higher sustainability standards across business practices through responsible ownership / stewardship / engagement / voting activity

UN Global Compact linked exclusion policy

Find funds that use the UN Global Compact to inform or help direct where they can or cannot invest and will typically not invest in companies with significant breaches (low standards) - although strategies vary. (The UNGC covers a wide range of issues - search 'UNGC'). See https://unglobalcompact.org/

Circular economy theme

Fund has a theme or investment strand focused on the shift to a circular economy (where products are reused and recycled not incinerated or dumped). See eg https://www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/topics/circular-economy-introduction/overview

Environmental - General
Environmental policy

Funds that have policies which relate to environmental issues. These will typically set out the fund's stance on issues such as pollution, climate change, resource management, biodiversity loss, carbon emissions, plastics and/or additional environmental impacts. Strategies vary. See fund information for further information.

Limits exposure to carbon intensive industries

Funds that limit or 'reduce' their exposure to carbon intensive industries (ie sectors which are major contributors to climate change. Funds vary - some funds may be 'underweight' in this area which means they may have some investment in highly carbon intensive areas. Funds of this kind may choose companies they consider to be 'best in sector' and encourage ever higher standards. Strategies vary. See fund information for further details.

Environmental damage and pollution policy

Funds that have written policies explaining the approach they take when companies damage the environment or are significant polluters. Funds of this kind may work with companies to encourage higher standards, or exclude companies - sometimes dependent on the situation. Strategies vary. See fund information for further detail.

Favours cleaner, greener companies

Funds that aim to invest in companies with strong or market leading environmental policies and practices. Strategies vary - in particular the balance between 'financial' aspects and environmental benefits. Some may invest substantially in solutions or 'positive impact' companies - others may invest in more conventional companies providing certain environmental criteria are met. See fund information for further detail.

Climate Change & Energy
Coal, oil & / or gas majors excluded

Funds that avoid investing in major coal, oil and/or gas (extraction) companies. Funds vary: some may exclude all companies that extract oil. Others may have exposure to oil extraction via more diversified energy companies. See fund literature to confirm details.

Fracking and tar sands excluded

Funds that avoid companies involved in fracking and tar sands - which are widely regarded as controversial methods of oil and gas extraction. Strategies vary. See fund information for further information.

Arctic drilling exclusion

Funds that avoid companies that are involved in extracting oil from the Arctic regions. See fund literature for further details.

Fossil fuel reserves exclusion

Funds that avoid investing in companies with coal, oil and gas reserves. See fund information for further details.

Clean / renewable energy theme or focus

Find funds where investment in clean / renewable energy companies an other assets is central to their investment selection strategy. The proportion of the fund that is directly or indirectly invested in renewable energy varies between funds and over time. See fund information for further details.

Encourage transition to low carbon through stewardship activity

A core element of these funds will aim to encourage the transition to lower carbon activities through responsible ownership / stewardship / engagement / voting activity

Energy efficiency theme

Fund funds that have an energy efficiency theme - typically meaning that a fund manager is focused on investing in organisations that manage - or help others to manage - energy use more carefully and less wastefully - and so reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Invests in clean energy / renewables

Funds that hold companies in the clean energy and renewable energy sectors (at the time research was supplied). Fund strategies vary, in particular the proportion of investment in these areas may vary significantly. Check fund literature for details.

Nuclear exclusion policy

Find funds that have policies which say they avoid or limit their investment in the nuclear industry. Strategies vary. See fund information for further detail.

Fossil fuel exploration exclusion - direct involvement

The fund manager excludes companies with direct involvement in fossil fuel exploration (eg coal, oil and gas companies)

Social / Employment
Social policy

Find funds that have policies which set out their approach to social issues (e.g. human rights, labour standards, equal opportunities, child labour and adherence to internationally recognised codes such as the UN Global Compact). Funds with social policies typically avoid companies with low standards or work to encourage higher standards. See fund information for detail.

Ethical Values Led Exclusions
Ethical policies

Find funds that have policies that set out their position on ethical or 'personal values' based issues. Strategies vary. See fund information for further detail.

Tobacco and related product manufacturers excluded

Companies are excluded if they are involved in any aspect of the production chain for tobacco products, including cigarettes, vaping, e-cigarettes, chewing tobacco and cigars.

Armaments manufacturers avoided

Find funds that avoid companies that manufacture products intended specifically for military use. Fund strategies vary - particularly with regard to non-strategic military products. See fund literature for fund specific details.

Civilian firearms production exclusion

Find funds with a written civilian firearms exclusion policy - meaning that they will not invest in companies that make (or perhaps also sell) handguns made for non-military users.

Gambling avoidance policy

Find funds that avoid companies with significant involvement in the gambling industry. Some funds may allow a small proportion of profits to come from this area. See fund policy for further details.

Pornography avoidance policy

Find funds that avoid companies that derive significant income from pornography and related areas. Strategies vary. See fund details for further information.

Animal welfare policy

Find funds with policies that require specific animal welfare standards to be met. These may reference well-known welfare standards (3Rs - Replace, Reduce, Refine) or certification schemes. Strategies vary. See fund information for further detail.

Animal testing - excluded except if for medical purposes

Find funds that avoid companies that test their products on animals for purposes other than medical benefit (e.g. for cosmetics). Strategies vary. See fund literature for further information.

Meeting Peoples' Basic Needs
Healthcare / medical theme

Healthcare and or medical theme or area of investment - the fund may have a single theme or many themes

Gilts & Sovereigns
Invests in gilts / government bonds

Find funds that invest in loans issued the government, commonly known as gilts or government bonds. These may or may not be ringfenced for specific projects (see additional options). See fund literature for any selection criteria.

Invests in sovereigns as an unscreened asset class

Find funds that invest in financial instruments issued by governments, typically for risk reasons, but do not screen them for environmental and social characteristics. See fund literature for more information.

Banking & Financials
Invests in banks

Find funds that include banks as part of their holdings / portfolio.

Invests in financial instruments issued by banks

Finds funds that include financial instruments (cash, derivatives and / or foreign exchange) issued by banks. See fund literature for further information as strategies vary.

Governance & Management
Governance policy

Find fund options that have policies that relate to corporate governance issues such as board structure, executive remuneration, bribery and/or corporate corruption. These funds will typically avoid companies with poor practices. Strategies vary. See fund literature for further information.

Avoids companies with poor governance

Find funds that aim to avoid investing in companies with poor governance practices.(e.g. board structure, management practices etc.) Views may however vary on what counts as 'poor' practices - and funds may not immediately divest as they may prefer to work to encourage higher standards. See fund literature for further information.

Encourage board diversity e.g. gender

Fund managers encourage the companies they invest in to have more diverse board structures (e.g. more women on boards)

Encourage higher ESG standards through stewardship activity

A core element of these funds will aim to encourage higher ESG standards through responsible ownership / stewardship / engagement /voting activity

Fund Governance
Employ external (fund) oversight or advisory committee

Find funds that have an external committee that helps steer or advise fund managers on SRI policy or strategy related issues. These people may be paid for their time but are not employees of the fund manager.

ESG integration strategy

Find funds that factor in 'environmental, social and governance' issues as part of their investment decision making process. A focus on 'ESG' typically means a fund is carrying out additional research to help reduce ESG related risks. It does not necessarily mean a focus on sustainability. Strategies vary. See fund literature.

Impact Methodologies
Aims to generate positive impacts (or 'outcomes')

Funds that aim to help or support the delivery of positive social or environmental impacts (or societal/real world outcomes) by investing in companies they regard as beneficial to people and / or the planet. Strategies vary. See fund literature for further information.

How The Fund Works
Positive selection bias

Find funds that focus on finding and investing in companies with positive / beneficial attributes. This strategy can be applied in addition to exclusion criteria and engagement/stewardship activity.

Significant harm exclusion

Aims to avoid companies that do significant harm. This originates from the EU’s sustainable finance ‘DNSH’ (do no significant harm) work, which is not necessarily used by UK investors.

Combines ESG strategy with other SRI criteria

Find funds that have an ESG strategy (which is typically focused on avoiding companies that pose environmental, social or governance related risks) with additional criteria such as positive and/or negative screens, themes and stewardship strategies.

Balances company 'pros and cons' / best in sector

Find funds that consider both the 'positive' and 'negative' aspects of company behaviour and make balanced, considered decisions as part of their investment approach. May apply to a range of different issues and policy areas.

Focus on ESG risk mitigation

A major focus of these funds is the careful management of environmental, social and governance (ESG) related risks - typically by avoiding or being underweight in companies seen as posing major risks in these areas (i.e. not necessarily by using themes, exclusions etc).

SRI / ESG / Ethical policies explained on website

Find funds that have published explanations of their ethical, social and/or environmental policies online (i.e. fund decision making strategies/ buy/sell &/or asset management strategies).

Use stock / securities lending

This fund uses, or can use, specialist strategies to aid performance which involve ‘lending’ fund assets to others at specific points in time.

Unscreened Assets & Cash
Assets typically aligned to sustainability objectives 70 - 79%

The percentage of assets held within the fund that match the fund’s sustainability objectives and are not being held purely for risk management purposes, such as derivatives and cash equivalent assets.

Assets typically aligned to sustainability objectives 80 – 89%

The percentage of assets held within the fund that match the fund’s sustainability objectives and are not being held purely for risk management purposes, such as derivatives and cash equivalent assets.

Assets typically aligned to sustainability objectives > 90%

The percentage of assets held within the fund that match the fund’s sustainability objectives and are not being held purely for risk management purposes, such as derivatives and cash equivalent assets

All assets (except cash) meet published sustainability criteria

All assets held in the fund - except cash - meet the sustainability criteria published in fund documentation.

Intended Clients & Product Options
Intended for investors interested in sustainability

Finds funds designed to meet the needs of individual investors with an interest in sustainability issues.

Available via an ISA (OEIC only)

Find funds that are available via a tax efficient ISA product wrapper.

Fund Management Company Information

About The Business
Responsible ownership / stewardship policy or strategy (AFM company wide)

Finds fund management companies that have a published company wide stewardship, engagement and / or responsible ownership policy or strategy that covers all investments. Stewardship typically involves encouraging higher ESG standards through voting and dialogue.

ESG / SRI engagement (AFM company wide)

Find fund management companies that actively encourage higher 'environmental, social and governance' and/or 'sustainable and responsible investment' practices across investee companies - typically where the aim is to encourage positive change that is aligned with the best interests of investors. Strategies vary. See additional information and options.

Vote all* shares at AGMs / EGMs (AFM company wide)

Find fund managers that vote all* the shares they own at Annual General Meetings and Extraordinary General Meetings. A commitment to voting shares is a key indicator of 'responsible share ownership' demonstrating their support for or disagreement with management policy. (*situations can legitimately, occasionally occur where voting proves impossible, but in principle all shares should be voted.)

Responsible ownership / ESG a key differentiator (AFM company wide)

Find fund managers that consider responsible ownership and ESG to be a key differentiator for their business.

Sustainable property strategy (AFM company wide)

Find fund management companies that take sustainability criteria into account when selecting and/or managing all of their property / real estate investments.

Integrates ESG factors into all / most (AFM) fund research

Find fund management companies that consider environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues when deciding whether or not to invest in a company for all / almost all of their funds and other assets. This is increasingly seen as part of sound risk management.

In-house diversity improvement programme (AFM company wide)

Finds organisations / fund managers that have an in-house (company wide) diversity improvement programme - meaning that they are working to ensure that within their own businesses they employ people from diverse backgrounds - often typically focused on ethnicity and/or sex.

Invests in newly listed companies (AFM company wide)

This asset management company invests in companies which have recently listed on a stock exchange (which is important as it can help grow new businesses).

Invests in new sustainability linked bond issuances (AFM company wide)

Asset management company has investments in bonds designed to meet sustainability requirements - however these assets may not be 'ringfenced' for this purpose. See fund manager website for details.

Collaborations & Affiliations
PRI signatory

Find fund management companies that have signed up to the UN backed 'Principles of Responsible Investment'.

UKSIF member

Find fund management companies that are members of UKSIF - the UK Sustainable Investment and Finance association

Fund EcoMarket partner

Find fund management companies that have partnered with Fund EcoMarket - meaning that they are helping to improve access to information on sustainable and responsible investment by paying an annual fee to us which enables us to publish information for free. Partner funds are listed ahead of other funds and have their logos displayed.

Investment Association (IA) member

Fund management entity is a member of the Investment Association https://www.theia.org/

Resources
In-house responsible ownership / voting expertise

Find fund management companies that employ people to steer and support fund managers in voting shares at company AGM's and EGMs in ways that are consistent with encouraging higher ESG/sustainability standards.

Employ specialist ESG / SRI / sustainability researchers

Find a fund management company that directly employs specialist ESG/SRI/sustainability researchers or analysts. This allows asset managers to discuss environmental, social and governance risks and opportunities directly with companies.

Use specialist ESG / SRI / sustainability research companies

Find fund management companies that makes use of expert external research companies. This can help deliver specialist expertise and means resources are pooled with other investors.

Accreditations
UK Stewardship Code signatory (AFM company wide)

Find fund managers that are signatories to the FRC UK Stewardship Code, which sets out a framework for constructive investor / investee relations where fund managers are encouraged to behave like responsible, typically longer term 'company owners'.

Engagement Approach
Regularly lead collaborative ESG initiatives (AFM company wide)

Find fund management companies that regularly initiate or run industry wide (collaborative) investor projects aimed at raising environmental, social and governance standards amongst investee companies.

Engaging on climate change issues

Fund manager has stewardship /responsible ownership strategy that is focused on addressing climate change with investee assets.

Engaging with fossil fuel companies on climate change

Asset manager has a stewardship /responsible ownership strategy that involves working with fossil fuel companies on climate change related issues. See fund manager website for details.

Engaging to encourage responsible mining practices

Asset manager has a stewardship / responsible ownership policy that means they are working to encourage more responsible mining practices - where environmental and social issues are properly dealt with by the companies they invest in.

Engaging on biodiversity / nature issues

The asset manager has a responsible ownership / stewardship strategy that focuses on biodiversity and nature issues relating to the assets they invest the aim of which will be to reduce harm and or deliver improvement. Strategies vary. https://tnfd.global

Engaging to encourage a Just Transition

Asset manager has a responsible ownership / stewardship strategy which means they are working to encourage the shift to more sustainable business practices in ways that respect and are sensitive to social issues and the impact change has on people effected by the changes that are taking place. https://www.transitionpathwayinitiative.org/ https://transitiontaskforce.net/

Engaging on human rights issues

Asset manager has responsible ownership / stewardship strategy in place which aims to address human rights issues in investee companies (and potentially their suppliers) with the aim of raising standards

Engaging on labour / employment issues

Asset manager has responsible ownership / stewardship strategy in place that aims to improve labour standards for the benefit of employees in investee companies (and potentially their suppliers)

Engaging on diversity, equality and / or inclusion issues

Asset management company has a stewardship strategy in place which involves working to raise diversity, equality and inclusion standards across investee assets

Engaging to stop modern slavery

working with the assets they hold to help stamp out modern slavery - where direct or indirect company employees are exploited for business benefits.

Engaging on governance issues

Fund managers have stewardship strategies in place that focus on improving governance standards across investee assets

Engaging on mental health issues

Asset manager has stewardship strategy in place which involves discussing mental health issues with investee companies - with the aim of raising standards

Engaging on responsible supply chain issues

Has a stewardship / responsible ownership strategy that encourages responsible supply chain - ie the managers will discuss environmental, social and governance issues with investee companies with the aim of raising standards

Engaging on the responsible use of AI

Working to address sustainability, ESG and related concerns around artificial intelligence.

Company Wide Exclusions
Controversial weapons avoidance policy (AFM company wide)

Find fund management companies (not funds) that avoid investment in 'controversial weapons' across all of their funds and other investment vehicles.

Climate & Net Zero Transition
Net Zero commitment (AFM company wide)

Fund management organisations that have pledged to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions to ‘net zero’. Strategies vary - this area is changing rapidly.

Voting policy includes net zero targets (AFM company wide)

Fund manager AGM / EGM voting strategy has processes in place that mean they will normally be expected to vote in a way that will encourage the transition to net zero greenhouse gas emissions.

Publish 'CEO owned' Climate Risk policy (AFM company wide)

Find fund management companies that have published a Climate Risk policy or statement that is signed / owned by their Chief Executive.

Net Zero - have set a Net Zero target date (AFM company wide)

This asset management company has set a date by which they plan to achieve net zero greenhouse gas / CO2e emissions.

Encourage carbon / greenhouse gas reduction (AFM company wide)

Find fund management companies that are working with the companies they invest in to encourage reductions in carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions.

‘Forward Looking Climate Metrics’ published / ITR (AFM company wide)

Finds organisations / fund managers that have published ‘forward looking climate metrics’ e.g. 'implied temperature rise' data that are a total of the asset management company's share (% owned) of all the investee company emissions of the assets they manage, as well as their own direct and other indirect emissions.

Carbon offsetting – do NOT offset carbon as part of net zero plan (AFM company wide)

This asset management company plans to achieve net zero greenhouse gas (CO2e) emissions by reducing their emissions. Calculations and scope vary.

Working towards a ‘Net Zero’ commitment (AFM company wide)

Finds organisations / fund management companies that are in the process of working out how to make a ‘net zero commitment’ - meaning that when that is finalised they will have started the process of reducing their total greenhouse gas emissions to'zero'.

Transparency
Publish responsible ownership / stewardship report (AFM company wide)

Find fund management companies that publish a report detailing their responsible investment ownership - also known as 'Stewardship' - activity.

Full SRI / responsible ownership policy information on company website

Find companies that publish information about their sustainable and responsible investment strategies on their company website.

Publish full voting record (AFM company wide)

Fund management companies that publish a full record of how they vote their shares at AGMs (annual general meetings) and EGMs (extraordinary general meetings). Voting strategies have an important role to play encouraging higher environmental, social and governance standards.

Dialshifter statement

Find fund management companies that have supplied Dialshifter information. See Dialshifter tab within record for more information.

Sustainable, Responsible &/or ESG Policy:

Our process is fundamentally one of positive screening; however, we think it desirable to make explicit where will not invest in companies in certain sectors or activities that have failed this approach. In particular, the portfolios avoid investment in any company that is or is likely to be exposed to:

  • Human rights abuses
  • Tobacco and armaments manufacture
  • Products which involve experiments on animals, except for those conducted for the benefit of human or animal health.
  • The generation of nuclear power.


We also avoid companies that generate over 10% of their turnover from any one or a combination of the following five categories:

  • Animal fur products
  • Pornography
  • Irresponsible gambling
  • Irresponsible drinking
  • Worker exploitation or exploitative consumer practices.

 


Fossil Fuels

As sustainable investors, we are committed to using capital to support the transition to a more sustainable society by investing in those companies making:

  • Products and services which help address major environmental and social challenges, including climate change
  • Industry leading efforts to mitigate their environmental impact


We also avoid companies in sectors with extremely high environmental impacts unless there are strong mitigating factors.

In this context, and dividing ‘fossil fuels’ into extraction, power generation and services, our policy is:

  • Extraction – we will not invest in oil and gas or coal mining companies due their high environmental impact and contribution to climate change
  • Power generation – where we see companies with material exposure to renewable energy and a demonstrable commitment to evolve away from gas and coal, we will consider investing
  • Services – for those companies providing services to extractive industries that make them safer and materially improve their environmental impact, we will consider investing

 

Process:

The integration of sustainability factors into investment decisions requires significant expertise and resource. We believe it is also best done internally as this allows the best decisions and greatest flexibility. We supplement our internal expertise with a high quality External Advisory Committee, which provides independent challenge and insight and ensures we implement our principles in a dynamic and fast changing world.

It is a process that is inherently flexible across both equities and fixed income, capable of meeting client needs on both a segregated and a pooled basis. The process has a clear identity, both in the way it selects holdings and in the way it builds portfolios.

 


Measure/Identify

Equity

It is important we focus our time on those areas most likely to yield strong investment ideas. We use our own knowledge and extensive experience of sustainable risks and opportunities: these allow us to identify companies with socially and environmentally useful products and services.

We supplement this with MSCI, to assist in identifying companies with good ESG standards, and CSFB Holt (a research tool of Credit Suisse First Boston, a broker/research provider), to identify companies with inherent value creation and strong competitive advantages.

 

Fixed Income

Initial sector research is undertaken by the credit analysts, who work closely with the Sustainable team in order to identify socially positive industries and sectors. A number of bespoke and external systems are used to identify the sustainable issues that could plausibly affect our outlook on a sector or help distinguish securities with lower risk. We use external data from MSCI and Bloomberg as appropriate to supplement our research effort and enable the teams to focus their primary analysis and financial modelling on lower profile corporate bonds which we consider to be less extensively researched by the wider market.

 


Avoidance Criteria and Do No Significant Harm

The Sustainable Team Investment Process is fundamentally based on positive screening; looking for companies providing a net benefit for society through their products and services (the “what”) and/or demonstrating leading sustainable practices in the way they operate (the “how”).

The team has also developed avoidance criteria (negative screening) to ensure the investments are compatible with the Sustainable objective of the portfolios and meet the Do No Significant Harm principle.

As such, the Sustainable Investment Team will not invest in any company that is or is likely to breach the UN Global Compact 10 Principles1 or any company that fails or is likely to fail to satisfactorily mitigate its negative environmental or social impact (e.g. fossil fuel extraction).

Specifically, for companies operating in the fossil fuel and mining industries, the team is committed to support the transition to a more sustainable society and has divided ‘fossil fuels’ into extraction, power generation and services and has the following policy for companies involved in:

  • Extraction – not to invest in oil and gas or coal mining companies due to their high environmental impact and contribution to climate change
  • Power generation – are deemed investable if companies have material exposure to renewable energy and a demonstrable commitment to evolve away from gas and coal
  • Services – are deemed investable if those companies providing services to extractive industries make them safer and materially improve their environmental impact.

In addition, the sustainable investment team avoids investments in companies involved or likely to be involved in

  • Armament manufacturing
  • Tobacco production
  • Nuclear Power Generation
  • Animal testing for anything other than human or animal health purposes
  • Pornography
  • Sale of animal fur products
  • Irresponsible gambling
  • Irresponsible drinking

 


Bespoke Analysis

After we have mapped out the universe, for each investment that is considered, we undertake a thorough analysis, independent of third-party systems, to assess the suitability of a potential investment from both a financial and sustainability standpoint.

The sustainability analysis is common to both equity and fixed income investments while the financial analysis is tailored to each asset class.

Within our investment decision-making process, financial and sustainability analysis have equal weight although we always start by considering whether a potential investment is sustainable or not.

We believe our process which combines qualitative and quantitative analysis is repeatable and auditable and demonstrates the interaction of financial and sustainable considerations in our investment decision-making.

 


Sustainability-specific analysis

The sustainable research framework is based on a holistic approach of a company’s sustainability focusing on its products and services as well as its operations. After the analysis we then complete a scorecard giving us aggregate Sustainable score of 50 made of products and services (out of 25) and operations (out of 25) as shown below.

  • Products and services – we look at the products and services of the entity and its role in supporting the transition to a more sustainable society. We include a detailed assessment of the industry’s impact, company specific impact as well as detailed checks against all our avoidance criteria and controversies.
  • Operations – we analyse the way a company manages its operations and the environmental and social issues it faces (scored out of 25) as well as its corporate governance. The analysis includes
    • Corporate Governance: board composition, remuneration, audit and accounting practices
    • SASB Materiality: assess company’s practices against the most relevant environmental, social and governance issues
    • Climate: carbon footprint & intensity, energy management policies

In addition, the analysis identifies company specific engagement points which feeds our engagement agenda.

 


Equity-specific analysis

Our analysis of equity investments is based on the goal of paying a fair price for long-term structurally value creating businesses. Similar to the sustainability analysis our framework is divided into two parts; Value Creation and Valuation.

  • Value Creation – we apply clear principles about the type of companies we wish to invest in from a financial perspective. Our fundamental principle is that the companies we invest in will be able to create shareholders’ value over the long-term by combining returns above cost of capital and structural growth. The primary way we judge this is through an assessment of a company’s competitive advantage, industry’s attractiveness, management strategy, capital allocation and risks (scored out of 25)
  • Valuation – we use discounted cashflow and multiples-based valuation methods to judge the growth and returns implied by the current share price, enabling us to understand market expectations and if we are paying a fair/attractive price for an investment. We also assess the resiliency and adaptability of the business and use valuation to assess the risk of permanent capital loss. (scored out of 25)

The scoring process gives us an aggregate financial score (out of 50) which when combined with the Sustainability analysis give us a full picture of the attractiveness of an investment.

 


Fixed Income-specific analysis

In broad terms, our credit research framework centres on an identification of the opening lender position (e.g. key financial ratios) at the point we purchase a bond and a forward assessment of potential balance sheet volatility and fluidity of that lending position. Our focus on the sustainability of the opening lender position reflects two specific bond characteristics.

  • Risk and return are asymmetric: bonds have capped upside (they do not participate in the profit growth of a company) but full exposure to capital loss.
  • Future deterioration, whether through increased leverage or increased subordination, is very difficult to price.

These characteristics support our view that understanding the covenant, structure and security of a bond and focusing on more fundamental corporate characteristics makes it easier for us to evaluate potential outcomes and therefore to determine an appropriate valuation level.

Our approach to security selection combines three distinct stages:

Stage 1 involves an assessment of our opening lender position. This includes current leverage, adjusted for RLAM’s view of the true ‘economic’ liability position (‘off balance sheet’ items such as pension and lease liabilities and other contingent liabilities), balance sheet liquidity and our perception of a company’s control over cashflows. In addition, our analysts focus on the actual borrowing entity with a consideration of seniority and structural subordination (how close we are to the assets and cashflow generation of our borrowers).

Stage 2 is a consideration of the potential fundamental volatility of this historic snapshot; key elements include capital intensity (short and long term), operational gearing, pricing power and volume variability. Furthermore, we will evaluate management incentives to ascertain board motivation and the extent to which a company’s strategy may diverge from the interests of creditors. At this stage, our analysts, whether the inputs have been derived internally (in the case of private companies, small/mid-caps and Special Purpose Vehicles) or captured from external sources, should have a clear understanding of a company’s fundamental balance sheet volatility.

Stage 3 is an assessment of true credit enhancements (e.g. covenants, structure and security). These factors can provide the greatest certainty that our initial lending position will be maintained and not compromised through additional leverage or subordination. In our opinion, this step is the most crucial. Not only are these features, where present, the most permanent and protective of possible credit characteristics but their objectivity allows for extremely high conviction evaluation. Probably most compelling is that, because these enhancements are not reflected within ratings, benchmark position or bond liquidity, they are often overlooked and undervalued by the market. In addition, as these features tend to remain constant over the life of the bond, unlike Stage 2, which requires much greater ongoing maintenance, we believe that this stage is the single most efficient use of our credit research resource.

Only once all three stages have been assessed can the team make a fully informed decision as to whether a credit spread is providing sufficient compensation for overall credit risk, encapsulating both probability of default and severity. Indeed, if we can increase conviction that the opening lender position will be maintained then this supports our ability to more accurately price the specific credit risk each bond exhibits.

As a manager of fixed income Sustainable funds, RLAM believes that ESG issues are vital in all credit research. As such, we combine rigorous financial analysis with assessments of how ESG factors could influence the risk profile of the issuers. We have to judge whether the overall risk profile, based on financial and ESG factors, is appropriately reflected in the valuation of a bond.

We combine this analysis with a number of other features, in particular, a bias towards secured debt or bonds with strong covenant protections and an emphasis on portfolio diversification. Overall, our approach allows us, as active managers, to take advantage of credit market inefficiencies arising from over reliance on credit ratings and benchmark composition.
The Sustainable funds which contain fixed income give preference to issuers where the provision of debt financing will support the move toward a more sustainable society. Like with equities, this can be through supporting entities with socially and environmentally useful products and services, or those with strong ESG management. To this end we include four themes which we believe benefit society:

  • Community: covering education, health and social care.
  • Housing: with a focus on social and affordable housing.
  • Utilities & Environment.
  • Infrastructure.

These themes focus on those areas where we believe there is a clear benefit to society and also a clear long term investment case. This means that we will look for opportunities in a wide range of areas e.g. social & affordable housing, hospitals, transport, roads, schools & universities, water infrastructure, electricity distribution and telecommunication. We will aim to have at least half of the Fund’s bond holdings in securities linked to one of these themes, subject to sufficient portfolio diversification being achieved.

Our work is then considered by our Advisory Committee which provides independent challenge and insight and ensures we always implement our principles.

 


External oversight – RLAM External Advisory Committee

RLAM benefits from an independent External Advisory Committee which independently oversees the investment universe for RLAM’s range of sustainable funds. This committee is multi-disciplinary, consisting of academics and industry experts, and meets at least three times a year. The committee receives reports on sectors and companies and advises on the approval and exclusion of companies as well as topical issues relevant to the sustainable investment universe. The committee is responsible for ensuring that the criteria and spirit of our sustainable philosophy are observed. It is, however, an advisory body and so stock selection and portfolio decisions are not subject to approval or sign-off. Biographies of the Committee were included earlier in this document.

Resources, Affiliations & Corporate Strategies:

Please note, the following is for informational purposes only and does not necessarily reflect our response to SDR reporting.

Royal London Asset Management’s in-house Responsible Investment (RI) team of 17 professionals is led by Head of Responsible Investment, Ashley Hamilton-Claxton. The RI team works with the investment teams to monitor, assess and analyse ESG factors, vote our shares and engage with companies to encourage better social and environmental outcomes, or better risk management. This team is also responsible for helping to set out our approach and policies around systemic issues such as climate change, providing guidance, feedback and coaching to fund managers and analysts on the latest data, research, policy and industry practices.

Governance of Responsible Investment at Royal London Asset Management is integrated at varying levels of the organisation however is led by senior leadership. The Board has ultimate responsibility for setting Royal London Asset Management’s risk appetite and reviewing our strategic risks. Our Chief Investment Officer (CIO) is a regulated Senior Management Function (SMF) and is the Executive team member that is accountable for setting the investment strategy, and overseeing our Responsible Investment function, including our approach to stewardship and climate investment risk. The CIO, with support from the investment teams, updates the Board and monitors responsible investment in line with Royal London Asset Management’s risk tolerance threshold. The CIO is also responsible for ensuring responsible investment, stewardship and climate change risk management is embedded across Royal London Asset Management’s investment strategies. The CIO is a member of Royal London Asset Management’s Executive Committee and also chairs the Investment Committee.

Royal London Asset Management is a member of the following initiatives:

  • United Nations Principles For Responsible Investment (UNPRI) (2008)
  • Global Real Estate Sustainability Benchmark (GRESB) (2013)
  • 30% Club Investor Group 2016 UK Stewardship Code (2016)
  • UK Sustainable Investment and Finance Association (UKSIF) (2016)
  • Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) (2018)
  • Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility (ICCR) (2018)
  • Climate Action 100+ (2019)
  • Institutional Investor Group on Climate Change (IIGCC) (2019)
  • Investment Association (IA) (2019)
  • Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB) (2019)
  • Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) (2020)
  • Climate Financial Risk Forum - FCA and PRA (CFRF) (2020)
  • Financing the Just Transition Alliance (FJTA) (2020)
  • Ceres (2020)
  • Investor Alliance for Human Rights (2020)
  • Better Buildings Partnership (2020)
  • UK Green Building Council 2020 Better Buildings Partnership Climate Commitment (2021)
  • Net Zero Asset Manager initiative (NZAM) (2022)
  • FAIRR Initiative (2022)
  • Workplace Mental Health Benchmark (CCLA) (2022)
  • FCA Vote Disclosure Forum (2022)
  • FCA Disclosures & Labelling Advisory Committee (2022)
  • Church of England Pensions Board - Executive Pay (2022)
  • International Labour Organisation (ILO) (2022)
  • International Labour Organisation (ILO) - United Nations Environment Programme - Finance (UNEP-Fi) (2022)
  • The Investor Agenda (2022)
  • International Sustainability Standard Board (ISSB)(2022)
  • Transition Plan Taskforce (TPT) (2022)
  • World Benchmarking Alliance (WBA) (2022)
  • Access to Medicine Foundation (2023)
  • Net Zero Engagement Initiative (NZEI) organised by Institutional Investment Group on Climate Change (IIGCC) (2023)
  • Swedish Council of Ethics - Human Rights in Technology (2023)
  • Nature Action 100 (NA100) (2023)

Source: Royal London Asset Management, correct as of 31 March 2024, Year in brackets indicates date joined.

Voting Record

Disclaimer

Important Information

For further information, please contact:

Royal London Asset Management Limited
80 Fenchurch Street
London, EC3M 4BY
Telephone: 020 3272 5594
E-mail: alice.bennett@rlam.co.uk
Telephone Calls may be recorded

For professional clients only. This document may not be distributed to any unauthorised persons and is not suitable for retail clients.

This document is for information purposes only and it is not intended as promotional material in any respect. The views expressed are the author’s own and do not constitute investment advice. The material is not intended as an offer or solicitation for the purchase or sale of any financial instrument. It does not provide, and should not be relied on for, accounting, legal or tax advice, or investment recommendations.

Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results. The value of investments and the income from them is not guaranteed and may go down as well as up and investors may not get back the amount originally invested. Portfolio characteristics and holdings are subject to change without notice. For more information concerning the risks of investing, please refer to the Prospectus or Key Investor Information Document (KIID), available via the relevant Fund Price page on www.rlam.co.uk

All confidential information relating to any Royal London Group company must be treated by you in the strictest confidence. It may only be used for the purposes of assessing the proposal to engage Royal London Asset Management Limited (RLAM). Confidential information should not be disclosed to any third party and should only be disclosed to those of your employees and professional advisers who are required to see such information for the purpose set out above. You should ensure that these persons are made aware of the confidential nature of such information and treat it accordingly. You agree to return and/ or destroy all confidential information on receipt of our written request to do so.

Issued in June 2024 by Royal London Asset Management Limited, 80 Fenchurch Street, London EC3M 4BY. Authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, firm reference number 141665. A subsidiary of The Royal London Mutual Insurance Society Limited.

The Royal London Mutual Insurance Society Limited is registered in England and Wales number 99064. Registered Office: 80 Fenchurch Street, London EC3M 4BY. The Royal London Mutual Insurance Society Limited is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority. The Royal London Mutual Insurance Society Limited is on the Financial Services Register, registration number 117672. Registered in England and Wales number 99064. Our ref: Q RLAM EM 2051.