Waverton Investment Management has stepped up its responsible investment offerings with the launch of an overlay to investors using their model portfolio or bespoke services.
The London-based asset manager announced the launch of its Enhanced Responsible Investment Service (ERIS), led by Mary Haly (pictured), which enables clients to include or exclude themes of sectors reflecting their core values.
Waverton has developed three positive themes which act as an umbrella for the ERIS criteria and also align with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
These are:
1.Protecting the environment,
- Lowering carbon footprint
- Alternative energy
- Pollution and waste
- Protection of natural resources
- Sustainable food, agriculture and forestry
2. Health and wellbeing
- Providing affordable healthcare
- Innovation in healthcare
- Providing improved health infrastructure
- Enabling healthier lifestyles
- Building better cities
3. Positive social practices
- Healthy and safety
- Data and digital security
- Greater access to education
- Financial sector resilience and security
- Improved access to communication
- Infrastructure
- Wellbeing of employers and suppliers
The overlay is available to clients with £500,000 in a model portfolio and with £3m in a bespoke portfolio.
For the model portfolio, investors are able to apply the positive themes above as well as exclude fossil fuels, armaments, animal testing, alcohol, tobacco, gambling and adult entertainment.
In bespoke portfolios investors are able to apply the positive themes above and exclude over 20 product involvement/environmental/social areas including nuclear power, palm oil, pesticides, speciality leather and predatory lending.
Jennifer Fisher, head of equities, said: “It is our belief that in a world of ongoing change and growing ESG scrutiny, a company will have to operate to high, or improving, ESG standards to sustain a competitive advantage and build a durable business that creates long-term shareholder value.”
A number of wealth management firms have been increasing the number of responsible investment products they offer; ESG Clarity exclusively revealed the launch of EQ Investors’ Future Leaders range investing in responsible passive funds, Blackfinch Asset Management added four Adaptation Funds to its model portfolio service (MPS) following client demand for ESG propositions, and MitonOptimal added ESG funds to its core MPS position earlier this year.
