Schroders has launched a listed global equity impact fund, which will invest in companies whose products, services and operations are focused on solving societal and environmental challenges. The fund’s impact investment framework, built in collaboration with Schroders’ impact firm BlueOrchard, draws on the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs). It will be classified as Article 9 under the EU Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation (SFDR). “The UN SDGs outline urgent social and environmental problems that must be addressed in order to ensure a sustainable and prosperous future for all,” said Joanna Wald and Paul Griffin, Fund Managers at Schroders. “Due to the sheer magnitude of these challenges, we believe the necessary solutions cannot be achieved solely by governments and NGOs.” The pair added that the competitive dynamics and scrutiny of public markets would reward companies that could tackle sustainable goals most efficiently. “Companies’ leadership in execution, agility and innovation creates solutions with the speed and scale necessary to address the UN SDGs,” they said.
