Impact investor WHEB Asset Management has confirmed plans to adopt the ‘sustainability impact’ label as set out in the UK Sustainability Disclosure Requirements (SDR). The label will be attached to the FP WHEB Sustainability Fund, with an updated prospectus for the vehicle to be published in line with SDR requirements. The fund’s name will be changed to ‘FP WHEB Sustainability Impact Fund’. “Impact investing is all we do and all we have ever done,” said George Latham, Managing Partner at WHEB Asset Management. “The average investor on the street doesn’t care what hoops have to be jumped through or what the regulation is called, but they do care that when they invest in a sustainability-labelled fund it does what they expect it to do, by investing in stocks that are aligned with their environmental and social values.” The label approval process was challenging, Latham acknowledged – adding that it is nonetheless a welcome step towards cementing trust with end investors and reducing greenwashing risk. “It was always going to be a challenge to find a balance between being sufficiently detailed and robust, yet accessible, understandable and engaging to retail investors – but we think the end result is worthwhile,” he added. “We’ve seen frustration across the industry with the challenges of complying with the new disclosures required for a sustainability label to be used, but it’s what you would expect so early in any new framework regulation.” The fact that the process is so tough proves that it is working, Latham claimed.
