BNP Paribas Asset Management (BNPP AM) has launched its BNP Paribas Easy S&P 500 ESG UCITS ETF, the firm’s first Irish ETF. The fund, categorised as Article 8 under the EU’s Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation, has been granted regulatory approval by the Central Bank of Ireland. It replicates the performance of the US-based S&P 500 ESG Index, excluding companies that are not United Nations Global Compact-compliant and that the index deems to be controversial or do not possess a S&P Dow Jones Indices ESG score. The ETF is BNPP AM’s first to track an S&P ESG index. The offering looks to appeal to European investors that have been keen on US equity ETFs, with such funds accounting for 33% of the US$1 trillion valued equity ETFs available in Europe. Lorraine Sereyjol-Garros, Global Head of Development for ETFs and Index Funds at BNPP AM, said: “the launch of our first Irish-domiciled sub-fund, BNP Paribas Easy S&P 500 ESG UCITS ETF, is a key milestone in the development of our range of sustainable ETFs. Ireland has a well-developed ETF ecosystem that benefits funds with exposure to US equities, as well as global equities, where we are planning further thematic ETF launches.”
