Specialist investment manager ClearBridge Investments has introduced a new sustainable global value equity fund. The FTGF ClearBridge Global Sustainability Improvers Fund is a sub-fund of the Franklin Templeton Global Funds range and is categorised as Article 8 under the EU Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation. The fund’s objective is to provide long-term capital appreciation and will invest in a concentrated portfolio of between 30-40 equity securities, which the investment managers believe are undervalued and improving their ESG practices. ClearBridge offers strategies focused on three primary client objectives in high active share, income solutions and low volatility. The new fund uses the firm’s ESG-integrated research platform and proprietary rating system. All portfolio holdings have an ESG improvement thesis at purchase, with corresponding sustainability targets that are monitored and measured for improvement. Companies that do not improve as expected against their sustainability targets will be removed from the portfolio. Jean Yu, Portfolio Manager of the ClearBridge Global Sustainability Improvers Fund, said: “Investors have sought the comfort of sustainability in a narrow range of companies that are already displaying good ESG ratings. We believe one needs to look more broadly, and for investors wanting to participate in the transition towards a more sustainable economy, while retaining the potential for excess returns, this is a compelling strategy.”
