Global asset manager PineBridge Investments has upgraded its Global Emerging Markets Corporate Bond Fund to an Article 9 SFDR-compliant fund. The fund will now be named the PineBridge GEM SDG Corporate Bond Fund. The fund targets long-term, capital appreciation through investment in bonds issued primarily by corporate entities and financial institutions based in emerging markets. The fund will exclusively invest in assets to be assessed as positive contributors – and that ‘do no harm’ – to four UN SDGs. It will use sustainability scoring that aims to manage sustainability risks, promote a more sustainable investable universe, and capitalise on sustainability driven change. In addition to a “rigorous bottom-up approach” to credit selection, the team will prioritise engagement with issuers to drive improved sustainability practices. Chris Perryman, Portfolio Manager, Head of Trading, Emerging Markets Fixed Income at PineBridge Investments, said: “As capital allocators, we are committed to using our power to not only influence the way the companies we invest in do business, but to raise the bar for such change. Upgrading to Article 9 status reflects the team’s careful considerations of how best to use the strength and depth of our credit market capabilities to enact change.”
