Aegon Asset Management is to adopt new ‘Sustainability Focus’ labels under the FCA’s Sustainability Disclosure Requirements (SDR) for two of its funds.
The Aegon Sustainable Diversified Growth and Aegon Sustainable Equity Funds intend to adopt the label from the end of March 2025 following shareholder notification. The move underlines Aegon AM’s commitment to helping clients meet both their financial and sustainable objectives.
Miranda Beacham, Head of Responsible Investment at Aegon Asset Management UK said: “We are very pleased to see SDR is gathering momentum in providing greater clarity and confidence in the market for our clients and look forward to adopting the new labels for our funds.”
Aegon Asset Management has a long history of responsible investment, with its first fund, the Aegon Ethical Equity Fund, launched in 1989.
The Aegon Ethical Equity Fund, Aegon Ethical Corporate Bond Fund and Aegon Ethical Cautious Managed Fund will not have UK sustainability investment labels, as they operate exclusionary screens and do not fit within the label categories defined by the FCA. However, they will be in the unlabelled with sustainable characteristics category which will result in disclosures aligned with the labelled funds to ensure transparency.
Beacham added: “Our ethical franchise, remaining unlabelled with sustainability characteristics, will continue to be entirely unambiguous in its goals, an attractive proposition to some investors looking to align their values and views on responsible investing.
“Indeed, our Ethical Investor Survey, carried out every two years ensures our funds stay aligned both to these goals, and also with societal changes.”
The 2024-25 Aegon Ethical Investor Survey can be accessed here: www.aegonam.com/ethicalsurvey2024-25
