IFAM: Is there anything we can draw from the coronavirus situation regarding how sustainability strategies have reacted?
AS: In general, we’ve seen that a lot of sustainability strategies have been more resilient during the market downturns. This has been the case with our own strategy which has outperformed its benchmark. That is not to say that we wish for downturns of course, far from it.
Within our own strategy we’re looking at how best we can deal with the current situation of this global pandemic, its implications and impacts. Many commentators are suggesting that pandemics could reoccur in the future. We are looking into how we position future holdings to deal with future pandemic situations so that we invest in environmental and social solutions. In terms of what we do and how our investment strategy works, the current situation doesn’t change things for us. It just heightens the importance of why we are sustainable investors.
About Ama Seery
Ama Seery is an ESG Analyst at Janus Henderson Investors, a position she has held since 2018. Prior to joining the firm, Ms. Seery worked as a sustainability professional in the property sector, first as a scheme manager for BREEAM (green building certification) and later teaching others how to certify green buildings before moving into constructing them.
Ms. Seery graduated with a master’s degree in interdisciplinary design for the built environment from Cambridge University, Wolfson College. She holds the Chartered Environmentalist designation and has 12 years of sustainability experience.
