Sustainable and Impact Investing - strategies

Explore our offering

Our 20 plus year history¹ within Sustainable Investing has allowed us to develop a wide range of strategies across all asset classes and investment styles, including tailored solutions to fit a variety of specific client needs. Our dedicated team of SI analysts leverage UBS-AM’s proprietary methodology enabling our strategies to be dynamic in nature and capture unique opportunities in the market.

Source: 1. UBS-AM (Americas) Inc. started its first sustainability strategy in 1997. Please see Sustainability Report for more information.

UBS-AM is a division of UBS AG.

Our strategies

A selection of our sustainable and responsible investment strategies

Equities

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Active Climate Aware

Invests globally in attractively valued companies that are well-positioned for a climate-friendly economy. Aims to achieve a below benchmark temperature alignment score and a combined weighted Scope 1 and 2 average carbon intensity additionally a higher `green to brown` ratio as the benchmark. A proprietary climate aware methodology and ESG data collection provide information on a company's climate characteristics.

Climate Aware Rules-based

An innovative, cost-effective, rules-based equity solution designed to capitalize on the long-term transition to a low greenhouse gas emissions economy. Has the flexibility to increase or decrease exposures to constituents of the index based on their expected contributions towards climate change. An innovative approach with four key building blocks combining a multi-dimensional group of metrics.

Emerging Markets Sustainable Leaders

Actively-managed strategy providing access to companies with a focus on sustainability that are mainly domiciled in emerging markets. These companies often manufacture innovative products or offer services which, by their especially high environmental and social benefit, contribute to the sustainable development of emerging markets. Invests in global leaders diversified across sectors and countries.

ETFs – linked to sustainable benchmarks

We have a wide variety of ETFs linked to both global and regional benchmarks such as MSCI ACWI ESG Universal Low Carbon Select, MSCI ACWI Socially Responsible UCITS, S&P 500 ESG etc. Our sustainable ETFs offer broad diversification in sustainably managed companies and aim to encourage responsible business practices, allocating capital for ESG gains across the economy.

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European Opportunity Sustainable

Providing access to a portfolio of our best ideas in Europe, this Sustainable-focused strategy actively invests in attractive risk-reward companies with strong ESG profiles. We believe the combination of material sustainability factors and bottom-up research can lead to better informed investment decisions and competitive risk-adjusted returns.

Global Gender Equality ETF

Invests in the Solactive Equileap Global Gender Equality 100 Leaders Net Total Return Index. The relative weightings of the companies correspond to their weightings in the index. The Index has been designed to track the top companies leading the field internationally in terms of gender equality. In-depth gender equality screening (as defined by Equileap) is carried out. Controversial weapons, gambling, tobacco or coal extraction and power generation industries are excluded.

Global Sustainable Equity

The strategy invests worldwide in companies that generate above-average environmental, social and governance performance and integrate sustainability factors in the business model to build a competitive advantage. The portfolio's structure may deviate sharply from the reference index in order to increase potential outperformance.

Global Impact

Managed actively, the strategy invests globally in developed and emerging market companies that provide solutions to significant global challenges such as climate change, air pollution, clean water and food security. It aims to invest in attractively valued companies with a strong sustainability profile, allocating to multiple impact categories whilst diversifying across countries and sectors.

Long Term Themes

Actively managed strategy investing globally in companies exposed to long term investment themes related to the three mega trends: population growth, increasing urbanization and aging population. Investing in attractively valued companies with a strong sustainability profile, the portfolio holds around 40-80 stocks and is diversified across countries and sectors.

USA Growth Sustainable

Actively managed equity strategy investing in selected US companies with a strong sustainability profile. Investments are focused on growth style companies i.e. companies which enjoy a competitive advantage or above average earnings potential. We categorize this as Sustainability Focus which promotes ESG characteristics. Investments are primarily made in large-cap companies.

US Equity Value Sustainable

Invests in US companies that have a strong ESG profile and are attractively valued. Investment decisions are based on disciplined bottom-up analysis of companies that rank highly in the UBS ESG dashboard. Actively managed strategy based on a concentrated portfolio of our highest conviction US stocks.

Fixed Income

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Bond Sustainable (CHF)

Invests predominantly in CHF-denominated, investment grade bonds across different spread sectors. Aims to achieve an attractive return relative to the performance of the CHF bond market. The main focus in on careful security selection, sector allocation and active duration management. Seeks to invest in issuers with better sustainability profiles that are selected based on proprietary UBS ESG scores.

Climate Aware

Invests on a broadly diversified basis in the international corporate bond markets. Aims to deliver similar gross return characteristics as the Bloomberg Barclays Global Aggregate Corporate (CHF hedged) Index, while maintaining a rule-based orientation that accounts for investment risks linked to climate change. Aim is to overweight companies geared toward long-term change leading to a global low carbon economy (and vice versa).

Corporate Bond Sustainable (EUR)

Invests predominantly in EUR-denominated, investment grade corporate bonds. Aims to achieve an attractive return relative to the performance of the EUR corporates market. The focus is on careful security selection, sector allocation and active duration management. Seeks to invest in issuers with better sustainability profiles that are selected based on proprietary UBS ESG scores.

Corporate Bond Sustainable (US)

Invests predominantly in USD-denominated, investment grade corporate bonds. The strategy aims to achieve an attractive return relative to the performance of the USD investment grade corporate market. The focus is on careful security selection, sector allocation and active duration management. Seeks to invest in issuers with better sustainability profiles that are selected based on proprietary UBS ESG scores.

Multilateral Development Banks (MDB) Bonds ETF

MDBs are global institutions, for example the World Bank and Asian Development Bank, which gather capital to provide loans for developing nations at favorable interest rates. The aim is to improve social and physical infrastructure. MDB bonds are top-rated (AAA), and offer higher yields than similar maturity US sovereign debt. MDB bonds form a sustainable and diversified alternative to classical government bonds within a portfolio.

Short Duration High Yield Sustainable

Invests in a diversified portfolio of high-yield bonds with short durations and low ratings focusing on issuers with a strong ESG profile. Investments have a weighted average sustainability profile that exceeds the sustainability profile of respective index. The index is used as reference for sustainability profile comparison and risk management purposes only.

US Corporate Bond Sustainable

Investing predominantly in USD investment grade bonds, the strategy aims to achieve an attractive return relative to the USD investment grade corporate bond market. Seeks to invest in issuers with better sustainability profiles that are selected based on proprietary UBS ESG scores. The strategy is best suited to investors looking to invest in a broadly diversified portfolio of USD corporate bonds.

Alternatives - Hedge Funds and Real Assets

Hedge funds

Our Environmental Focus strategy invests both long and short in the securities of entities involved in the Energy Transition Economy. This includes companies and industries that will be affected by or contribute to the global transition to a more sustainable lower carbon economy, including, but not limited to, agriculture, automobiles and shared mobility, machinery and equipment, metals and mining, oil and gas, paper and packaging, pipelines and infrastructure, power and utilities, renewables, semi-conductor and transportation industries.

Real assets

Real assets such as properties and infrastructure contribute significantly to CO₂ emissions and the consumption of natural resources. Sustainability is therefore a key component of successful real asset management. Responsible ownership and operation of real property can have a significant positive impact on the environment and returns for our clients. We operate with this in mind while investing both directly and indirectly into real assets.