Smart Pension and AXA IM announce biodiversity partnership
- 04 October 2022
- Leading workplace pension provider Smart Pension announces partnership with AXA IM on the AXA WF ACT Biodiversity fund
- Continues commitments of both Smart Pension and AXA IM to sustainability
- This builds on Smart Pension's recent announcement that the company will reach net zero '10 years early'
Smart Pension, one of the UK’s leading workplace pension providers, has announced a new partnership with AXA Investment Managers (AXA IM), focusing on biodiversity. The move further underlines Smart Pension’s strong emphasis on sustainable investing. The pension industry has a golden opportunity to drive faster decarbonisation, by investing in businesses that are serious about cutting their carbon emissions and addressing biodiversity loss. Doing so improves outcomes for savers in both financial growth and outcomes for the environment.
Paul Bucksey, Chief Investment Officer at Smart Pension, commented:
“We are focused on achieving the best outcomes for our members. We want to help them secure not just long-term financial growth but also a safer, healthier world in which they can enjoy retirement. Smart Pension’s flagship growth strategy has invested over 70% in sustainable funds for a while now, which we expect will play a key role in achieving our 2040 net zero target1 . We have chosen to partner with AXA IM to incorporate its biodiversity strategy as we seek to improve results further for our members.”
Rachel Basarab-Horwath, Global Head of Pensions at AXA IM, commented:
“At AXA IM, we believe Smart Pension is a perfect partner for our biodiversity strategy, as it has stood as an example to others in its approach to sustainability over recent years. From a corporate perspective the company has an ethos that aligns with AXA IM’s stated aims of actively investing for the long-term to help our clients, our people and the world to prosper. The strategy focuses on four key areas we have identified to help prevent biodiversity loss: sustainable materials, land and animal preservation, water ecosystems, and recycling and recirculation.”
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Risks
Counterparty Risk: Risk of bankruptcy, insolvency, or payment or delivery failure of any of the Sub-Fund's counterparties, leading to a payment or delivery default.
Geopolitical Risk: investments in securities issued or listed in different countries may imply the application of different standards and regulations. Investments may be affected by movements of foreign exchange rates, changes in laws or restrictions applicable to such investments, changes in exchange control regulations or price volatility.
Sustainability Risk: Given the Sub-Fund’s Investment Strategy and risk profile, the likely impact of the Sustainability Risks on the Sub-Fund’s returns is expected to be low.
Impact of any techniques such as derivatives: Certain management strategies involve specific risks, such as liquidity risk, credit risk, counterparty risk, legal risk, valuation risk, operational risk and risks related to the underlying assets. The use of such strategies may also involve leverage, which may increase the effect of market movements on the Sub-Fund and may result in significant risk of losses.
About Smart Pension
Launched in 2015, the Smart Pension Master Trust has grown from £100 million in AUM to £2.2 billion in four years, with almost 1 million members and 70,000 employers on the platform. It is powered by global savings and investments technology platform provider, Smart.
Legal & General Investment Management (LGIM), J.P. Morgan, Fidelity International Strategic Ventures, Link Group, Natixis Investment Managers, Barclays, Chrysalis Investments and DWS Group are all investors in Smart.
We tweet as @SmartPensionUK.
For media enquiries:
Contact: pressoffice@smartpension.co.uk
Disclaimer
This press release does not constitute on the part of AXA Investment Managers a solicitation or investment, legal or tax advice. This material does not contain sufficient information to support an investment decision.
Due to its simplification, this document is partial and opinions, estimates and forecasts herein are subjective and subject to change without notice. There is no guarantee forecasts made will come to pass. Data, figures, declarations, analysis, predictions and other information in this document is provided based on our state of knowledge at the time of creation of this document. Whilst every care is taken, no representation or warranty (including liability towards third parties), express or implied, is made as to the accuracy, reliability or completeness of the information contained herein. Reliance upon information in this material is at the sole discretion of the recipient. This material does not contain sufficient information to support an investment decision.
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AXA WF ACT Biodiversity is a sub-fund of AXA World Funds. AXA WORLD FUNDS ‘s registered office is 49, avenue J.F Kennedy L-1885 Luxembourg. The Company is registered under the number B. 63.116 at the “Registre de Commerce et des Sociétés” The Company is a Luxembourg SICAV UCITS IV approved by the CSSF and managed by AXA Funds Management, a société anonyme organized under the laws of Luxembourg with the Luxembourg Register Number B 32 223RC, and whose registered office is located at 49, Avenue J.F. Kennedy L-1885 Luxembourg.
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In other jurisdictions, this document is issued by AXA Investment Managers SA’s affiliates in those countries.
Risk Warning
The value of investments, and the income from them, can fall as well as rise and investors may not get back the amount originally invested.