Franklin Templeton and ClearBridge Investments have introduced the FTGF ClearBridge Global Sustainability Improvers Fund, a global value equity fund that marks a significant shift towards investing in companies actively enhancing their Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) practices.
Recognizing a market opportunity, Franklin Templeton focuses on companies in the early stages of adopting and improving their ESG measures. Unlike traditional ESG funds, this innovative fund aims to invest in entities progressing toward better sustainability practices, potentially unlocking shareholder value and promoting sustainable economic development.
Franklin Templeton and ClearBridge Investments are known for crafting diverse investment solutions that cater to various sustainability preferences. The FTGF ClearBridge Global Sustainability Improvers Fund concentrates on undervalued companies actively improving their ESG practices. The fund maintains a concentrated portfolio of around 30-40 equity securities, aiming for long-term capital appreciation. Each portfolio holding is selected with an ESG improvement plan, which is closely monitored. Companies failing to make expected progress are removed from the portfolio.
The fund is classified as Article 8 under the EU’s Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation (SFDR) and will initially be available in select European countries: the UK, Ireland, Italy, and Spain. It will be managed by Grace Su and Jean Yu, portfolio managers on ClearBridge’s Global Value Equity investment team.
By focusing on companies committed to enhancing their sustainability, even in less-considered sectors, the fund aims to reduce operational risks, unlock shareholder value, and promote sustainable economic growth.
, an independent military force, and allied militias in Sudan raped several dozen women and girls in West Darfur’s capital, El Geneina, and those fleeing to Chad between late April and late June 2023, Human Rights Watch said today. The assailants appear to have targeted people because of their Massalit ethnicity and, in some cases, because they were known activists.){kind=link}