LONDON, 26 November 2020 – Aon plc (NYSE: AON), a leading global professional services firm providing a broad range of risk, retirement and health solutions, has announced its launch of the Aon Global Impact Fund. This new high-conviction active equity fund is focused on investing in leading companies that help drive the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The new fund invests in external managers which have been identified and blended by Aon’s Investment Manager Research team. Their selection is based on their potential for strong returns and consideration of their impact on key social and environmental issues. The fund has already been integrated into Aon’s defined contribution (DC) solutions, the Aon MasterTrust and Bigblue Touch (Aon’s Group Personal Pension).
The overall objective of the fund’s strategy is to offer investors the opportunity to generate capital growth over the long term, while making a positive impact on society and the planet. It aims to achieve this through active investment in global companies whose products or services are addressing the planet’s long-term challenges, and which are using the tools of active ownership to catalyse more sustainable business practices. These issues include tackling climate change, increasing access to quality education and affordable housing, enabling financial inclusion, advancing healthcare innovation, alleviating hunger and poverty, as well as driving renewable energy growth. Aon launched the fund in September 2020 and has already attracted £100 million in assets under management.
Tim Manuel, head of Responsible Investment for Aon in the UK, said:
“Pension scheme trustees are increasingly looking to develop more sustainable investment portfolios. New regulatory requirements have drawn attention to the issues, but this is also driven by a growing belief about the best way to generate returns in a changing world. A shift in sentiment among their scheme members about how their money is invested is also supporting the change.
“Impact investing is one way of meeting that approach, so we have developed a solution that is accessible and suitable for DB and DC schemes.”
Geri McMahon, Responsible Investment strategy lead at Aon in the UK, said:
“We wanted to offer our clients a new and effective way to invest in a strategy that allows them to align their investments with their wider social and environmental goals. The fund constantly evolves to reflect our latest analysis and best investment ideas, so our clients will always be invested in a market-leading solution.”
Details on the Aon Global Impact Fund can be found at: https://www.aon.com/getmedia/9a120840-56f7-4921-9fc3-e37df0630b75/The-Aon-Global-Impact-Fund-pdf.aspx
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