Sustainable Products in Asset Management
Swiss Life offers a range of sustainable products in asset management that meet the requirements of the EU Transparency Regulation (SFDR).
In third-party asset management, clients can access Swiss Life’s ESG competencies and experience. In asset management, Swiss Life has a range of sustainable investment products in the largest asset classes: bonds, equities, real estate and infrastructure. In addition, so-called impact products (compliant with Art. 9 SFDR) have been developed in the real estate and equities areas. They focus on investments that measurably promote sustainable development. Furthermore, Swiss Life is developing new investment solutions and strategies in various asset classes that focus on specific ESG topics or on companies that meet strict sustainability criteria.
The transposition period for the EU Transparency Regulation (SFDR, see box) expired in March of the year under review. Based on this regulation, Swiss Life divided its third-party client products into categories and adapted the public documents accordingly. In a further step, Swiss Life is utilising the insights gained and analysing the proprietary insurance asset management portfolio in accordance with SFDR. This includes an examination of the steps that would be necessary for the entire portfolio to have an ESG strategy or be declared compliant with Art. 8 SFDR.
SFDR
In March 2021, the Transparency Regulation (Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation; SFDR) came into force in the EU. This regulation defines various transparency obligations, especially for financial and insurance products. Various transparency requirements apply depending on a product’s sustainability. There are essentially three groups of products:
- Art. 6 Products: Either include sustainability risks in investment decisions or disregard them.
- Art. 8 Products: Promote ecological or social characteristics
- Art. 9 Products: Target sustainable investments