Zenith rolls out RI classifications

Zenith/ri/ESG/ratings/dugald-higgins/

16 July 2021
| By Oksana Patron |
image
image
expand image

Zenith Investments Partners has completed the rollout of its responsible investment (RI) classifications across 878 funds across its approved product list (APL) which will help advisers select funds best suited for clients’ portfolios seeking to align with environmental, social, governance (ESG) criteria.

Additionally, Zenith’s research team said it used qualitative analysis, rather than relying on manager self-assessment questionnaires which would allow the consultant to examine the robustness of each funds process and test managers to ensure that activity would match any policy guidelines.

Dugald Higgins, head of real assets and listed strategies and chair of Zenith’s Responsible Investment Committee, said: “Each category has varying levels of ESG factor consideration within its investment process.

“Importantly, the classifications go beyond simply identifying which ESG strategies a fund uses, which is essential given many funds combine more than one approach. Instead, the classifications have been applied across all asset classes which allows advisers to identify the level to which any fund incorporates ESG, and not just those funds branded as pursuing responsible, ethical or sustainability aims.”

According to him, Zenith process also showed which sectors tend to prioritise RI and ESG over others.

“Among Zenith-rated funds, listed property and infrastructure as well as unlisted real assets have the largest proportion of funds classed as ‘Integrated’, meaning they expressly take into consideration RI and ESG factors,” he said.

“While Australian and international shares funds did have a large number of funds incorporating RI and ESG factors, just over half of the universe incorporated ESG.

“We feel that is a logical outcome of the process given real estate and infrastructure assets have a long history of incorporating ESG issues, particularly around sustainability.” 

Zenith has been chosen by fund managers, according to the Money Management’s “Rate the Raters” part one survey, as the preferred research house, winning the highest ratings for its research methodology, personnel quality, feedback and the most accurate selection of the peer group and sectors, among others.

Read more about:

AUTHOR

Recommended for you

sub-bgsidebar subscription

Never miss the latest news and developments in wealth management industry

MARKET INSIGHTS

So we are now underwriting criminal scams?...

2 months 3 weeks ago

Glad to see the back of you Steve. You made financial more expensive, not more affordable as you claim, and presided ...

2 months 3 weeks ago

Completely agree Peter. The definition of 'significant change is circumstances relevant to the scope of the advice' is s...

4 months 3 weeks ago

ASIC has suspended the Australian Financial Services Licence of a Melbourne-based financial advice firm....

1 week 3 days ago

The corporate regulator has issued infringement notices to three AFSLs whose financial advisers provided personal advice to a retail client while unregistered....

2 weeks 1 day ago

ASIC has released the results of its first adviser exam to be held in 2025, with 241 candidates attempting the test....

2 weeks 6 days ago

TOP PERFORMING FUNDS

ACS FIXED INT - AUSTRALIA/GLOBAL BOND