Aviva launches climate transition equity fund for workplace pension schemes

Published: 31 Mar 2021

Image of person holding hands with a child, walking across a field with windmills in the background

Aviva has announced the launch of the Aviva Investors Climate Transition Global Equity Fund onto its workplace pension scheme platforms. It is an actively managed equity fund that invests in the shares of companies globally who are responding to climate change.

Businesses which have their workplace pension scheme with Aviva will be able to give their employees the choice to invest in the fund, from today. 

Aviva Investors, the global asset management business of Aviva plc, launched the fund last year(1). This is the second equity fund it has launched which is aimed at supporting the transition to a low carbon economy and which uses Aviva Investors’ proprietary methodology for defining climate investment risk.    

The fund aims to take a long-term, high conviction investment approach, targeting companies offering goods and services which are providing solutions for climate change mitigation and adaptation, as well as investing in those companies that are orientating their business models to be resilient in a low-carbon, warmer world. 

The fund will not invest in companies exposed to thermal coal, unconventional fossil fuels, or thermal coal electricity generation, and limits exposure to those producing oil and gas or gas-fired power generation. 

We want to offer our pension scheme members simple but effective ways of ensuring that as they save for retirement, their investment is being used for the good of society and the planet.

Laura Stewart-Smith, Head of Workplace Savings and Retirement at Aviva

Laura Stewart-Smith, Head of Workplace Savings and Retirement at Aviva said: “Responsible investing is no longer a ‘nice to have’. The investment and workplace pensions industry has an important role in changing the world for the better, and the launch of this latest fund onto our workplace pension scheme platforms is another step towards making that happen. 

"Aviva has been at the forefront of responsible investment for decades and we take our duty very seriously. We want to offer our pension scheme members simple but effective ways of ensuring that as they save for retirement, their investment is being used for the good of society and the planet."

Over the past few years, Aviva’s workplace savings and retirement business has implemented a range of responsible investment initiatives. In 2019, it launched the ‘Stewardship lifestyle strategy’ - a workplace pension default investment strategy that incorporates ethical and ESG considerations. While last year, the Trustees of the Aviva Master Trust announced My Future Focus - which integrates ESG factors into its design and management - as the standard default investment strategy for the Aviva Master Trust.(2)  

The Aviva Investors Climate Transition Global Equity Fund is also available on Aviva’s savings and retirement adviser and customer platforms.

Ends

Sources

(1) Aviva Investors launches further climate transition equity fund

(2) Dec 2020: Aviva Master Trust adopts integrated ESG default strategy / Jul 2019: New workplace pension incorporates ethical and ESG considerations

Media enquiries

Fiona Whytock

Retirement, Savings and Investments

Katy Hurren

Retirement

Notes to editors:

  • We are the UK's leading diversified insurer and we operate in the UK, Ireland and Canada. We also have international investments in India and China.
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