abrdn launches Emerging Markets Sustainable Development Corporate Bond Fund to add to its sustainable development range

abrdn has announced the launch of its Emerging Markets Sustainable Development Corporate Bond Fund, which aims to address environmental and social issues without sacrificing returns.

An Article 9 product, the Fund is among the first in the Emerging Market Debt marketplace to have a sustainable investment objective, allocating capital to companies that positively contribute towards the UN’s 17 Sustainable Develoment Goals (SDGs). It aims to deliver ‘profit with purpose’ by investing in bonds from companies that are providing solutions to some of the greatest challenges facing the world today, including climate change, growing social inequality, and unsustainable production and consumption.

Emerging markets currently require over $2.5 trillion per year in additional investments to meet the SDGs by 2030.ⁱ Needs are especially acute in financial inclusion, food security, access to healthcare, basic infrastructure and climate change mitigation and adaptation, including renewable energy, low-carbon cities, and sustainable forest management.

The Fund, which is managed by Samuel Bevan, Siddharth Dahiya and Kevin Craig of abrdn’s Emerging Market Debt team, is part of an already established sustainable development range. Through active engagements, the team seeks to drive positive change and increase SDG alignment. This is determined against abrdn’s established eight-pillar SDG Investment Framework, which was launched in 2017 and is already used by its sister funds in the range: Asian Sustainable Development Equity Fund and Emerging Markets Sustainable Development Equity Fund. The latter of which marks a successful one-year anniversary this month.

Samuel Bevan, Investment Director, abrdn said:

“There are many global challenges that can be tackled by allocating capital towards sustainable development. Our in-depth research and proactive engagement enable us to identify and invest in companies providing sustainable solutions that are positively and materially aligned with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.The end product is a diversified portfolio of high-quality issuers from emerging markets that can deliver the dual outcomes of above market returns and positive societal impact. This Fund offers mainstream investors the opportunity to align their investments with their moral compass, whilst meeting the development needs of the world.”

Siddharth Dahiya, Head of Emerging Market Corporate Debt, abrdn said:

“We believe that investors are increasingly becoming much more aware of the challenges that the world faces today and how their money can be invested to truly make an impact. This new strategy is among one of the first in the EMD marketplace to have a sustainable investment objective, complementing abrdn’s already established Article 9 fund range and broadening the pool of our sustainable investment products on offer to our clients.”

Ends

Media enquiries:
Debbie Cowe
Media Relations Manager
Debbie.cowe@abrdn.com
+852 9139 0792

Notes to editors

About the Fund:

• Aberdeen Standard SICAV I – Emerging Markets Sustainable Development Corporate Bond Fund
• The Fund’s Asset Management Charge (AMC):
• 0.25% for the early-bird shareclass
• 0.50% for the institutional shareclass
• 1.00% for the retail shareclass

• Fund managers:
• Samuel Bevan, Investment Director
• Siddharth Dahiya, Head of Emerging Market Corporate Debt
• Kevin Craig, Investment Director

About abrdn

At abrdn, we enable our clients to plan, save and invest for their futures.

We structure our business into three areas – and together they reflect our focus on enabling our clients to be better investors:

• Investments: We work with clients to create solutions across asset classes, regions and markets globally – combining multi-layered research and market insights with technology and diverse thinking.
• Adviser: We offer market-leading platform technology and tools that enable UK wealth managers and financial advisers to create more opportunity for their business and their clients.
• Personal: We help people throughout the UK plan for their financial futures – through our financial planning business and our digital investing services.

Across our investments, adviser and personal businesses we manage and administer £532 billion of assets for our clients, and abrdn plc has over 1 million shareholders. (Figures as at 30 June 2021)

Our investments are built on an insight strength that comes from multi-layered research and a large global footprint. Our teams collaborate across multiple capabilities, to create forward-thinking solutions that aim to meet our clients’ needs and deliver more sustainable outcomes. Our investments business manages £456.6 billion on behalf of individuals, governments, pension funds, insurers, companies, charities and foundations (as at 30 June 2021) – with support and expertise from 800 investment specialists in over 30 locations.

abrdn is the single global brand for all areas of our business. In July 2021 our plc listing became abrdn plc. In September our investments business, formerly Aberdeen Standard Investments, became abrdn.

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ⁱ UNCTAD, 2014: https://unctad.org/press-material/developing-countries-face-25-trillion-annual-investment-gap-key-sustainable