Standard Life expands Responsible Investment range for pension customers

• Climate, gender diversity and sustainability funds introduced –16 Responsible Investment funds now available to pension savers
• Two thirds of customers see climate change as the most important area of responsible investment
• 70% believe responsibly invested funds will outperform other funds over the longer term

Standard Life is expanding the range of Responsible Investment funds it offers to pension savers. It is introducing four new funds for those who are keen to self-select their pension investments to align with their individual beliefs.

The new funds focus on climate change gender diversity, and sustainability, areas that are front of mind for many people in the UK. The four new funds are:

• SL Nordea Global Climate and Environment Fund
• SL Nordea Global Gender Diversity Fund
• SL ASI Sustainable Index UK Equity Fund
• SL ASI Sustainable Index World Equity Fund

Two thirds (66%) of Standard Life’s pension customers believe that climate change is the most important area of responsible investment. Standard Life already offers a range or Responsible Investment funds, including ethical and shariah funds. These latest additions bring the total number of responsible investment funds now available to Standard Life pension savers, including those saving through their workplace pension, to 16. They will also be available to employers looking for bespoke blends for their workplace schemes.

Commenting, Gareth Trainor, Head of Investment Solutions, Standard Life, said:

“Attitudes to investing are changing, driven by a growing awareness of environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors and how they might affect their investment outcomes. Many people in the UK are passionate about fighting climate change and the need for greater gender diversity within organisations, so we’re introducing funds that focus on these issues, along with two new sustainable investment funds that will complement our existing range of Responsible Investment self-select funds.

“Our latest customer research cements the trend we have been seeing. There is a growing focus on ESG by investors; with the majority of our customers (70%) believing that responsibly invested funds will in the long-term outperform funds outside of this sector. Furthermore, there is a genuine increasing interest in broader issues, particularly the environment and climate change from our customers. While risk and performance remain the most important priorities, the majority of our customers say they are prepared to take on slightly or moderately more financial risk if their investments are prioritising areas that are important to them.

“We are working with a number of investment partners to expand the range, and will continue to add more in 2021. We are very much responding to the growing interest in responsible investments we are seeing, not just from customers, but from clients, trustees and their advisers. By the end of this year, we will also be offering an ESG default pension solution which will be a multi asset portfolio for employers aimed at meeting the needs of the majority of their workplace scheme members.”

Further information on the four new funds

• SL Nordea Global Climate and Environment Fund

The fund invests globally and aims to achieve long-term capital growth through a diversified portfolio of equity or equity related investments in companies which are expected to benefit either directly or indirectly from developments related to environmental challenges such as climate change.

• SL Nordea Global Gender Diversity Fund

The fund’s objective is to invest in companies that are Gender Diverse, present strong fundamentals and develop their business in an attractive way. In actively managing the fund’s portfolio, the management team focuses on companies who have at least one third of high level management positions held by the minority gender and those companies who show a positive trend in increasing and promoting diversity. 

• SL ASI Sustainable Index UK Equity Fund

The fund aims to generate returns in a sustainable manner compared to its World parent index. The fund is passively managed and uses a range of ESG approaches.

• SL ASI Sustainable Index World Equity Fund

The aim of the fund is to generate returns in a sustainable manner compared to its World parent index. The fund is passively managed and uses a range of ESG approaches.
The range of 16 Responsible Investment funds are available now, to workplace pension customers, and to customers of the Standard Life Activey Money Personal Pension.

The value of investments within a fund can fall as well as rise and are not guaranteed - you may get back less than you pay in.

ENDS

Media enquiries

For further information or interviews, contact:
Nicki Lundy, Head of Media Relations
e: Nicki_lundy@standardlife.com
m: 07515 298 302

Notes to editors

About Standard Life

• At Standard Life, we’ve been helping customers with their life savings for nearly 200 years.
• Today the Standard Life brand is trusted by over 4.5m customers, helping them to manage their life savings so that they and their families can enjoy a better future.
• Customers come to us through advisers, through their employers and direct to Standard Life.
• We know that customers need more support than ever to make important financial decisions, so we use our expertise to help them get good advice and make better financial choices for their future. And our close relationship with Aberdeen Standard Investments allows us access to world-class investment solutions.
• Through Standard Life Assurance Limited, we offer a range of high quality products for workplace pensions, personal pensions, savings, investments and retirement. These are sold in the UK, Ireland, Germany and Austria. Standard Life Assurance Limited is owned by Phoenix Group and uses the Standard Life brand under licence from the Standard Life Aberdeen Group.
• Ultimately we want to help customers make good choices with their life savings, whether they are saving throughout their working lives, enjoying financial security in retirement or planning to pass wealth on to loved ones.
• We believe that experience matters, customers need us and together we will succeed. Collectively we believe this means that there’s a lot to look forward to.