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Nature is vital for a healthy economy, but the planet faces a crisis as companies, markets and governments have consistently failed to take into account the financial value of biodiversity.

Biodiversity refers to the variety of life on Earth. According to estimates by the World Economic Forum, more than half of the world’s economic output — some $44 trillion — is moderately or highly dependent on nature and healthy ecosystems. Change is desperately needed.

Biodiversity Loss – impossible for investors to ignore is the second of two papers that look at how preserving biodiversity is critical to supporting sustainable growth and examine the nature-related risks and opportunities in the most affected sectors.

Click here to read the first paper.

Why it matters for investors

Biodiversity loss is climbing higher in the investment agenda — driven by investor interest in sustainability, the changing regulatory environment and a growing understanding of how this problem affects investments across markets and geographies.

Investors and companies need to prepare for the impact of increased regulation. For example, the EU Taxonomy has established an approved list of environmentally sustainable economic activities.

Meanwhile, changing customer behavior — and the reputational risks that arise when companies get it wrong — are important as consumers become more aware of their dependence on nature and the economic services provided by healthy ecosystems.

Risks and opportunities

Renewed scrutiny and awareness may mean new risks, but they also mean new products and services, access to new markets and first-mover advantages. The sectors most exposed are those which are most dependent on healthy ecosystems, including: agriculture, food and beverages, healthcare and pharmaceuticals, fisheries and extractives.

There’s considerable variation in risk exposure depending on the intensity of the economic activities taking place and the level of biodiversity integrity within a region. We’ve compiled easy-to-read summaries of the key risks and opportunities in the following tables:

Table 1: Nature-related financial risks

Table 1

Source: abrdn, TNFD, accessed May 2022

Table 1b

Biodiversity loss and climate change are interlinked and investors have an opportunity to address both crises at the same time. For example, natural infrastructure can protect us against some of the damaging effects of climate change — nature-based solutions can absorb a proportion of the greenhouse-gas emissions that we’re currently struggling to abate and can complement emission-reduction efforts.

Meanwhile, regenerative agricultural practices have also been shown to be more resilient to extreme weather and disease — both of which are likely to be aggravated by climate change.

Table 2: Nature-related financial opportunities

Table 2

Source: abrdn, TNFD, accessed May 2022

Table 2b

Key takeaways for investors — what’s next?

Biodiversity loss is set to become the next big consideration for investors in their environmental, social and governance (ESG) investment integration process, and it is a key priority for us.

We know the natural world is important to our health and well-being. The pandemic has highlighted this. But we’re only just beginning to understand the full extent of this relationship.

Investors need to move away from the idea that the restoration of a healthy ecosystem is a cost to toward the view that it's an opportunity vital to supporting flourishing economies, the transition to a lower-carbon world and the creation of a more equal society.

More specifically, investors should consider:

  • Understanding the biodiversity-related risks and opportunities they are exposed to
  • Engaging with companies operating in the most affected sectors to understand how biodiversity impact is being managed
  • Exploring data sources that can provide more clarity on measuring biodiversity loss and gain
  • Working with policy makers and participate in industry initiatives to help drive best practice
  • We recognize there are obstacles, such as the availability of comparable data and a large funding gap between what’s needed and what policy makers have committed. However, it’s not too late to tackle the biodiversity crisis. The natural world can recover given time. But acting now is vital.

Source:

* The Economics of Biodiversity: The Dasgupta Review – Full Report (2021) [online], Dasgupta, P. (accessed 21/05/2021)
** ‘Grain for green’: How China is swapping farmland for forest, Dayne, S., Forest News, Nov 2017
*** Brazil's JBS accused of violating Amazon rainforest protection laws, Boadle, J., Reuters , Apr 1 2017
**** EU proposes law preventing import of goods linked to deforestation, Angel, M., Reuters, Nov 17 2021
***** Storm surge and ponding explain mangrove dieback in southwest Florida following Hurricane Irma, Nature Communications, June 28 2021
° Future Demand, Supply and Prices for Voluntary Carbon Credits – Keeping the Balance June 2021, UCL and Trove research
°° 2020 U.S. retail market data for the plant-based industry, Good Food Institute [accessed May 10 2022]
°°° Regenerative agriculture: merging farming and natural resource conservation profitably, LaCanne, C., Lundgren, J., PeerJ, Feb 26 2018
°°°° 73 Percent of Millennials Are Willing to Spend More Money on This 1 Type of Product, Curtin, M., Inc., Mar 30 2018
°°°°° Wave attenuation by Spartina saltmarshes in the Chesapeake Bay under storm surge conditions, Garzon, J.L., M. Maza, C.M. Ferreira, J.L. Lara, and I.J. Losada, Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans 124: 5220–5243 (2019)

 

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

Foreign securities are more volatile, harder to price and less liquid than U.S. securities. They are subject to different accounting and regulatory standards, and political and economic risks. These risks are enhanced in emerging markets countries.

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Investors should carefully consider a fund’s investment objectives, risks, fees, charges, and expenses before investing any money. To obtain this and other fund information, please call 866-667-9231 to request a summary prospectus and/or prospectus, or download at www.abrdn.com/us. Please read the summary prospectus and/or prospectus carefully before investing any money.

Aberdeen Fund Distributors, LLC is a wholly owned subsidiary of abrdn Inc. abrdn Inc. is a wholly-owned subsidiary of abrdn plc. abrdn Funds are distributed by Aberdeen Fund Distributors LLC, Member FINRA and SIPC. 1900 Market Street, Suite 200, Philadelphia PA, 19103.

NOT FDIC INSURED | NO BANK GUARANTEE | MAY LOSE VALUE

For ETFs, please call 844-383-7289 or click here to access a prospectus online. Investing involves risk, including possible loss of principal. ETF shares are bought and sold at market price (not NAV) and are not individually redeemed from the Fund.

Important Risks

The abrdn Gold ETF Trust, abrdn Silver ETF Trust, abrdn Precious Metals Basket ETF Trust, abrdn Platinum ETF Trust and abrdn Palladium ETF Trust are not investment companies registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940 or a commodity pool for purposes of the Commodity Exchange Act. Shares of the Trusts are not subject to the same regulatory requirements as mutual funds. These investments are not suitable for all investors. Trusts focusing on a single commodity generally experience greater volatility.

Commodities generally are volatile and are not suitable for all investors. Trusts focusing on a single commodity generally experience greater volatility. Please refer to the prospectus for complete information regarding all risks associated with the Trusts. Shares in the Trusts are not FDIC insured and may lose value and have no bank guarantee.

The value of the Shares relates directly to the value of the precious metal held by the Trust and fluctuations in the price could materially adversely affect investment in the Shares. Several factors may affect the price of precious metals, including:

A change in economic conditions, such as a recession, can adversely affect the price of the precious metal held by the Trust. Some metals are used in a wide range of industrial applications, and an economic downturn could have a negative impact on its demand and, consequently, its price and the price of the Shares;

Investors’ expectations with respect to the rate of inflation;

Currency exchange rates;

Interest rates;

Investment and trading activities of hedge funds and commodity funds; and

Global or regional political, economic or financial events and situations. Should there be an increase in the level of hedge activity of the precious metal held by the trust or producing companies, it could cause a decline in world precious metal prices, adversely affecting the price of the Shares. Should there be an increase in the level of hedge activity of the precious metal held by the Trusts or producing companies, it could cause a decline in world precious metal prices, adversely affecting the price of the shares.

Also, should the speculative community take a negative view towards the precious metal held by the Trusts, it could cause a decline in prices, negatively impacting the price of the shares. There is a risk that part or all of the Trusts’ physical precious metal could be lost, damaged or stolen. Failure by the Custodian or Sub-Custodian to exercise due care in the safekeeping of the precious metal held by the Trusts could result in a loss to the Trusts.

The Trusts will not insure its precious metals and shareholders cannot be assured that the custodian will maintain adequate insurance or any insurance with respect to the precious metals held by the custodian on behalf of the Trust. Consequently, a loss may be suffered with respect to the Trust’s precious metal that is not covered by insurance.

Commodities generally are volatile and are not suitable for all investors.

Investors buy and sell shares on a secondary market (i.e., not directly from Trusts). Only market makers or "authorized participants" may trade directly with the Trusts, typically in blocks of 25k to 100k shares.

Commodities generally are volatile and are not suitable for all investors. This material must be accompanied or preceded by the prospectus. Carefully consider each Trust’s investment objectives, risk factors, and fees and expenses before investing. Please click here to review the prospectus.

ALPS Distributors, Inc. is the marketing agent for the abrdn Gold ETF Trust, abrdn Silver ETF Trust, abrdn Precious Metals Basket ETF Trust, abrdn Platinum ETF Trust and abrdn Palladium ETF Trust.

ALPS Distributors, Inc. is the distributor for abrdn ETFs.

ALPS Distributors, Inc. is not affiliated with the companies of abrdn.

'40 Act Fund Disclosure:

An investor should consider the investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses of the ETFs carefully before investing. To obtain a prospectus containing this and other important information, call 1-844-383-7289 or visit www.abrdn.com/us/etf. Read the prospectus carefully before investing.

Fund Risk: There are risks associated with investing including possible loss of principal. Commodities generally are volatile and are not suitable for all investors. There can be no assurance that the Fund’s investment objective will be met at any time. The commodities markets and the prices of various commodities may fluctuate widely based on a variety of factors. Because the Fund's performance is linked to the performance of highly volatile commodities, investors should consider purchasing shares of the Fund only as part of an overall diversified portfolio and should be willing to assume the risks of potentially significant fluctuations in the value of the Fund. Actively managed ETFs do not necessarily seek to replicate the performance of a specified index. Actively managed ETFs are subject to risks similar to stocks, including those related to short selling and margin maintenance. The Fund’s return may not match the return of the index.

Through holding of futures, options and options on futures contracts, the Fund may be exposed to (i) losses from margin deposits in the case of bankruptcy of the relevant broker, and (ii) a risk that the relevant position cannot be close out when required at its fundamental value. In pursuing its investment strategy, particularly when rolling futures contracts, the Fund may engage in frequent trading of its portfolio of securities, resulting in a high portfolio turnover rate.
As a "non-diversified" fund, the Fund may hold a smaller number of portfolio securities than many other funds. To the extent the Fund invests in a relatively small number of issuers, a decline in the market value of a particular security held by the Fund may affect its value more than if it invested in a larger number of issuers. The value of Shares may be more volatile than the values of shares of more diversified funds.

During situations where the cost of any futures contracts for delivery on dates further in the future is higher than those for delivery closer in time, the value of the Fund holding such contracts will decrease over time unless the spot price of that contract increases by the same rate as the rate of the variation in the price of the futures contract. The rate of variation could be quite significant and last for an indeterminate period of time, reducing the value of the Fund.

Changes in the laws of the United States and/or the Cayman Islands, under which the Fund and the Subsidiary are organized, respectively, could result in the inability of the Subsidiary to operate as intended and could negatively affect the Fund and its shareholders.

To the extent the Fund is exposed directly or indirectly to leverage (through investments in commodities futures contracts) the value of that Fund may be more volatile than if no leverage were present.

In order to qualify for the favorable U.S. federal income tax treatment accorded to a regulated investment company ("RIC"), the Fund must derive at least 90% of its gross income in each taxable year from certain categories of income ("qualifying income") and must satisfy certain asset diversification requirements. Certain of the Fund’s investments will not generate income that is qualifying income. The Fund intends to hold such commodity-related investments indirectly, through the Subsidiary. The Fund believes that income from the Subsidiary will be qualifying income because it expects that the Subsidiary will make annual distributions of its earnings and profits. [However, there can be no certainty in this regard, as the Fund has not sought or received an opinion of counsel confirming that the Subsidiary’s operations and resulting distributions would produce qualifying income for the Fund.] If the Fund were to fail to meet the qualifying income test or asset diversification requirements and fail to qualify as a RIC, it would be taxed in the same manner as an ordinary corporation, and distributions to its shareholders would not be deductible by the Fund in computing its taxable income. Investors buy and sell shares on a secondary market (i.e., not directly from the Trust). Only market makers or authorized participants may trade directly with the funds, typically in blocks of 25K to 100K shares.

The abrdn Bloomberg Industrial Metals K-1 Free ETF is new and has limited operating history.

“Bloomberg®” and “Bloomberg Commodity Index Total ReturnSM,” “Bloomberg Commodity Index 3 Month ForwardSM” and “Bloomberg Industrial Metals Subindex Total ReturnSM” are service marks of Bloomberg Finance L.P. and its affiliates, including Bloomberg Index Services Limited (“BISL”), the administrator of the indices (collectively, “Bloomberg”) and have been licensed for use for certain purposes by abrdn ETFs Advisors LLC. Bloomberg is not affiliated with abrdn ETFs Advisors LLC, and Bloomberg does not approve, endorse, review, or recommend abrdn Bloomberg All Commodity Strategy K-1 Free ETF (BCI), abrdn Bloomberg All Commodity Longer Dated Strategy K-1 Free ETF (BCD), and abrdn Bloomberg Industrial Metals K-1 Free ETF (BCIM). Bloomberg does not guarantee the timeliness, accurateness, or completeness of any data or information relating to Bloomberg Commodity Index Total Return, Bloomberg Commodity Index 3 Month Forward” and “Bloomberg Industrial Metals Subindex Total Return".

Please see the current prospectus, www.abrdn.com/us/etf for more information regarding the risk associated with an investment in the Funds.

S&P 500: The S&P 500 Index is the Standard & Poor’s composite index of 500 stocks, a widely recognized, unmanaged index of common stock prices.

Standard Deviation: Standard deviation is a statistical measure of the extent to which returns of an asset vary from its average.

Bloomberg Commodity Index: The Bloomberg Commodity Index (BCOM) is a broadly diversified commodity price index distributed by Bloomberg Indexes.

Discount- A situation when the share price of a fund trades below its net asset value.

Premium- A situation when the share price of a fund trades above its net asset value.

The Bloomberg Barclays US Aggregate Bond Index is a broad-based flagship benchmark that measures the investment grade, US dollar-denominated, fixed-rate taxable bond market.

Annualized Volatility is a statistical measure of the dispersion of returns for a given security or market index

Beta is a measure of the volatility, or systematic risk, of an individual stock in comparison to the unsystematic risk of the entire market

Sharpe ratio is the average return earned in excess of the risk-free rate per unit of volatility or total risk
NAV or Net Asset Value represents the per share/unit price of the fund on a specific date or time.

All material presented is compiled from sources believed to be reliable and current, but accuracy cannot be guaranteed. This is not to be construed as an offer to buy or sell any financial instruments. It is not our intention to state, indicate or imply in any manner that current or past results are indicative of future profitability or expectations. As with all investments there are associated inherent risks. Please obtain and review all financial material carefully before investing.

abrdn offers a variety of products and services intended solely for investors from certain countries or regions. abrdn does not offer these products or services outside their intended countries or regions. Your country of legal residence will determine the products or services that will be available to you. Nothing on this website should be considered a solicitation or offering for sale of any investment product or service to any person in any jurisdiction where such solicitation or offer would be unlawful.

Persons residing outside the United States are invited to visit our global website for more information about products and services available to non-U.S. investors.

Alternative investments involve specific risks that may be greater than those associated with traditional investments; are not suitable for all clients; and intended for experienced and sophisticated investors who meet specific suitability requirements and are willing to bear the high economic risks of the investment. Investments of this type may engage in speculative investment practices; carry additional risk of loss, including possibility of partial or total loss of invested capital, due to the nature and volatility of the underlying investments; and are generally considered to be illiquid due to restrictive repurchase procedures. These investments may also involve different regulatory and reporting requirements, complex tax structures, and delays in distributing important tax information.

Diversification does not ensure a profit or protect against a loss in a declining market.

Among the risks presented by private equity investing are substantial commitment requirements, credit risk, lack of liquidity, fees associated with investing, lack of control over investments and or governance, investment risks, leverage and tax considerations. Private equity investments can also be affected by environmental conditions / events, political and economic developments, taxes and other government regulations

Property investments may carry additional risk of loss due to the nature and volatility of the underlying investments and may not be available for investment by investors unless the investor meets certain regulatory requirements. In considering the prior performance information contained herein, potential investors should bear in mind that past performance is not necessarily indicative of future results, and there can be no assurance that such investments will achieve comparable results.


UNITED STATES RESIDENTS

The purpose of this website is to provide general information about the US-registered investment advisers which are part of abrdn, and the strategies they manage. The information provided is not intended as an offer or solicitation for the purchase or sale of any financial instrument.

Past performance is not indicative of future results, and there can be no guarantee as to the accuracy of market forecasts. Opinions, estimates, and forecasts may be changed without notice. This site does not provide financial or investment advice and does not take into account the particular financial circumstances of individual investors. Before investing, investors should seek their own professional advice. The views and opinions expressed are provided for general information only, and do not constitute specific tax, legal, or investment advice to, or recommendations for, any person. We suggest that you consult your financial or tax advisor, accountant, or attorney with regard to your specific situation.

In the United States, abrdn is the marketing name for the following affiliated, registered investment advisers: abrdn Inc., abrdn Investments Limited, and abrdn Asia Limited.


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