Schroders deepens commitment to regional Sustainability hub in Singapore
Regional Centre of Excellence for Sustainability in Singapore to have dedicated team of four ESG specialists by year-end, and firm is also expanding range of sustainable strategies available for local investors
Schroders Singapore is today announcing its commitment to further advance its ESG push in the region through its regional Centre of Excellence for Sustainability (CoES), first established in Singapore in October last year.
Central to this commitment are plans to accelerate the buildout of the CoES with new ESG-dedicated headcounts in the coming months, including a senior appointment for the Head of Asian Sustainability Strategy. There will be four Asian ESG specialists by year-end, with a view to add more over the longer term as part of Schroders’ strategic plans to boost its sustainability capabilities in the region. They will be part of Schroders’ Global Sustainability team of over 20 specialists, led by Global Head of Sustainable Investment Andy Howard.
Given the evolving Asian landscape and regulations, the Asian Sustainability team will drive Schroders’ dialogues with Asian asset owners and intermediaries, delivering Asia-focused ESG insights and thought leadership. The team will leverage on the firm’s extensive experience in engaging with policymakers and industry partners in key global ESG initiatives, to actively represent Schroders in regional industry forums and contribute to regulatory consultations, reinforcing Schroders’ leading position in sustainability.
The CoES also houses an ESG Education Hub, which utilises digital elements including gamification and modular bite-sized content, to deliver a curated, agile and engaging learning experience. Besides training for Schroders employees, the Hub will play a critical role in collaboration with clients and partners across the region, to drive larger-scale ESG fluency and upskilling.
Schroders will also expand its range of sustainable strategies available for local investors, as it brings its highly successful Global Transformation Range to Singapore. The Schroders Global Transformation Range offers investors unique access to sustainability-focused thematic funds, providing exposure to powerful and persistent themes that are transforming the planet and our daily lives in a post-pandemic world. In addition to the current flagship Schroder ISF Global Climate Change Equity and Schroder ISF Global Sustainable Growth funds, investors can look forward to innovative strategies that invest in sustainable themes such as energy transition, healthcare innovation, and sustainable food and water. There are plans to apply these funds for inclusion under the Central Provident Fund (CPF)Investment Scheme, broadening the sustainable options for CPF members looking to enhance their retirement savings.
As an integral part of advancing its Sustainability initiatives in Asia, Schroders’ subsidiary BlueOrchard Finance Ltd (“BlueOrchard”), a leader and pioneer in impact investing which just celebrated its 20th anniversary milestone in March 2021, has also significantly expanded its presence in Singapore, having centralised its Asia Pacific research and business hub here. Extending beyond their flagship microfinance strategy, the team will boast new capabilities in listed debt, impact-focused private equity and sustainable infrastructure. BlueOrchard’s longstanding expertise and commitment to impact investment solutions is a key prong of Schroders’ overall strategy to better serve clients who are increasingly directing capital to investments with a beneficial impact on society and the environment, while generating positive financial returns.
Lily Choh, Singapore CEO and Head of Institutional APAC, Schroders, said:
“The CoES is a strategically important initiative to address opportunities arising from the transition to a low carbon economy, and to stake our sustainability leadership across Asia. It plays a pivotal role in anchoring client partnerships, leveraging on the strengths of our sustainability capabilities and proprietary toolkits to support our clients in delivering their sustainability priorities.
One of the first strategic collaborations is a joint research and co-development of a cutting-edge climate tool with a large global institutional investor based in Asia, where we seek to drive a more holistic measure of carbon footprint and better identify transition opportunities.
Another key priority is co-development of innovative sustainable investment strategies, where we will collaborate closely with our clients and partners to pioneer bespoke solutions spanning both public and private markets. We are seeing increased interest in impact investing, particularly in strategies which are aligned to specific United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs) such as environment, social inclusion, and health and wellbeing. The expertise within the CoES, working alongside our investors, will be key to delivering relevant solutions in Asia.
And as a founding partner of the Singapore Green Finance Centre, Schroders is also deeply committed to developing thought leadership as well as training for a future generation of graduates in the field of climate finance.”
Andy Howard, Global Head of Sustainable Investment, Schroders, said:
“The regional CoES in Singapore is a strategic extension of our global sustainability capability, reflecting the growing interest and sophistication of our client base across Asia. Many of our clients are rapidly advancing in their ESG journey, and it is imperative that we have on-the-ground specialists to drive these engagements, recognising distinctive local contexts and our clients’ individual goals.
At the same time, we believe that ESG issues and challenges are wide-ranging and global, and as such will require multiple lenses to address. The expertise that we are developing in Singapore and across Asia in ESG research, integration and engagement, is therefore an integral part of our global commitment to enhance our sustainability capability, to achieve optimal investment outcomes for our clients.”
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For further information, please contact:
Ena Yow
Hume Brophy (Singapore)
Tel: +65 9852 5679
Email: ena.yow@humebrophy.com
Jerry Low
Schroder Investment Management (Singapore) Ltd
Tel: +65 6800 7641
Email: jerry.low@schroders.com
About Schroders
As a global investment manager, we actively and responsibly manage investments for a wide range of institutions and individuals, to help them meet their financial goals and prepare for the future. The world is forever changing, and with our clients at the centre of everything we do, we understand the need to continue to adapt and evolve our business in line with what matters most to our clients today, and in the future.
Our ongoing success is built on a history of experience and expertise, whereby we partner with our clients to construct innovative products and solutions across our five business areas consisting of Private Assets & Alternatives, Solutions, Mutual Funds, Institutional and Wealth Management and invest in a wide range of assets and geographies. By combining our commitment to active management and focus on sustainability, our strategic capabilities are designed to deliver positive outcomes for our clients.
We are responsible for US$785.1 billion* assets of our clients, managed locally by 42 investment teams worldwide. As a global business with over 5,500 talented staff across 35 locations, we are able to stay close to our clients and understand their needs. We have over 200 years of experience in investment and innovation and remain committed to creating a better future by investing responsibly for our clients.
Further information about Schroders can be found at www.schroders.com.
*as at 31 December 2020
About BlueOrchard Finance Ltd
BlueOrchard is a leading global impact investment manager and member of the Schroders Group. As a pioneering impact investor, the firm is dedicated to generating lasting positive impact for communities and the environment, while providing attractive returns to investors. BlueOrchard was founded in 2001, by initiative of the UN, as the first commercial manager of microfinance debt investments worldwide. Today, the firm offers impact investment solutions across asset classes, connecting millions of entrepreneurs in emerging and frontier markets with investors with the aim to make impact investment solutions accessible to all and to advance the conscious use of capital. Being a professional investment manager and expert in innovative blended finance mandates, BlueOrchard has a sophisticated international investor base and is a trusted partner of leading global development finance institutions. To date, BlueOrchard has invested more than USD 8bn across more than 90 countries. Over 215mn poor and vulnerable people in emerging and frontier markets received access to financial and related services with the support of BlueOrchard as of December 2020. BlueOrchard Singapore currently serves only institutional investors. For additional information, please visit: www.blueorchard.com.