Interest in ESG strategies has grown rapidly in recent years as investors have looked for ways to ensure their investments can have a positive societal impact. Within fixed income, much of the focus has been on the ‘green’ credentials of government and corporate bond issuers, but we believe the natural ESG advantages of asset-backed securities (ABS) have so far been overlooked.

In this virtual session, Ben Hayward (Partner & Portfolio Manager) and Elena Rinaldi (Portfolio Manager) will explain why ABS may offer an attractive alternative for investors looking for ESG-friendly options within fixed income. Ben and Elena will outline the team’s approach to ESG risks in ABS, and explain how engagement with issuers over ESG issues such as lending standards and treatment of borrowers is an integral part of their investment process. Moving one step further, Ben and Elena will then discuss how they score ABS bonds from an ESG perspective and the positive screening they undertake for our sustainable ABS fund.