Established policy
The Sustainable Dividends Value Fund invests according to its established Sustainable Investment Policy. The Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation (SFDR) serves as a reference. The SFDR is a European regulation designed to harmonise sustainability policies and make them transparent. The Sustainable Dividends Value Fund endorses this objective by integrating sustainability into the investment process, considering both financial returns and social impact.
SFDR classification of the fund
The Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation (SFDR) categorises investment funds into three groups:
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Grey (article 6):
No ESG promotion.
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Light green (article 8):
Sustainability promotion with many ESG criteria.
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Dark green (article 9):
Sustainability as a goal with best governance).
Based on the investment policy described above, we classify the Sustainable Dividends Value Fund as a 'light green' (article 8) fund. In line with the SFDR, the (performance) objectives for fund management do not contain incentives that could encourage excessive (sustainability) risk-taking. This also means that management does not allocate any additional remuneration in relation to the sustainability objectives.
For more information: sustainability policy and documents
Sustainability risks
Sustainability risks are environmental, social or governance events that could negatively impact the value of investments. These risks are considered in the investment policy of the Sustainable Dividends Value Fund. When selecting investments, potential sustainability risks are thoroughly evaluated.
ESG criteria
Besides sustainability risks, ESG (Environment, Social and Governance) criteria are an integral part of the investment process. Companies that score well on these criteria perform better over time, leading to higher returns at lower risk. This expectation of higher returns from ESG investments is confirmed by recent surveys and Capital Market Assumptions (CMA) from investment banks.
Selection criteria
When selecting stocks for our portfolio, we pay attention to both the products or services a company provides and the way they are produced or provided. Each share in the fund is given a sustainability score for both the product (Product Score) and the production process (Process Score). The Process Score consists of three components: environmental policy, social policy, and good corporate governance. Companies with low scores are excluded.
The fund also excludes companies based on controversial behaviour and products, including controversial weapons, tobacco, palm oil and fossil fuels. As a result, sustainability is firmly embedded in our investment policy.
Sources of information
We base our sustainability information on various sources, including annual reports of companies in which the fund invests. These reports often already provide insight into sustainability factors, partly due to the Non-Financial Reporting Directive (NFRD). This directive requires large organisations to report non-financial information, including environmental, social, and human rights issues. We also speak to management teams and check this information against external sustainability sources.
