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Funds Group: IndexIQ
Management Company:  IndexIQ Advisors LLC
Funds Affected: IQ Candriam ESG International Equity ETF, IQ Candrian ESG US Equity ETF
Principal Sustainable Investment Management Strategies: ESG integration, negative screening (exclusions)
Summary:

Eligible securities across multiple countries or a single country as is the case for the US fund consist of companies meeting environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) criteria developed by Candriam.  The first step in the ESG security selection process combines a sector-specific analysis and ranking of issuer-specific factors, including corporate governance, environmental impact, and labor practices, along with a macro analysis of the issuer’s exposure to global sustainability trends, including climate change, resource depletion, and health and wellness. This sector-specific analysis evaluates companies within the same sector each other, using criteria specific to the particular sector. Except for the excluded activities described below, the ESG security selection process seeks to maintain exposure to all industry sectors of the economy (e.g., financials, industrials, consumer discretionary, consumer staples, materials, health care, energy, utilities and information technology).

The companies with an overall ranking in the top 70% of the eligible universe within each industry sector based on this ESG selection process are captured in the underlying index, unless a company is excluded as a result of the second step in the ESG security selection process. The second step in the ESG security selection process is an exclusionary screen based on any continued and significant non-compliance with the principals within the United Nation’s Global Compact as well as the exclusion of companies engaged in certain businesses beyond minimum thresholds (e.g., companies that operate in countries with oppressive regimes, that operate in adult content, alcohol, armament, gambling, nuclear, and tobacco sectors, or that utilize animal testing or genetic modification in research and development).

Candriam (a New York Life Insurance Company) is a European multi-specialist asset manager that has  been engaged in sustainable investments with, since 1996.

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Research

Research and analysis to keep sustainable investors up to-date on a broad range of topics that include trends and developments in sustainable investing and sustainable finance, regulatory updates, performance results and considerations, investing through index funds and actively managed portfolios, asset allocation updates, expenses, ESG ratings and data, company and product news, green, social and sustainable bonds, green bond funds as well as reporting and disclosure practices, to name just a few.

A continuously updated Funds Directory is also available to investors.  This is intended to become a comprehensive listing of sustainable mutual funds, ETFs and other investment products along with a description of their sustainable investing approaches as set out in fund prospectuses and related regulatory filings.

Getting started

Many questions have surfaced in recent years regarding sustainable and ESG investing.  Here, investors and financial intermediaries will find materials that describe the various approaches to sustainable investing and their implementation.  While sustainable investing approaches vary and they have thus far defied universally accepted definitions, many practitioners agree that they fall into the following broad categories:  Values-based investing, investing via exclusions, impact investing, thematic investments and ESG integration.  In conjunction with each of these approaches, investors may also adopt various issuer engagement procedures and proxy voting practices.  That said, sustainable investing approaches will continue to evolve.

In addition to periodic updates regarding sustainable investing and how this form of investing is evolving, investors and financial intermediaries interested in implementing a sustainable investing approach will also find source materials that cover basic investing themes as well as asset allocation tactics.

Inesting ideas

Thoughts and ideas targeting sustainable investing strategies executed through various registered and non-registered sustainable investment funds and products such as mutual funds, Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs), Exchange Traded Notes (ETNs), closed-end funds, Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) and Unit Investment Trusts (UITs). Coverage extends to investment management firms as well as fund groups. 

Independent source for sustainable investment management company research, analysis, opinions and sustainable fund disclosure assessments