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Fund Complex: Russell Investments
Management Company: Russell Investment Management, LLC; Sub-advisers: Coho Partners, Ltd., Mar Vista Investment Partners, LLC and Jacobs Levy Equity Management, Inc.
Funds Affected: Russell Sustainable Equity Fund
Sustainable Investing Strategies: ESG integration
Summary:
The fund pursues a “sustainable” investment strategy that takes into account environmental, social and governance (ESG) considerations. In particular, the fund’s investment strategy seeks to tilt the portfolio toward companies that are expected to contribute to, and benefit from, a transition to a low carbon emission producing economy and away from companies with the greatest exposure to potential negative impacts of such a transition.

Note: ESG strategy effective March 1, 2019. Prior to January 1, 2019, fund’s name was U.S. Defensive Equity Fund

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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