TOBAM, a Paris-based research driven quantitative asset manager, is adopting a carbon footprint reduction policy across all its Anti-Benchmark equity strategies and Maximum Diversification indices.
A systematic carbon footprint reduction of at least 20 per cent versus the reference benchmark’s carbon footprint is now applied across TOBAM’s equity portfolios and mandates.
In line with its mission statement of “providing rational and professional solutions to long term investors in the context of efficient markets”, TOBAM has had a longstanding commitment to upholding Environmental, Social, and Governance issues.
This move will further cement the sustainability initiatives taken by TOBAM that started in 2007, when TOBAM began to implement an exclusion policy of companies with unacceptable ESG practices.
Yves Choueifaty (pictured), Founder and CEO of TOBAM, says: “The significant achievement for us is to even further integrate ESG into our investment process while preserving the integrity of our approach. Our research indicates that reducing the relative carbon footprint of our portfolios versus their benchmarks by at least 20 per cent does not significantly affect the risk/return profile of our approach, or the diversification benefit characteristics as measured by the Diversification Ratio.
We believe that the capability to customise as well as add specific filters and/or constraints without impacting the nature of our investment philosophy is a core quality of the Maximum Diversification approach.”
Christophe Roehri, Deputy CEO, says: “Integrating a systematic carbon footprint reduction across all our equity strategies is consistent with TOBAM’s investment beliefs in terms of sustainability, in particular; the adoption of a long-term view, the implementation of sustainability initiatives across all strategies and not just to some strategies, and research-based evidence that the adopted sustainability initiatives do not alter the Maximum Diversification® investment philosophy.”
This development is the latest in a series of sustainability initiatives carried out by TOBAM. The relevance of these initiatives has been recognised by the Principles for Responsible Investment’s (PRI) with a significant increase in TOBAM’s assessment scores as per the 2018 reporting release. TOBAM obtained the highest possible score (A+) for its strategy and governance approach to responsible investing. TOBAM’s ratings improved in all dimensions assessed by the PRI, including ESG incorporation and active ownership (proxy voting and engagement).
