Legg Mason QS Investors Global Responsible Investment Fund

Legg Mason Asset Management Australia

Legg Mason has launched a global environmental, social and governance (ESG) fund - the Legg Mason QS Investors Global Responsible Investment Fund - to Australian investors.

The fund aims to outperform the MSCI World ESG Leaders Index and is managed by wholly-owned Legg Mason affiliate QS Investors.

Andy Sowerby, Legg Mason head Australia & New Zealand, says the fund offers two distinct features.

"First, it fully integrates a proprietary model of ESG assessment that enables companies to be ranked and reviewed through multiple lenses to assess their effectiveness across the ESG spectrum - a systematic process that then focuses research and investments in those companies scoring highly in this regard."

"Second, a strict filter is applied across the investment universe to remove companies that do not meet certain ethical criteria."

The exclusion list includes tobacco, gambling, alcohol, defence and weapons, fur, genetically modified crops, nuclear energy, oil sands and thermal coal.