Martin Currie Australia Sustainable Equity strategy

Martin Currie Investment Management

Legg Mason fund manager Martin Currie has launched a new sustainable Australian equity strategy - the Martin Currie Australia Sustainable Equity strategy - that is designed to provide higher returns than the S&P/ASX 200 Accumulation Index, with consideration of the sustainability practices of the companies it invests in.

The strategy has limited exclusions - cluster munitions, the manufacture of tobacco products and companies with child labour breaches - and focusses on companies that:

  • provide more benefit than harm to society;
  • have a management that focuses on their sustainability risk; and
  • have a clearly articulated pathway towards a sustainable environmental, social and economic future.

It will also seek to influence company behaviour through active ownership.

"Companies can be nudged in the right direction, and as a significant asset owner in Australia, Martin Currie can and do use our position to actively engage with company management and boards to influence positive change towards sustainability," Reece Birtles, Martin Currie Australia chief investment officer, said.