13 December 2022
GAM wins IMPACT Award for its Climate Bond strategy
The award was presented by Environmental Finance, which recognises the work of impact investors
GAM Investments has been awarded an IMPACT Award by Environmental Finance for the impact report on the GAM Sustainable Climate Bond strategy. The GAM Climate Bond was launched in 2021 as part of GAM’s strategy contribute to a net-zero future; GAM joined the Net Zero Asset Managers initiative in the same year.
In reporting on the impact of the strategy, GAM uses third-party environmental data from Carbone 4 to evaluate the environmental impact of each individual green bond, as well as at an aggregate level for the fund. According to the impact report, in the first year the projects financed by the green bonds in the portfolio helped avoid 1,580 tons of CO2e – equivalent to driving a car more than 200 times around the Earth. They also helped install 2.8 megawatts of renewable energy capacity and to financing around 1500m2 of green buildings.
As an investor in green bonds, rather than an issuer, GAM’s report caught the judges’ attention as it is relatively uncommon for green bond investors to report on impact. While investors are coming under increasing pressure to do so, they are at the early stages of investigating how to report on impact.
Stephanie Maier, Global Head of Sustainable and Impact Investment at GAM said; “We are delighted to have been chosen as the winner of this award. Transparency on impact is crucial, and it is vital that as an industry, we continue to develop metrics and methodologies to collectively improve how we report, particularly as measurement of ‘real world’ impact and outcomes becomes increasingly important to our clients.”
Romain Miginiac, Fund manager of the GAM Sustainable Climate Bond Strategy and Head of Research at Atlanticomnium S.A. commented: “Green bonds will play a critical role in financing the energy transition and to be credible, it is important that we are able to clearly report on their impact. We have sought to take a market-leading approach to calculating the environmental impact of the green bonds we invest in – working with respected third-party provider Carbone 4 to review the carbon savings and ensure an additional level of scrutiny. We will continue to engage with issuers and within the market to improve transparency.”
The GAM Sustainable Climate Bond strategy adopts an active, bottom-up, high-conviction approach, investing in bonds which allocate proceeds to eligible green projects across market caps with measurable impact, such as renewable energy and green buildings. The strategy recognises the pivotal role banks play in particular in the environmental transition as the primary source of financing for European corporates and for small and medium enterprises (SMEs). The strategy is managed on behalf of GAM by Atlanticomnium S.A., an independent Geneva-based fund management company, which has specialised in credit investing since it was founded in 1976 and has managed assets for GAM since 1985.
For further information, please contact:
| Charles Naylor Global Head of Communications and Investor Relations T +44 20 7917 2241 |
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| Media Relations Ute Dehn Christen T+41 58 426 31 36 |
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About Environmental Finance and its Impact Awards
Environmental-Finance.com is an online news and analysis service established in 1999 to report on sustainable investment, green finance and the people and companies active in environmental markets. Environmental Finance's Impact Awards seek to recognise and reward the work of impact investors everywhere and highlight emerging pockets of best practice, across all asset classes and all geographies. An independent advisory panel consisting of industry experts chosen for their knowledge, objectivity and credibility along with the Environmental Finance editorial team reviewed the submission. The winners were selected based on information relating to the period between 1 April 2021 and 30 September 2022.
About GAM
We are an active, independent global asset manager that thinks beyond the obvious to deliver distinctive and differentiated investment solutions for our clients across our three core businesses: Investment Management, Wealth Management and Fund Management Services.
Our purpose is to protect and enhance our clients’ financial future. We seek to attract and empower the brightest minds to provide investment leadership, innovation and a positive impact on society and the environment.
Servicing institutions, financial intermediaries, and private investors, we manage CHF 74.6 billion of assets as of 30 September 2022.
Headquartered in Zurich, GAM Investments is listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange with the symbol ‘GAM’ and we employ 594 people across 14 countries with investment centres in London, Cambridge, Zurich, Hong Kong, New York and Milan, as at 30 June 2022. Our operational centres are in Dublin, Luxembourg and London.
About Atlanticomnium S.A.
Atlanticomnium is an independent investment management company specialising in investing in corporate bonds. Atlanticomnium has actively managed bond portfolios since 1976, through the full spectrum of several economic and credit cycles. Atlanticomnium has 23 FTEs who are located in Geneva and London.
Important legal information
The information in this document is given for information purposes only and does not qualify as investment advice. Opinions and assessments contained in this document may change and reflect the point of view of GAM in the current economic environment. No liability shall be accepted for the accuracy and completeness of the information. Past performance is no indicator for the current or future development.