RobecoSAM Climate Global Credits IH GBP

In September, we saw several events that could disrupt markets, but so far the impact on credit spreads has been muted. Most volatility was seen in the Chinese real estate sector. It seems that a default of Evergrande, a company with a USD 300 billion balance sheet, is imminent. In Europe, low inventory levels of gas caused gas and electricity prices to spike eightfold compared to last year's winter prices. Oil surpassed the USD 80 mark and other commodity markets also performed strongly. In addition, in some sectors there are shortages in labor and supply bottlenecks. These disruptions on the supply side could have a significant impact on individual companies. Car manufacturers cutting production because of chip shortages is a clear example. The United States will soon reach the debt ceiling, an issue that will need to be resolved quickly to prevent a shutdown of the government.Central banks have moved away from their overly dovish stance. The ECB has recalibrated the net monthly purchases and the Fed has signaled a potential 2022 rate hike. Government bond yields have moved sharply higher, as headline inflation has risen to new highs.

All currency risks are hedged.

The fund does not distribute a dividend.

Climate change considerations are fully integrated in the research process, from an impact and risk perspective. The greenhouse gas emission intensity of issuers is a starting point for determining the impact on climate change, and in our research process we add a forward looking element by assessing the decarbonization potential, strategy and targets of companies. This is to ensure the strategy follows the desired decarbonization trajectory. This may include issuers whose emissions are currently high and that are making an effort to reduce these. Our approach is to invest in companies that allocate capital towards sustainable economic activities. Our analysis of issuers goes beyond the traditional financial factors and includes the issuers’ performance on ESG factors. We deem it essential for a well-informed investment decision to take into account those ESG factors that have the potential to materially impact the financial performance of the issuer, including risks stemming from climate change. This perfectly matches the basic need to avoid the losers in credit management, as many credit events in the past can be attributed to issues such as poorly designed governance frameworks, environmental issues, or weak health & safety standards. ESG analysis is fully integrated in the bottom-up security analysis.

RobecoSAM Climate Global Credits is an actively managed fund that invests mainly in nongovernment bonds all around the world. The selection of these bonds is based on fundamental analysis. The fund's objective is to provide long term capital growth.The fund has sustainable investment as its objective within the meaning of Article 9 of the European Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation. The fund to keep the maximum global temperature rise well-below 2◦C by reducing the carbon footprint intensity of the portfolio. The fund integrates ESG (i.e. Environmental, Social and corporate Governance) in the investment process, applies an exclusion list basis controversial behavior, products (including controversial weapons, tobacco, palm oil and fossil fuel) while avoiding investment in thermal coal, weapons, military contracting and companies that severely violate labor conditions, next to proxy voting and engagement . The fund invests mainly in nongovernment bonds (which may include contingent convertible bonds (also “coco” bonds) and similar nongovernment fixed income securities and asset backed securities from all around the world. The carbon footprint reduction objective will be aligned with the Solactive Paris Aligned Global Corporate Index.Benchmark: Solactive Paris Aligned Global Corporate Index. The fund is managed against a benchmark that is consistent with the sustainable investment objectives pursued by the fund. It aims to align with the Paris Agreement requirements on greenhouse gas emission reduction. For corporate bonds the Benchmark aims to represent the performance of an investment strategy that is aligned with the technical standards for EU Paris Aligned Benchmarks in areas such as exclusions and carbon reduction objectives. The Benchmark differs from a broad market index in that the latter does not take into account in its methodology any criteria for alignment with the Paris Agreement on greenhouse gas emission reduction and related exclusions.

Risk management is fully embedded in the investment process so as to ensure that the fund's positions remain within set limits at all times.