Positive Impact Portfolios – Winter 2018 Update

Our quarterly update focuses on specific investments made by the funds within the Positive Impact Portfolios. With this update we focus on healthcare, education and water resources.

by Damien Lardoux, 30th January 2018

Our quarterly update focuses on specific investments made by the funds within the Positive Impact Portfolios. As well as avoiding harmful investments, we continually seek to find funds which aim to make a positive contribution to society or the environment, alongside an attractive financial return.

We assess every fund in the portfolio against 41 criteria for impact. This update will concentrate on three of them:

Healthcare: treating diabetes and kidney failure
Inequality: improving education in Latin America
Natural resources: water stress, pollution and flooding

The United Nations’ Global Goals were adopted in 2015 as part of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. They provide a holistic framework for action around the issues seen as the most critical for the planet and humanity.

Since 2017 we have started mapping the underlying holdings in the Positive Impact Portfolios against the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals: for more details on our approach please see our 2012-2017 Impact Review.

About the author: Damien Lardoux

Damien has an MSc in Management from Reims Management School and an MSc in Wealth and Asset Management from ESCP-EAP Paris Business School. He is also a CFA charter holder, being a regular member of the CFA Institute and CFA UK society.

Before joining EQ Investors, Damien worked for Bank of America Merrill Lynch being responsible for asset allocation, security selection and portfolio construction. Damien now acts as the portfolio manager for the EQ Investors Balanced, Positive Impact and Multi Index portfolios. He also co-chairs our Fund Selection Committee.

Damien is a devoted sportsman, playing judo and squash on a regular basis. He also enjoys hiking, to very far places such as the Himalayas and Kilimanjaro.