Status under the EU Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation (SFDR)
Janus Henderson Horizon Sustainable Future Technologies Fund
Legal Entity Identifier: 2138006VK6JR3K2AV795
A. Summary
The Fund is categorised as one which meets the provisions set out in Article 9 of SFDR as a product which has sustainable investment as its objective. It will make a 25% minimum of sustainable investments with an environmental objective in economic activities that do not qualify as environmentally sustainable under the EU Taxonomy. It will make a minimum of 25% of sustainable investments with a social objective. The sustainable investments do no significant harm to any environmental or social sustainable investment objective by considering certain principal adverse impacts and aligning with the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises and the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. The Fund's investment objective aims to provide capital growth over the long term by investing in technology-related companies that contribute to the development of a sustainable global economy across environmental and social themes. The Fund does not use a reference benchmark to meets its sustainable investment objective.
The Investment Manager uses a pass/fail test meaning that each holding must meet all three of the requirements below:
- based on revenue mapping to the Investment Manager's themes, it contributes to an environmental or social objective;
- it does not cause significant harm to any environmental or social sustainable investment objective; and
- it follows good governance practices.
While each holding must pass the tests described above, the Investment Manager attaches a 25% weight to the consideration of each of (1) revenue mapping to an environmental or social objective; (2) causing no significant harm to any environmental objective; (3) causing no significant harm to any social objective; (4) governance practices.
This Fund seeks capital growth through investment in the global equity market and specifically through exposure to technology-related companies, whose products and services have a positive impact on the environment or society, thereby contributing to the development of a sustainable global economy. The Fund integrates environmental, social and governance factors into the bottom-up, fundamental company analysis and valuation. Fundamental research enables the Investment Manager to navigate the hype cycle1 of sustainable technology as well as identifying companies that are making a positive contribution to environmental and social themes. The investment process considers and monitors climate and environmental indicators as well as social and employee matters as part of its investment due diligence process and responds to these through exercising voting rights, active engagement and action plans that have a bearing on investment decisions.
Periodic desk reviews are undertaken to: review and validate the application of positive screens including revenue mapping to sustainable technology themes and to review the validity of thematic mapping to the sustainable technology themes; validate the application of negative screens utilised by the strategy; and to verify engagement activity including the application of formal action plan completion or tracking as relevant. The results of these periodic reviews are reported to an oversight committee including any necessary escalations where additional stakeholder views are necessary.
The companies in which investments are made are assessed by the Investment Manager to follow good governance practices. The good governance practices of investee companies are assessed prior to making an investment and periodically thereafter in accordance with the JHI Responsible Investment Policy, which incorporates our Sustainability Risk Policy (“Policy”). The Policy sets minimum standards against which investee companies will be assessed and monitored by the Investment Manager prior to making an investment and on an ongoing basis. Such standards may include, but are not limited to: sound management structures, employee relations, remuneration of staff and tax compliance. The Investment Manager attaches particular importance to the assessment of corporate culture, values, business strategy, board composition and diversity, tax transparency, audit, controls and remuneration. Generally accepted corporate governance standards may be adjusted for smaller organisations or to take account of local governance standards where appropriate at the discretion of the Investment Manager. The Policy can be found at www.janushenderson.com/esg-governance.
In addition, the Investment Manager is a signatory to the UN Principles for Responsible Investment (UNPRI). As a signatory, the good governance practices of investee companies are also assessed by having regard to the UNPRI principles prior to making an investment and periodically thereafter.
A minimum of 90% of the investments of the financial product are used to meet the sustainable investment objective of the financial product. The proportion of investments in the Fund which are aligned with the EU Taxonomy is 0%. The sustainability indicators used to measure the attainment of the sustainable investment objective of the Fund are: -
- The Investment Manager uses selection criteria to ensure that the Fund invests only in companies that derive at least 50% of their current or future expected revenues from goods and services within the Investment Manager’s sustainable technology themes, as set out below:
Sustainable Technology Themes | |
Clean Energy Technology | Sustainable transport |
Resource and Productivity Optimisation | Digital Democratisation |
Smart Cities | Tech Health |
Low Carbon Infrastructure | Data Security |
- Carbon - Carbon Intensity Scope 1&2
- Carbon - Carbon Footprint Scope 1&2
- Overall UNGC and OECD MNE Compliance Status
- % of the portfolio aligned with the Fund’s sustainability themes
- Number of companies engaged with in line with the Investment Manager’s engagement approach.
- ESG Exclusionary screens
The Fund has chosen MSCI as its primary data source for ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) research. Where coverage gaps are identified, specialist ESG Data vendors or inhouse research may be used to complement the ESG research. This helps ensure consistent data and methodologies are given an ESG measure per security type and hence can be compared correctly in the portfolio construction process. Data coverage is directly driven by the coverage of the underlying ESG Data Provider. The attainment of the social and environmental characteristics is not wholly dependent on third party data, or any methodology limitations thereof and is typically also informed by proprietary research, engagement with investee companies where there might be relevant data gaps. The JHI Responsible Investment Policy, which incorporates JHI’s Sustainability Risk Policy, sets out the firmwide approach to ESG Integration, including JHI's Responsible Investment Principles for long-term investment success, our approaches to Stewardship and Engagement and Baseline Exclusions applied to investee companies. These exclusions are based on classifications provided by third-party data ESG data providers. This classification is subject to an investment research override in cases where sufficient evidence exists that the third-party field is not accurate or appropriate. Each Investment desk completes their own due diligence processes ahead of making any investment decisions within their Article 9 funds, using internal and external tools and research. The attainment of the social and environmental characteristics is not wholly dependent on third party data, or any methodology limitations thereof and is typically also informed by proprietary research, engagement with investee companies where there might be relevant data gaps. Stewardship forms an integral and natural part of Janus Henderson’s long-term, active approach to investment management. Details of JHI’s approach to Engagement can be found in the ‘Responsible Investment Policy’ published under the 'ESG Resource Library’ on the Janus Henderson website.
B. No significant harm to the sustainable investment objective
The sustainable investments do no significant harm to any environmental or social sustainable investment objective by considering certain principal adverse impacts and aligning with the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises and the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.
The Investment Manager uses a number of sources/methods to consider the mandatory indicators for principal adverse impacts on sustainability factors (“PAIs”) under the EU Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation (SFDR), to determine that its sustainable investments do not cause significant harm to relevant environmental or social objectives. Depending on the indicator, the Investment Manager uses one or more of the following approaches:
- The Investment Manager applies screens to avoid investing in issuers involved in or deriving revenues from certain activities as described below;
- The Investment Manager’s internal ESG process control monitor tool (“PCM”) which includes ESG related metrics to assess company performance on ESG indicators and identifies ESG laggards based on its proprietary methodology;
- Controversy monitoring;
- The use of third-party data to identify ESG laggards using an industry relative rating which incorporates a weighted average score across key ESG issues; and
- underlying investment’s activities and reported metrics are screened against significant harm criteria defined by JHI referring to the relevant mandatory PAIs set out under SFDR, dependant on the company’s performance relative to pre-set house level exclusionary criteria (which may be quantitative or qualitative in nature).
The Investment Manager’s PCM is updated regularly to include new data points or tools as they become available.
As at 3 December 2024, the Investment Manager considers the mandatory indicators for PAIs as follows:
GHG Emissions | Issuers are excluded if they derive any revenue from fossil fuels or derive more than 5% of their revenue from chemicals of concern and intensive farming. The Investment Manager’s process control monitor includes carbon metrics including GHG emissions, GHG intensity, renewable energy consumption, and decarbonisation targets. Climate related controversies are flagged and if deemed material, then engagement is undertaken. If an issuer flags within the bottom half of the proprietary ranking within the process control monitor or is identified as an ESG laggard based on third party data, then mandatory engagement is undertaken which includes timebound outcome-oriented action plans. |
Carbon Footprint | |
GHG Intensity of Investee Companies | |
Exposure to companies active in fossil fuel sector* | |
Share of Non-Renewable energy consumption and production | Issuers are excluded if they derive any revenue from fossil fuels , or derive more than 5% of their revenue from chemicals of concern or intensive farming. The Investment Manager’s ranking screen and process control monitor includes carbon metrics, for example renewable energy consumption and availability of renewable energy disclosures. Climate related controversies are flagged and if deemed material, then engagement is undertaken. If an issuer flags within the bottom half of the proprietary ranking within the process control monitor or is identified as an ESG laggard based on third party data, then mandatory engagement is undertaken which includes timebound outcome-oriented action plans. The Investment Manager’s process is as follows:
|
Energy Consumption intensity per high impact climate sector | The Investment Manager considers that this is not material as technology is not considered a high impact climate sector. |
Activities negatively affecting bio diversity sensitive areas | Issuers are excluded if they derive any revenue from controversial weapons, tobacco production or fossil fuels n or more than 5% of their revenue from alcohol; non-medical animal testing; civilian firearms and ammunition; conventional weapons; nuclear power generation; fur; gambling; chemicals of concern; human stem cell research; pornography; intensive farming; and tobacco distribution, retail, licensing and supply. Issuers are also excluded if they are deemed to have failed to comply with the UNGC and OECD MNE Principles. The Investment Manager’s process control monitor includes checks for deforestation and biodiversity policies. Biodiversity related controversies are flagged and if deemed material, then engagement is undertaken. The Investment Manager also avoids investment in palm oil, timber, fishing, and mining which is avoided subject to a 5% threshold unless the company can demonstrate an outstanding positive response to environmental and social concerns as part of the pre-investment ESG assessment. If an issuer flags within the bottom half of the proprietary ranking within the process control monitor or is identified as an ESG laggard based on third party data, then mandatory engagement is undertaken which includes timebound outcome-oriented action plans. |
Emissions to water | The Investment Manager’s ranking screen and process control monitor, includes water metrics, for example emissions to water. Water related controversies are flagged and if deemed material, then engagement is undertaken. If an issuer flags within the bottom half of the proprietary ranking within the process control monitor or is identified as an ESG laggard based on third party data, then mandatory engagement is undertaken which includes timebound outcome-oriented action plans. The Investment Manager will engage if water emissions are deemed material. The Investment Manager’s process is as follows:
|
Hazardous waste ratio | The Investment Manager’s ranking screen and process control monitor includes waste metrics, for example hazardous waste and checks for hazardous waste disclosures. Waste related controversies are flagged and if deemed material, then engagement is undertaken. If an issuer flags within the bottom half of the proprietary ranking within the process control monitor or is identified as an ESG laggard based on third party data, then mandatory engagement is undertaken which includes timebound outcome-oriented action plans. The Investment Manager will engage if hazardous waste is deemed material. The Investment Manager’s process is as follows:
|
Violations of UN Global Compact principles and Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises | Issuers are excluded if they have failed align with the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises, , or have failed to comply with the UN Global Compact Principles. If an issuer flags within the bottom half of the proprietary ranking within the process control monitor or is identified as an ESG laggard based on third party data, then mandatory engagement is undertaken which includes timebound outcome-oriented action plans. |
Lack of processes and compliance mechanisms to monitor compliance with UN Global Compact principles and OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises | Violators are excluded as noted above. The Investment Manager also monitors a UNGC and OECD MNE watchlist and engages with companies if they are included on the UNGC or OECD MNE watchlist for non-compliance. The Investment Manager reviews and considers an issuer’s governance structures in determining its ability to remain compliant with international standards. If an issuer flags within the bottom half of the proprietary ranking within the process control monitor or is identified as an ESG laggard based on third party data, then mandatory engagement is undertaken which includes timebound outcome-oriented action plans. |
Unadjusted gender pay gap | Diversity, Equity and Inclusion related controversies are flagged and if deemed material, then engagement is undertaken. If an issuer flags within the bottom half of the proprietary ranking within the process control monitor or is identified as an ESG laggard based on third party data, then mandatory engagement is undertaken which includes timebound outcome-oriented action plans. |
Board gender diversity | The Investment Manager engages with companies whose boards flag as under 30% female or are homogenously gendered. Diversity, Equity and Inclusion related controversies are flagged and if deemed material, then engagement is undertaken. If an issuer flags within the bottom half of the proprietary ranking within the process control monitor or is identified as an ESG laggard based on third party data, then mandatory engagement is undertaken which includes timebound outcome-oriented action plans. |
Exposure to controversial weapons (anti- personnel mines, cluster munitions, chemical weapons and biological weapons) | Investment is not permitted in entities involved in the current manufacture of, or minority shareholding of 20% or greater in a manufacturer of controversial weapons., namely: (i) Cluster munitions; (ii) Anti-Personnel mines; (iii) Chemical weapons; (iv) Biological weapons. If an issuer flags within the bottom half of the proprietary ranking within the process control monitor or is identified as an ESG laggard based on third party data, then mandatory engagement is undertaken which includes timebound outcome-oriented action plans. |
Screens are applied to avoid investing in issuers if the Investment Manager considers they have failed to align with the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises; and the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, including the principles and rights set out in the eight fundamental conventions identified in the Declaration of the International Labour Organisation on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work and the International Bill of Human Rights. If an issuer already held in the fund breaches the screen it will be divested within 90 days unless a continued investment case can be made which would need to be agreed by the ESG Oversight Committee. This could be for example if the screening data provider is believed to have based the assessment on incorrect information.
C. Sustainable investment objective of the financial product
The Fund’s investment objective aims to provide capital growth over the long term by investing in technology-related companies that contribute to the development of a sustainable global economy across environmental and social themes. The Fund does not use a reference benchmark to meets its sustainable investment objective.
The Investment Manager uses a pass/fail test meaning that each holding must meet all three of the requirements below:
- based on revenue mapping to the Investment Manager’s themes, it contributes to an environmental or social objective;
- it does not cause significant harm to any environmental or social sustainable investment objective; and
- it follows good governance practices.
While each holding must pass the tests described above, the Investment Manager attaches a 25% weight to the consideration of each of (1) revenue mapping to an environmental or social objective; (2) causing no significant harm to any environmental objective; (3) causing no significant harm to any social objective; (4) governance practices.
D. Investment Strategy
This Fund seeks capital growth through investment in the global equity market and specifically through exposure to technology-related companies, whose products and services have a positive impact on the environment or society, thereby contributing to the development of a sustainable global economy.
The Fund integrates environmental, social and governance factors into the bottom-up, fundamental company analysis and valuation. Fundamental research enables the Investment Manager to navigate the hype cycle1 of sustainable technology as well as identifying companies that are making a positive contribution to environmental and social themes. The investment process considers and monitors climate and environmental indicators as well as social and employee matters as part of its investment due diligence process and responds to these through exercising voting rights, active engagement and action plans that have a bearing on investment decisions.
Periodic desk reviews are undertaken to: review and validate the application of positive screens including revenue mapping to sustainable technology themes and to review the validity of thematic mapping to the sustainable technology themes; validate the application of negative screens utilised by the strategy; and to verify engagement activity including the application of formal action plan completion or tracking as relevant. The results of these periodic reviews are reported to an oversight committee including any necessary escalations where additional stakeholder views are necessary.
The companies in which investments are made are assessed by the Investment Manager to follow good governance practices.
The good governance practices of investee companies are assessed prior to making an investment and periodically thereafter in accordance with the JHI Responsible Investment Policy, which incorporates our Sustainability Risk Policy (“Policy”).
The Policy sets minimum standards against which investee companies will be assessed and monitored by the Investment Manager prior to making an investment and on an ongoing basis. Such standards may include, but are not limited to: sound management structures, employee relations, remuneration of staff and tax compliance. The Investment Manager attaches particular importance to the assessment of corporate culture, values, business strategy, board composition and diversity, tax transparency, audit, controls and remuneration. Generally accepted corporate governance standards may be adjusted for smaller organisations or to take account of local governance standards where appropriate at the discretion of the Investment Manager.
The Policy can be found at www.janushenderson.com/esg-governance.
In addition, the Investment Manager is a signatory to the UN Principles for Responsible Investment (UNPRI). As a signatory, the good governance practices of investee companies are also assessed by having regard to the UNPRI principles prior to making an investment and periodically thereafter.
1 The “hype cycle” represents the different stages in the development of a technology from conception to widespread adoption, which includes investor sentiment to that technology and related stocks during that cycle.
E. Proportion of investments
A minimum of 90% of the investments of the financial product are used to meet the sustainable investment objective of the financial product.
The Investment Manager’s Sustainable Investment Approach includes revenue mapping to environmental and social themes to determine whether an investment contributes to an environmental or social objective. The Fund will have a minimum of 25% invested in sustainable investments with an environmental objective and 25% in sustainable investments with a social objective.
The remaining assets may include investments for certain specific purposes such as hedging or liquidity (i.e. cash/cash equivalents and temporary holdings of index derivatives) and which, in order to ensure that they do not prevent the financial product from attaining its sustainable investment objective, have to meet minimum environmental or social safeguards including that they do no significant harm and align with the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises and the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, where relevant.
The Fund does not use derivatives to attain its sustainable investment objective.
The proportion of investments in the Fund which are aligned with the EU Taxonomy is 0%. Although the EU Taxonomy provides an ambitious framework to determine the environmental sustainability of economic activities, the EU Taxonomy does not comprehensively cover all industries and sectors, or all environmental objectives. The Investment Manager uses its own methodology to determine whether investments selected for the Fund are environmentally sustainable in accordance with the SFDR rules.
F. Monitoring of sustainable investment objective
The sustainability indicators used to measure the attainment of the sustainable investment objective of the Fund are: -
- The Investment Manager uses selection criteria to ensure that the Fund invests only in companies that derive at least 50% of their current or future expected revenues from goods and services within the Investment Manager’s sustainable technology themes, as set out below:
Sustainable Technology Themes | |
Clean Energy Technology | Sustainable transport |
Resource and Productivity Optimisation | Digital Democratisation |
Smart Cities | Tech Health |
Low Carbon Infrastructure | Data Security |
- Carbon - Carbon Intensity Scope 1&2
This represents the company's most recently reported or estimated Scope 1 + Scope 2 greenhouse gas emissions normalized by sales, which allows for comparison between companies of different sizes. - Carbon - Carbon Footprint Scope 1&2
This represents the company's most recently reported or estimated Scope 1 + Scope 2 greenhouse gas emissions (if available). Scope 1 emissions are those from sources owned or controlled by the company, typically direct combustion of fuel as in a furnace or vehicle. Scope 2 emissions are those caused by the generation of electricity purchased by the company. - Overall UNGC and OECD MNE Compliance Status
- % of the portfolio aligned with the Fund’s sustainability themes
- Number of companies engaged with in line with the Investment Manager’s engagement approach.
- ESG Exclusionary screens - see “G. Methodologies” below for details on the exclusions.
Details of how the sustainable investments do not cause significant harm to any environmental or social sustainable investment objectives, and the policy to assess good governance practices of the investee companies, are included above.
The JHI Responsible Investment Policy, which incorporates JHI’s Sustainability Risk Policy sets out the firmwide ESG Integration Principles, responsible investment principles and Baseline Exclusions applied to investee companies. These exclusions are based on classifications provided by third-party data ESG data providers. This classification is subject to an investment research override in cases where sufficient evidence exists that the third-party field is not accurate or appropriate.
Each Investment desk completes their own due diligence processes ahead of making any investment decisions within their Article 9 funds, using internal and external tools and research.
The Front Office Controls & Governance team provide ongoing assurance where required, that we can evidence Investment products being managed in line with documented sustainability commitments where automated controls and/or 3rd party data are not available. Financial Risk review and challenge investment management in light of ESG-related risks, alongside traditional market risk metrics, and embed sustainability risk into the risk profiles. Investment Compliance implement exclusionary screening and monitor this on an ongoing basis in addition to elements of manual oversight where relevant.
G. Methodologies
The Investment Manager uses a pass/fail test meaning that each holding must meet all three of the requirements below:
- based on revenue mapping to the Investment Manager’s themes, it contributes to an environmental or social objective;
- it does not cause significant harm to any environmental or social sustainable investment objective; and
- it follows good governance practices.
The Fund’s investment universe is determined by the application of binding positive screening criteria based on the sustainable technology investment themes of the Investment Manager. The Investment Manager uses a proprietary methodology to ensure that companies the Fund invests in derive at least 50% of their current or future expected revenues from goods and services aligned with these sustainability themes.
The Investment Manager applies screens to exclude issuers if they are deemed to have failed to comply with the UNGC Principles and OECD MNE (which cover matters including human rights, labour, corruption, and environmental pollution).
In addition, the Investment Manager applies screens to exclude direct investment in corporate issuers based on their involvement in certain activities. Specifically, issuers are excluded if they derive any revenue from controversial weapons*, fossil fuels, or tobacco production. Issuers are also excluded if2 they derive more than 5% of their revenue from: alcohol; non-medical animal testing; civilian firearms and ammunition; conventional weapons; nuclear power generation; fur; gambling; chemicals of concern; human stem cell research; pornography; intensive farming; and tobacco distribution, retail, licensing and supply.
*the Fund applies enhanced controversial weapon screening in addition to the firmwide exclusions which screen a broader range of activities
The Fund also applies the Firmwide Exclusions Policy, which includes controversial weapons.
The Investment Manager anticipates that the screening criteria will decrease the Fund’s investment universe by at least 30%.
The Investment manager seeks to achieve a better result on the following two sustainability indicators when compared to the corresponding benchmark:
The Investment Manager aims to maintain a carbon footprint and carbon intensity that is at least 20% below the MSCI ACWI.
The Investment Manager aims to maintain a weighted average exposure to companies with notable ESG controversies that is below the MSCI ACWI.
While each holding must pass the Investment Managers pass/fail test described above, the Investment Manager attaches a 25% weight to the consideration of each of (1) revenue mapping to an environmental or social objective; (2) causing no significant harm to any environmental objective; (3) causing no significant harm to any social objective; (4) governance practices;
In addition to the above the Investment Manager applies screens against the activities defined, as at the date of this prospectus, in Article 12 Exclusions for EU Paris-aligned Benchmarks of the Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/1818 of 17 July 2020. Specifically, companies are excluded if they have any involvement in the following:
- companies involved in any activities related to controversial weapons;
- companies involved in the cultivation and production of tobacco;
- companies that benchmark administrators find in violation of the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC) principles or the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises;
- companies that derive 1 % or more of their revenues from exploration, mining, extraction, distribution or refining of hard coal and lignit(e) companies that derive 10 % or more of their revenues from the exploration, extraction, distribution or refining of oil fuels;
- companies that derive 50 % or more of their revenues from the exploration, extraction, manufacturing or distribution of gaseous fuels;
- companies that derive 50 % or more of their revenues from electricity generation with a GHG intensity of more than 100 g CO2 e/kWh.
For the purposes of point (a), controversial weapons shall mean controversial weapons as referred to in international treaties and conventions, United Nations principles and, where applicable, national legislation.
In addition, the Investment Manager applies screens to exclude direct investment in:
- -any issuer whose head office is located in a country or territory included in the latest available version of the EU list of countries and territories not cooperating on tax issues.
- -Any issuer whose registered office is domiciled in a country or territory on the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) blacklist or greylist.
The Investment Manager may invest in companies that would be excluded by the screens described above if the Investment Manager believes, based on its own research and as approved by its ESG Oversight Committee, that the third-party data used to apply the exclusions is insufficient or inaccurate.
The Investment Manager may consider that the data is insufficient or inaccurate if, for example, the third-party data provider research is historic, vague, based on out of date sources, or the investment manager has other information to make them doubt the accuracy of the research.
If the Investment Manager wishes to challenge the third-party data, then the challenge is presented to a cross-functional ESG Oversight Committee who must sign off on the “override” of the third-party data.
If a third party data provider does not provide research on a specific issuer or excluded activity, the Investment Manager may invest if, through its own research, it is satisfied that the issuer is not involved in the excluded activity.
H. Data sources and processing
The Fund has chosen MSCI as its primary data source for ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) research.
Where coverage gaps are identified, specialist ESG Data vendors or inhouse research may be used to complement the ESG research. This helps ensure consistent data and methodologies are given an ESG measure per security type and hence can be compared correctly in the portfolio construction process.
JHI has built a centralised proprietary research alignment process. The central research alignment process aligns data at three different levels:
- Entity Level,
- Position Level, and
- Fund Level.
The research alignment and mapping capability is critical to JHI's ESG methodology, as we recognize a security could inherit the ESG information from the issuing legal entity, however, some ESG risks will be instrument specific.
JHI applies a series of Data Quality rules to ensure the integrity of the data being ingested into the central research alignment solution. JHI data that is not aligned correctly to the definition as provided by the data vendor is not ingested into the central cloud-based data warehouse and exceptions are raised. These exceptions are monitored and remediated by a central support team. Remediation includes challenging the data provider or internal operations supporting internally managed Systems of Records. Where appropriate the Data Owner responsible and accountable for the data is notified through the internal Data Governance process to resolve outstanding exceptions.
JHI receives weekly automated data feeds from external ESG Data vendors, which are ingested into a cloud-based data warehouse.
Some data used to support binding criteria as received from external providers may be estimated data. For positions not covered by the external data provider, proprietary research may be used. This could range from proprietary research alignment against the external data vendor to written confirmation from the issuing entity that it aligns to the binding criteria. The appropriateness of the evidence provided is assessed by an independent body at JHI.
I. Limitations to methodologies and data
Data coverage is directly driven by the coverage of the underlying ESG Data Provider.
The attainment of the social and environmental characteristics is not wholly dependent on third party data, or any methodology limitations thereof and is typically also informed by proprietary research, engagement with investee companies where there might be relevant data gaps.
JHI’s internal data structure provides sufficient flexibility to incorporate proprietary research or adapt evaluations to future requirements.
JHI is aware of data gaps in ESG Research for non-traditional asset classes compared to mainstream asset classes such as equities and debt instruments.
J. Due diligence
The JHI Responsible Investment Policy, which incorporates JHI’s Sustainability Risk Policy, sets out the firmwide approach to ESG Integration, including JHI's Responsible Investment Principles for long-term investment success, our approaches to Stewardship and Engagement and Baseline Exclusions applied to investee companies. These exclusions are based on classifications provided by third-party data ESG data providers. This classification is subject to an investment research override in cases where sufficient evidence exists that the third-party field is not accurate or appropriate.
Each Investment desk completes their own due diligence processes ahead of making any investment decisions within their Article 9 funds, using internal and external tools and research.
The Front Office Controls & Governance team provide ongoing assurance where required, that we can evidence Investment products being managed in line with documented sustainability commitments where automated controls and/or 3rd party data are not available. Financial Risk review and challenge investment management in light of ESG-related risks, alongside traditional market risk metrics, and embed sustainability risk into the risk profiles. Investment Compliance ensure that ESG-related activities are managed in line with regulatory requirements and expectations and considered within our compliance framework.
K. Engagement Policies
In addition to the binding elements of the investment strategy described above, stewardship forms an integral and natural part of Janus Henderson’s long-term, active approach to investment management. Details of JHI’s approach to Engagement can be found in the ‘Responsible Investment Policy’ published under the 'ESG Resource Library’ on the Janus Henderson website.
The Firm supports a number of stewardship codes and broader initiatives around the world and is a signatory to the UK Stewardship Code.
Janus Henderson has a Proxy Voting Committee, which is responsible for establishing positions on major voting issues and creating guidelines overseeing the voting process. The Committee is comprised of representatives of investments portfolio management, corporate governance, accounting, legal and compliance. Additionally, the Proxy Voting Committee is responsible for monitoring and resolving possible conflicts of interest with respect to proxy voting.
L. Attainment of the sustainable investment objective
The Fund does not use a reference benchmark to meets its sustainable investment objective.
Principal adverse impacts (PAIs)
As at 3 December 2024, the Investment Manager considers the following principal adverse impacts on sustainability factors (“PAIs”) for this Fund:
Adverse Sustainability Indicator | Metric | How is PAI considered | |
---|---|---|---|
Greenhouse gas emissions | GHG emissions | Scope 1 GHG emissions | Exclusionary screens |
Scope 2 GHG emissions | Exclusionary screens | ||
Carbon footprint | Carbon footprint | Exclusionary screens | |
GHG Intensity of investee companies | HG intensity of investee companies | Exclusionary screens | |
Exposure to companies active in the fossil fuel sector | Share of investments in companies active in the fossil fuel sector | Exclusionary screens | |
Social and employee matters | Share of investments in investee companies involved in the manufacture or selling of controversial weapons | Exposure to controversial weapons (anti-personnel mines, cluster munitions, chemical weapons and biological weapons) | Exclusionary screens |
Violations of UN Global Compact principles and Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises | Share of investments in investee companies that have been involved in violations of the UNGC principles or OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises | Exclusionary screens |
'Where the translated version of this disclosure text differs from the English version, the original English version prevails'