HSBC Investments launches global SRI platform

HSBC Investments has integrated its international Sustainable and Responsible Investment (SRI) capabilities into a global SRI platform to provide clients with in-depth SRI expertise and a broad set of investment solutions.

The global SRI platform is designed to complement all the investment management capabilities of HSBC, and represents a further step in HSBC Investments’ commitment to becoming a major global provider of SRI products and solutions.

At the core of the platform is a dedicated SRI team, comprising eight SRI investment professionals in Brazil, France, India and the United Kingdom. The team analyses the impact of environmental, social and governance issues on individual companies and industry sectors, and uses this analysis to support the management of SRI assets in separate accounts and public mutual funds, and development of many new SRI products and services worldwide.

HSBC Investments has already demonstrated its expertise in this area having launched the HSBC Sustainability Leaders Fund in June 2006. The fund is part of HSBC’s flagship Luxembourg domiciled Global Investment Funds (GIF) SICAV, which has UK distributor status and is registered for sale in more than 30 countries. The innovative fund was developed with LEAD (Leadership for Environment and Development) and only invests in companies that demonstrate a genuine commitment to sustainability.

Through its proprietary SRI research methodology, combining both internal and external analysis, including a range of databases, the SRI Platform is able to support a number of investment approaches including best in class, ethical, engagement and positive screening. The international network of HSBC Investments allows it to better understand local client requirements and match those with a wide range of solutions that combine financial performance and sustainability objectives.

Mark McCombe, Global CEO of HSBC Investments said: “The integration of our established international SRI capabilities into a global platform is an exciting development that reflects increasing client demand and HSBC Investments’ strong commitment to building our business in this field. Our efforts are entirely consistent with HSBC’s commitment to Sustainable Development and our adoption of the UN Principles for Responsible Investment”.