• Swindon & Wiltshire Social
• Tuesday February 6 2024
• Author Name: Peter Davison

Triodos Bank UK introduces Future Generations Fund to support UNICEF

Bristol-headquartered ethical bank Triodos has introduced the Triodos Future Generations Fund, a thematic fund aimed at improving the well-being and development of children worldwide.

The fund provides an opportunity for retail investors to support listed small and midcap companies around the world that fit into this unique socially-focused investment theme.

The fund is managed by Triodos Investment Management, the investment arm of Triodos Bank, and has been open to European investors and UK institutional investors since March 2022.

The fund currently has assets under management of EUR 38 million. Triodos IM donates the equivalent of 0.1 per cent of the fund’s net asset value per year to support UNICEF programmes.

The Triodos Future Generations Fund is the fourth fund from Triodos IM to be offered to UK retail investors. It joins the existing portfolio of impact investment funds – the Triodos Global Equities Impact Fund, Triodos Pioneer Impact Fund and Triodos Sterling Bond Fund.

Sjoerd Rozing, fund manager of the Triodos Future Generations Fund, said: “An increasing number of companies are no longer just looking at shareholder value, but at the interests of all stakeholders. We believe future generations belong on that list of stakeholders, and this is why the fund has been set up to support that long-term vision.”

Roger Hattam, director of retail banking at Triodos Bank UK, added: “Triodos impact investment funds have been recognised as some of the most ethical and impactful available to retail investors in the UK.

“Given the huge importance of creating a healthy and just future for our young people, the addition of the Triodos Future Generations Fund provides investors with another opportunity to increase the positive impact their money has.”

The UNICEF donation will specifically support programmes such as the Building Bricks for the Future project. This project addresses two major challenges in Côte d’Ivoire, Africa: waste management and education.

One solution is transforming the plastic waste into bricks, which are then used to build classrooms.

In addition, separate to the fund management, Triodos IM will work together with UNICEF aiming to amplify the voice of children and further their rights within the assets management world, building on UNICEF’s Tool for Investors on Integrating Children’s Rights into ESG Assessment.

Sandra Visscher, executive director UNICEF Luxembourg, said: “While children account for nearly one-third of the world’s population, investors’ human rights policies seldom reflect the special considerations businesses need to make to respect children’s rights.

“We believe that this collaboration helps to put children’s rights more clearly on the investor agenda and encourage integration of children’s rights into ESG decision-making processes across the investor world.”

Pictured: UNICEF’s Building Bricks for the Future project transforms plastic waste into bricks, which are then used to build classrooms for children in Côte d’Ivoire