Sustainable funds: BlackRock follows in Korys’ footsteps

Jérôme Thomas’ source of inspiration

‘We invest, we inspire’: that’s what Korys is all about. But where do Korys employees themselves turn for inspiration? And how do they apply that inspiration in their everyday tasks? Investment Director Jérôme Thomas sets the ball rolling in this new series.

BlackRock, the world’s largest asset manager, publishes an open letter every year. In the 2020 edition, they picked a noteworthy topic: ‘climate change’. In concrete terms, the investment giant urged listed companies to take climate change seriously and to communicate openly on the topic. ‘Be a good corporate citizen’, as they put it themselves.”

Sustainability as an investment factor

‘Sustainability’ is becoming an ever-more important factor in BlackRock’s investment decisions. At Korys, we took the first steps towards sustainable funds as far back as 10 years ago. Right from the launch of our own funds (in 2009 – ed.), sustainable criteria have been our guiding principle: the ESG factors ( Environmental, Social and Governance: a method for measuring the impact of an investment on society and the environment – ed.) are of the utmost important to us.”

Talking sustainable funds

Our team consistently applies these values in its actions, and we’re inspiring others by doing so. Last year, for example, two other asset managers contacted us to talk about sustainable investment. This recognition not only fits perfectly with our ‘We invest, we inspire’ vision; it also reinforces our belief in sustainable funds.”

Risk-adjusted returns in sustainable funds

Responsible investment is the future. I’m not saying that because it’s all the rage at the moment, but because sustainability goes hand in hand with profitability: when we put the ‘sustainable index’ side-by-side with the ‘traditional index’, it’s clear to see that the sustainable index performed much better over the past 10 years. On top of that, a quick look at the latest developments in society shows that sustainability matters more than ever. People investing in sustainable funds are much less exposed to the risks that come with climate change, social unrest and so on. In other words, the risk adjusted returns — as we put it — are higher.”