
Disclaimer
Please read this important information before proceeding further. It contains legal and regulatory notices relevant to the information contained on this website.
The information contained in the Website is NOT FOR RETAIL CLIENTS - The information contained in the Website is solely intended for professional investors, defined as investors which (1) qualify as professional clients within the meaning of the Markets in Financial Instruments Directive (MiFID), (2) have requested to be treated as professional clients within the meaning of the MiFID or (3) are authorized to receive such information under any other applicable laws. The value of the investments may fluctuate. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Investors may not get back the amount originally invested. Neither Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. nor any of its affiliates guarantees the performance or the future returns of any investments. If the currency in which the past performance is displayed differs from the currency of the country in which you reside, then you should be aware that due to exchange rate fluctuations the performance shown may increase or decrease if converted into your local currency.
In the UK, Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. (“ROBECO”) only markets its funds to institutional clients and professional investors. Private investors seeking information about ROBECO should visit our corporate website www.robeco.com or contact their financial adviser. ROBECO will not be liable for any damages or losses suffered by private investors accessing these areas.
In the UK, ROBECO Funds has marketing approval for the funds listed on this website, all of which are UCITS funds. ROBECO is authorized by the AFM and subject to limited regulation by the Financial Conduct Authority. Details about the extent of our regulation by the Financial Conduct Authority are available from us on request.
Many of the protections provided by the United Kingdom regulatory framework may not apply to investments in ROBECO Funds, including access to the Financial Services Compensation Scheme and the Financial Ombudsman Service. No representation, warranty or undertaking is given as to the accuracy or completeness of the information on this website.
If you are not an institutional client or professional investor you should therefore not proceed. By proceeding please note that we will be treating you as a professional client for regulatory purposes and you agree to be bound by our terms and conditions.
If you do not accept these terms and conditions, as well as the terms of use of the website, please do not continue to use or access any pages on this website.
Sustainable Investing
Article 6, 8 and 9 funds
Article 6, 8 and 9 funds are the three classifications that are applied to all investment products sold within the EU under the EU’s Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation, in effect since 2022. They compel asset managers to reveal the differing levels of sustainability integration that an investment strategy contains. The regulation aims to create a more transparent playing field, partly to prevent greenwashing – where some financial firms claim that their products are sustainable when they are not.
The regulation aims to create a more transparent playing field, partly to prevent greenwashing – where some financial firms claim that their products are sustainable when they are not. This bodes well for Robeco’s suite of strategies that have embraced sustainability for decades and can now be appropriately labeled as such.
Under the new classifications, a strategy will labeled under either Article 6, 8 or 9 of the SFDR:
Article 6 covers funds which do not integrate any kind of sustainability into the investment process and could include stocks currently excluded by ESG funds such as tobacco companies or thermal coal producers. While these will be allowed to continue to be sold in the EU, provided they are clearly labelled as non-sustainable, they may face considerable marketing difficulties when matched against more sustainable funds.
Article 8, also known as ‘environmental and socially promoting’, applies “… where a financial product promotes, among other characteristics, environmental or social characteristics, or a combination of those characteristics, provided that the companies in which the investments are made follow good governance practices.”
Article 9, also known as ‘products targeting sustainable investments’, covers products targeting bespoke sustainable investments and applies “… where a financial product has sustainable investment as its objective and an index has been designated as a reference benchmark.”
Creating returns that benefit the world we live in
Robeco’s funds
The vast majority of investment funds at Robeco are classified as Article 8. These form part of our Sustainability Inside range, which has ESG integrated as standard, and the Sustainability Focused range, which has more specific targets, such as achieving a lower carbon footprint than the benchmark.
Many of Robeco’s Towards Impact range are classified as Article 9. These include bespoke funds targeting specific sustainability themes such as Smart Energy, which focuses on companies offering renewable energy and energy transition solutions.
Only a handful of funds fall under the Article 6 classification. These are those that cannot realistically include ESG factors, such as those that rely on derivatives, or cash savings accounts.