Aviva Investors’ Irish Liquidity Funds offer early Article 8 option for clients

26 January 2022

(London) – Aviva Investors, the global asset management arm of Aviva plc, has achieved Article 8 classification under the EU’s Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation (SFDR) for most of its £38.5 billion Irish OEIC Liquidity Fund range*.

 

anthony callcott

The £262 billion asset manager aims to achieve Article 8 status for the majority of its collective funds domiciled in Europe by the end of the second quarter, subject to regulatory approval. This is part of its ambition to help create a more sustainable, inclusive and low-carbon future for its clients and society, while supporting Aviva Plc to become a net zero company by 2040.

Aviva Investors’ current Article 8 offering includes the Sustainable Transition range, which invests across climate, natural capital and social themes in credit, equities and real assets.

SFDR came into effect in March 2021 with the goal of making the sustainability profile of funds more comparable and easier to understand for investors. The legislation categorises products into specific types and includes metrics for assessing the environmental, social and governance (ESG) impacts of the investment process for each fund.

Article 8 funds promote environmental or social characteristics, or a combination of those characteristics, provided the companies in which investments are made follow good governance practices.

Anthony Callcott, Global Head of Liquidity Sales at Aviva Investors, said:

“This is a key milestone for Aviva Investors and we are pleased that nearly all of our liquidity funds have been classified as A8 early in what is sure to be a transformative process for the asset management industry. Responsible investment is at the core of our A8 offering for the liquidity market and we believe this is the right solution for our clients.”

Caroline Hedges, Head of Credit at Aviva Investors, said:

“Our clients are increasingly demanding that their money is invested in a responsible manner to help create the type of retirement they want for themselves and their families. This is embedded in the philosophy and investment approach we apply to the A8 liquidity range and sets a benchmark for what we want to achieve across our wider credit business.”

Aviva Investors has updated EU fund prospectuses, website product information and Key Investor Information Documents to align with SFDR rules where applicable, along with updated responsible investment policies.

   - ENDS -

* The Aviva Investors Sterling Government Liquidity Fund will remain under Article 6 of SFDR.
The Aviva Investors Sterling Liquidity Fund will become Article 8
The Aviva Investors Euro Liquidity Fund will become Article 8.
The Aviva Investors USD Liquidity Fund will become Article 8.
The Aviva Investors Sterling Liquidity Plus Fund will become Article 8.

For more information contact:

James Morgan

Media Relations Manager

Steve Ainger

Head of Media Relations

Important information

The information and opinions contained in this document are for use by the financial press and media only. No reliance may be placed for any purpose on the information or opinions contained in this document nor should they be seen as advice. 

The press release is provided on the basis that Aviva Investors Global Services Limited is not causing the communication of a financial promotion under exemption of the Financial Promotion Order, as Aviva Investors Global Services Limited has no control over the way in which an article based on this press release is prepared and published by the financial press and media. 

Except where stated as otherwise, the source of all information is Aviva Investors Global Services Limited (“Aviva Investors”) as at 11 April 2022. Unless stated otherwise any views and opinions expressed are those of Aviva Investors. They should not be viewed as indicating any guarantee of return from an investment managed by Aviva Investors nor as advice of any nature. The value of an investment and any income from it may go down as well as up and the investor may not get back the original amount invested. 

Issued by Aviva Investors Global Services Limited, registered in England No. 1151805. Registered Office: St Helen's, 1 Undershaft, London, EC3P 3DQ. Authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.

Aviva Investors

Aviva Investors is the global asset management business of Aviva plc. The business delivers investment management solutions, services and client-driven performance to clients worldwide. Aviva Investors operates in 14 countries in Asia Pacific, Europe, North America and the United Kingdom with assets under management of £268 billion in assets under management as at 31 December 2021.

Aviva PLC

We are the UK’s leading Insurance, Wealth & Retirement business and we operate in the UK, Ireland and Canada. We also have international investments in Singapore, China and India.

  • We help our 18.5 million customers make the most out of life, plan for the future, and have the confidence that if things go wrong we’ll be there to put it right.
  • We have been taking care of people for 325 years, in line with our purpose of being ‘with you today, for a better tomorrow’. In 2021, we paid £30.2 billion in claims and benefits to our customers.
  • Aviva is a market leader in sustainability. In 2021, we announced our plan to become a Net Zero carbon emissions company by 2040, the first major insurance company in the world to do so. This plan means Net Zero carbon emissions from our investments by 2040; setting out a clear pathway to get there with a cut of 25% in the carbon intensity of our investments by 2025 and of 60% by 2030; and Net Zero carbon emissions from our own operations and supply chain by 2030.  Find out more about our climate goals at www.aviva.com/climate-goals and our sustainability ambition and action at www.aviva.com/sustainability
  • Aviva is a Living Wage and Living Hours employer and provides market-leading benefits for our people, including flexible working, paid carers leave and equal parental leave. Find out more at www.aviva.com/about-us/our-people/
  • At 31 December 2021, total Group assets under management at Aviva Group are £401 billion and our Solvency II shareholder capital surplus is £13.1 billion. Our shares are listed on the London Stock Exchange and we are a member of the FTSE 100 index.
  • For more details on what we do, our business and how we help our customers, visit www.aviva.com/about-us  
  • The Aviva newsroom at www.aviva.com/newsroom includes links to our spokespeople images, podcasts, research reports and our news release archive. Sign up to get the latest news from Aviva by email.
  • You can follow us on:

o    Twitter: www.twitter.com/avivaplc/  

o    LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/aviva-plc

o    Instagram: www.instagram.com/avivaplc

For the latest corporate films from around our business, subscribe to our YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/user/aviva

Aviva Investors Global Services Limited
St Helen's, 1 Undershaft, London, EC3P 3DQ

Phone     +44 (0)20 7809 6000

Fax          +44 (0)20 7489 7940

Web        www.avivainvestors.com

Email      info@avivainvestors.com

Issued by Aviva Investors Global Services Limited, registered in England No. 1151805. 
Registered Office: St Helen's, 1 Undershaft, London, EC3P 3DQ. Authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and a member of the Investment Association.

Telephone calls may be recorded for training and monitoring purposes.